Council History

Whadjuk Nyoongar Land

The area of Whadjuk Nyoongar land on which the City of Perth (the City) sits today is just over 19 square kilometres in area (land only) and located on the northern banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) with over 11 kilometres of river frontage. The City is privileged to be home to sites of cultural and historical significance to the Whadjuk people including Gargatup (Kings Park), Matagarup (Heirisson Island), Pinjar (the lakes — location of the Perth train station and surrounds) and Byerbrup (ridge line linking Gargatup and Matagarup). Traditionally, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people sourced food from the Derbarl Yerrigan and the extensive system of freshwater lakes linking the coast with the escarpment, ensuring Perth played an important role for meeting, travel and trade.

Our City boundaries

Today the City includes the suburbs, or parts thereof, of Crawley, East Perth, Nedlands, Northbridge, Perth and West Perth. On 1 July 2016, the City of Perth local government area expanded to include Kings Park (400 hectares), the University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, residential and commercial areas around Hampden Road and Broadway, and the Matilda Bay foreshore in Crawley and Nedlands. The City hosts international consulates, State Parliament of Western Australia and key federal and state judicial institutions, and has the largest concentration of jobs, services, education and cultural and leisure activities in Greater Perth. All of these places are home to a rich history, stretching back long before colonisation.

Our responsibilities

The City of Perth has a distinct leadership role as the capital city authority of Western Australia to ensure it continues to develop and flourish without compromising future generations. In 2016, the City of Perth Act was ratified. This Act brings the City of Perth in line with other Australian capital cities and empowers it, acknowledging its central role in tourism, business and economic development. The Act also provides the necessary structure and legislation to form partnerships with State and Federal Government and the private sector to meet the future needs of the city.

History of the Council

1820—1850

The Swan River Colony was established in 1829. By 1838 it had become apparent that the spreading colony required some form of localised government and the system of British Local Government was introduced. In 1838 municipal administration was vested in a body of trustees consisting of the Justices of the Peace and the proprietors of allotments held in fee simple in the town. At the time, the town had a population of 1,000. An act of 1842 established a Chairman and a committee of six as the Perth Town Trust. (WB Andrews as Chairman and a Committee of George Leake, James Purkis (Treasurer) Peter Brown, WH Drake, Richard Jones).

The Trust met as a united body. It was not large enough to require splitting into committees. The Trust dealt with day to day problems such as provisions of roads, lighting, footpaths, drainage and keeping stock off private property and roads. The trust also had the right to levy rates, the first one being for the purpose of a footpath in Hay Street. The owners or occupants of allotments on the north side of Hay Street paid twenty shillings and all other owners or occupiers in the area paid ten shillings.

The Trust had a difficult beginning as it was always short of funds. There is ample evidence in the records of the Council to show that it was often on the border of bankruptcy and perhaps a classic example of the financial difficulties was the instance of the Trust's inability to raise £2,000 for public works.

1850—1890

The Perth Town Trust, however, progressed under able leaders such as George Shenton until 23 September 1856, when Perth was declared a Bishop's See by Queen Victoria. This automatically raised Perth to the status of a city, but it was two years before the Trust formally changed its name to the Perth City Council under its first chairman, Mr HC Cole. The first meeting of the Perth City Council was held on 10 December 1858 (HC Cole as Chairman, and Councillors B Smith, T Smith, T Farrelly, C King and J Farmaner). The Council was given legislative and administrative functions, which included town planning, control of water and lighting supplies, care of parks and reserves and supervision of the erection of buildings and in some cases their care also.

The new Council still retained its financial problems but due to the influx of convicts many public works were completed during the period from 1856-79, notably Perth Town Hall. Meetings of the Town Trust and later of the City Council were held each month, the Chairman being elected at the annual ratepayers' meeting. These meetings had to be held wherever opportunity offered. They were held in turn at the Court House, the Commercial Hotel and the United Services Tavern. From 2 December 1853, they were held at the Mechanics Institute on the corner of Howick Street, later to be named Hay Street, and Pier Street.

Only when Perth was granted a municipality under properly constituted local government on 2 January 1871, did the Perth City Council have a permanent home. On 6 January of that year the Perth City Council, with Mr Glyde as Chairman, held its first meeting in the Town Hall.

1890—1930

At this time, the population of the colony was 24,785 with the population of Perth being 5,244 (comprised of 3,007 males and 2,237 females). The population continued to increase very slowly until the gold discoveries of the 1890s. The population more than trebled between 1891 and 1902.

On 3 July 1925 the Council moved to the municipal offices in Murray Street and held its first meeting there 25 October. On 25 March 1963, there was a civic welcome for Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh during which Her Majesty officially opened Council House. The first council meeting was held at Council House on 20 May 1963 and it was not until 29 July that year that the Council's official staff moved into the building.

The title of Mayor was first conferred upon the Chairman of the Perth City Council on 8 September 1880, when Mr George Shenton was elected to take up this position.
On the Centenary of the Foundation on 12 August 1929 in the Town of Perth, it was announced that His Majesty the King had granted that the status of Mayor of the City be raised to that of Lord Mayor. The first Lord Mayor was the Hon. JT Franklin, CMG, MLC, JP.

Wards and boundaries

In 1864, Perth was divided into three wards and in 1897, five wards. Three small local authorities on the border of Perth City Council amalgamated with the Council to establish the PCC area. North Perth and Leederville amalgamated on 22 December 1914 and Victoria Park on 1 November 1917, the city thus consisting of eight wards. In 1963 the Council redistributed the boundaries of the previous eight wards and held its first election of three Councillors for each of the nine wards on 29 May 1963.

In October 1993 the State Government announced the split of the City of Perth and three separate towns were created from the area previously known as the City of Perth. The City of Perth remains the capital city of Western Australia and the three towns created in the split are Town of Vincent, Town of Victoria Park and Town of Cambridge.

The City of Perth today is one of 24 local authorities in the Perth metropolitan region. Eight of these authorities are classified as cities, eight as towns and eight as shires.

City of Perth flag

The City of Perth flag is the red cross of Saint George on a white background with the City's coat of arms superimposed in the centre of the cross. The flag was apparently designed prior to 1879, but unfortunately there is little record of its beginning. There is no name of the designer and why Saint George's Cross was chosen is equally wrapped in obscurity. However, it is significant that the Anglican Cathedral in the city is named after the Patron Saint of England and the main boulevard of the city also bears his name.

There have been some changes to the flag during the 143 years since the City was founded. Perhaps the most significant was the exclusion of the black swan from the top left hand corner around the mid 1920s. It was supplanted by the coat of arms in the centre of the cross when these armorial bearings were finally approved in 1949. They were first granted in December 1926.

City of Perth emblem and plaque

The emblem at the entrance to Council House was designed by Perth artist Geoffrey Allen, incorporating swans supporting a crown in copper, gilt and bronze, which was set on granite from London's old Waterloo Bridge. A feature of the design is six symbolic crowns, the inclusion of which identify Queen Elizabeth II as the sixth Queen Regent of Great Britain. Council House was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on the 25 March 1963 and this is the reason why the design was personalised.

A historical overview of Council House