The City of Randwick, located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1859, making it the second-oldest local government area in the state, following the City of Sydney. Encompassing an area of 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi), Randwick is home to a population of 134,252 as of the 2021 census.
Leading the City of Randwick is Mayor Cr. Philipa Veitch, representing the Greens party, who was elected in September 2023. The name “Randwick” originates from the village of Randwick in Gloucestershire, England, which was also the birthplace of the district’s first mayor, Simeon Henry Pearce.
Historically, Randwick saw a transformation from a landscape of wealthy landowners and shantytowns to a thriving suburban area with the introduction of tram services from Sydney in the 1880s. This facilitated extensive development, with new tram lines opening up the city for subdivision by the early 1900s. Additionally, the establishment of the University of New South Wales at Kensington in 1949, on the former site of Kensington Racecourse, further contributed to the area’s growth and development.
In 2016, there were discussions about merging the City of Randwick with Woollahra and Waverley councils to form a new council covering an area of 58 square kilometres and supporting a population of approximately 274,000. Despite legal challenges and appeals, the proposed forced merger was ultimately abandoned by the Berejiklian government in July 2017, along with several other similar proposals.
Source Url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Randwick
