City of Banyule

The City of Banyule is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was created under the Local Government Act 1989 and established in 1994 as an amalgamation of former councils.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MRB">Template:Cite journal</ref> It has an area of Template:Convert and lies between 7 and 21 km from central Melbourne. In 1994 it had a population of 116,000.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In June 2018 Banyule had a population of 130,237.<ref name=ABSLGA/> The Yarra River runs along the City's southern border while its western border is defined by Darebin Creek.

The City moved their main offices from Ivanhoe to Greensborough in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A brand-new civic centre was constructed, including three-level offices to accommodate 320 council staff, community and function rooms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The area was originally occupied by the Wurundjeri, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung language group.

The City was named after the Indigenous Australian term Banyule or "Banyool", and was originally the name of a locality within the former City of Heidelberg before being adopted as the name of the new Council during the amalgamation of local government areas in Victoria. It was formed in December 1994 from the merger of the City of Heidelberg with parts of the Shires of Diamond Valley and Eltham.

The City also has some significant heritage within its boundaries. Significant buildings listed on the Victorian Heritage Register include:

• Charterisville (1840)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Banyule (1846)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ravenswood (1891)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Chadwick House (1904)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Heidelberg Town Hall (1937)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There are a number of housing estates<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> designed by leading early 20th Century architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin and by property developer Albert Victor (A.V.) Jennings, some of the most significant art deco buildings in Melbourne, and the world's first Olympics athletes' village.

Banyule is the birthplace of the Heidelberg School of Art, which was formed when a group of artists, including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, Walter Withers, Charles Conder and others moved to a shack on Mount Eagle (now known as Eaglemont) and began painting the landscape in a uniquely Australian way during the late 1880s.

Former councils

File:Victoria LGAs pre- vs post-amalgamation Banyule.png

The City of Banyule's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1994

Former councils which formed part of Banyule council's current jurisdiction prior to their amalgamation include:<ref name="MRB"/>

• City of Heidelberg (all apart from the Bundoora Health precinct)
• Shire of Diamond Valley (all apart from the area north of Greensborough Highway, the Bundoora Health precinct and the eastern part of Eltham North)
• Shire of Eltham (suburbs of Montmorency and Lower Plenty only).

Council

The councillors of Banyule after the elections in October 2024 are:

Ward	Party		Councillor	Notes
Bakewell	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Mark Di Pasquale
Beale	Template:Australian party style|	Independent Labor	Elizabeth Nealy
Chelsworth	Template:Australian party style |	Independent	Alida McKern
Griffin	Template:Australian party style|	Greens	Peter Castaldo
Grimshaw	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Rick Garotti	Deputy Mayor<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Hawdon	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Matt Wood
Ibbott	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Alicia Curry
Olympia	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Mary O'Kane
Sherbourne	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Alison Champion	Mayor<ref name=":0" />

Townships and localities

The 2021 census, the city had a population of 126,236 up from 121,865 in the 2016 census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Template:VICcity	1,793	1,996
Template:VICcity	3,152	3,220
Template:VICcity^	28,653	28,068
Template:VICcity	3,873	3,960
Template:VICcity^	6,805	6,830
Template:VICcity^	20,821	21,070
Template:VICcity	6,225	7,360
Template:VICcity	6,087	6,758
Template:VICcity	5,545	5,252
Template:VICcity	12,171	13,374
Template:VICcity	3,815	3,762
Template:VICcity	3,891	3,962
Template:VICcity^	9,769	9,892
Template:VICcity	8,960	9,250
Template:VICcity	8,498	8,616
Template:VICcity	2,923	2,890
Template:VICcity	6,923	7,030
Template:VICcity	5,214	5,352
Template:VICcity	3,814	3,799
Template:VICcity	4,117	4,161

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

Facilities

Ivanhoe Library, Rosanna Library and Watsonia Library are operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library. A mobile library service to West Heidelberg is also operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library.

Heidelberg Historical Society is a varied group of people with a shared interest in understanding and preserving the history of Heidelberg and surrounding suburbs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Warringal Conservation Society is a community group which advocates for the green spaces of Banyule and beyond.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

U3A Banyule provides learning opportunities especially for people of 50 years and older.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• City of Heidelberg

External links

• Template:Commonscat-inline
• Official website
• Yarra Plenty Regional Library
• Public Transport Victoria local public transport map
• Link to Land Victoria interactive maps Template:Webarchive
• Template:Victorian local government areas pre-1994 vs present map link