Whittlesea City.html



City of Whittlesea Victoria
Map of Melbourne showing City of Whittlesea
Population:	124,647 (2006) 1
Established:	1862
Area:	489.9 km² (189.2 sq mi)
Mayor:	Elizabeth Nealy
Council Seat:	South Morang
Region:	NE Metropolitan Melbourne
State District:	Bundoora, Mill Park, Thomastown, Yan Yean
Federal Division:	McEwen, Scullin
Website: http://www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/
LGAs around City of Whittlesea: Mitchell Mitchell Murrindindi Hume City of Whittlesea Nillumbik Moreland Darebin Banyule

The City of Whittlesea is a Local Government Area located in the outer northeastern suburbs of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covers an area of 489.9 square kilometres (189.2 sq mi), and at the 2006 census it had a population of 124,647.¹

History

What became the City of Whittlesea had its origins in two separate districts. The first, Whittlesea, was incorporated on 12 December 1862 and became a Shire in 1874. The second, Epping, was incorporated on 25 July 1864, became the Shire of Darebin on 7 October 1870 and was renamed back to Shire of Epping on 22 March 1894.² The two merged on 1 October 1915 as part of a restructuring of local government outside the metropolitan area in Victoria.

On 31 May 1955, parts of the City of Broadmeadows were annexed to Whittlesea and the neighbouring Shire of Bulla. The population grew rapidly as urbanisation reached the southern end of the shire, and on 30 March 1988 it was proclaimed by the Governor of Victoria as a City, effective from 15 April. Until amalgamation, the City was 598.3 square kilometres (231.0 sq mi) in size.³

On 15 December 1994, massive local government reform once again affected Whittlesea's boundaries, although unlike most, the City survived largely intact. 18% of its land area was ceded to entities created in 1994—the Doreen and Arthurs Creek districts were lost to the new Shire of Nillumbik, while Kinglake West went to Shire of Murrindindi and Somerton to the City of Hume.⁴

Until April 1993, the council met at the Shire Office at High Street and Houston Street, Epping, next to the primary school. In that month, it moved to its present headquarters in Ferres Boulevard, South Morang. The original premises in Epping is now a council depot.

Wards

Historically, Whittlesea was divided into four ridings, each electing three councillors. When it became a City in 1988, these were converted into wards:

• Centre Ward (formerly Yan Yean Riding)
• East Ward (formerly Morang Riding)
• West Ward (formerly Thomastown Riding)
• North Ward (formerly Whittlesea Riding)

After 1994, Whittlesea was resubdivided into nine wards, each with one councillor. From the 2005 local elections, after a review by the Victorian Electoral Commission, this was reformed to three wards, each electing three councillors:

• East Ward
• North Ward
• West Ward

Suburbs

Urban:

• Aurora
• Bundoora (split with Cities of Darebin and Banyule)
• Doreen (split with Shire of Nillumbik)
• Epping
• Lalor
• Mill Park
• South Morang
• Thomastown

Rural:

• Donnybrook
• Eden Park
• Humevale
• Kinglake West
• Mernda
• Whittlesea
• Wollert
• Woodstock
• Yan Yean (split with Shire of Nillumbik)

Population

* Estimate in 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References

External links

• Official City of Whittlesea web site
• Whittlesea information web site
• Yarra Plenty Library