Council Minutes

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Collection SummaryThis collection consists of over 93 volumes of recorded council minutes. The minutes were handwritten up until June 1917.DescriptionThe first attempt at local government in New South Wales was a section of the Constitution Act of 1842, which included provision to create district councils. Other attempts at setting up councils met with limited success and in 1867 the Municipalities Act was passed. In the five years following this Act, some forty new areas were incorporated. The Municipality of Smithfield and Fairfield was not incorporated until 1889. The first election in the Smithfield and Fairfield municipality took place on Friday 15 February and there were many people gathered to hear the first results. The Liverpool Brass Band arrived at Smithfield about dusk and played for ‘the delectation of some hundreds of merrymaking ratepayers, who patronised Laughton’s hotel very freely’. This was despite the fact that the vote was in favour of not having any more hotels in the municipality. It was expected that John Lackey would be the first Mayor, as he headed the poll by a good majority, gaining 137 votes. Others elected were FA Kenyon with 108 votes; Thomas Downey, with 95 votes; David Dale with 89 votes while E B Anthony gained 68 votes, one vote ahead of William Stimson. The following day these six men were declared to be duly elected as aldermen of the first council.

The first meeting of the new council took place on 28 February 1889 and Francis Atkin Kenyon, not John Lackey was elected as mayor for the next year. All members were present at the meeting at which the works, finance, by-laws, and general-purpose committees were appointed, each of which was to consist of the whole council. Alderman Stimson was appointed as treasurer and GE Young as acting council clerk. It was his responsibility to supervise the preliminary work of council. The council decided to obtain an overdraft of £100 from the local branch of the AJS Bank to meet current expenses. Ten men then applied for the position of council clerk, with tenders ranging from £26 to £179 per annum. GE Young was selected at a salary of £60 per annum.

A proclamation was published in the Government Gazette No 191 of 29 October 1920, altering the name of the municipality to "Municipality of Fairfield"

In December 1892 the Municipality of Cabramatta and Canley Vale was separated from the Municipality of Liverpool. This newly formed council ran parallel with Municipality of Fairfield and Smithfield Council that was formed in 1889.

In 1948 the two councils amalgamated and became Municipality of Fairfield.

In 1979 Fairfield became a city and changed the name to Fairfield City Council.

Council Minutes Collection

Fairfield Municipal Council 1948 -

Municipality of Cabramatta and Canley Vale Council Minutes 1892 - 1948

Municipality of Smithfield and Fairfield Council Minutes 1889 - 1948

Mayor Wunsch and Mr Gough Whitlam at the opening of Fairfield City Museum, Smithfield NSW, 10/04/1983

Connections

CollectionFairfield City Council Archives & Records

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