Waverley Council, situated in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, has a rich history dating back to its incorporation on 16 June 1859 as the Municipality of Waverley. It stands as one of the oldest local government areas in the state.
Bordered by the Tasman Sea to the east, the Municipality of Woollahra to the north, and the City of Randwick to the south and west, Waverley Council’s administrative center resides on Bondi Road in Bondi Junction, within the Council Chambers on the corner of Waverley Park.
Comprising twelve councillors elected proportionally across four wards, each electing three councillors, the most recent election took place on 4 December 2021. Councillor Paula Masselos of Lawson Ward, a member of the Labor Party, currently serves as the mayor since September 2019.
The journey towards Waverley’s incorporation began with the enactment of the Municipalities Act of 1858, allowing for the creation of municipalities for areas with over 500 electors. Numerous petitions calling for the incorporation of the Waverley area were received and published in the New South Wales Government Gazette in November 1858 and May 1859. An early meeting held at the Tea Gardens Hotel on Bronte Road in December 1858 further fueled the call for a “Municipality of Waverley.”
The Municipality of Waverley was officially established on 13 June 1859, with the proclamation approved by the Governor of New South Wales and published in the Government Gazette on 16 June 1859. The first election, held on 14 July 1859, saw nine councillors elected proportionately, with the inaugural council meeting convened on 23 July 1859 at the Tea Gardens Hotel, with John Birrell chosen as the first chairman.
In February 1860, the council was divided into three wards electing three councillors each: Waverley Ward, Bondi Ward, and Nelson Ward. Lawson Ward was added in April 1887, expanding the council to twelve aldermen.
A significant boundary change occurred on 6 October 1944 when the Mill Hill area was removed from the Municipality of Randwick and included in the Waverley Municipality following a recommendation from a NSW Local Government Department Commission of Inquiry in 1941.
Source Url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverley_Council
