City of Kogarah

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian place The City of Kogarah was a local government area in the St George region of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The centre of the city is located Template:Convert south-west of the Sydney central business district and west of Botany Bay.

The Municipality of Kogarah was established on 22 December 1885 and in 2008 Kogarah became the first local government area in New South Wales to become a city by popular vote. The city was bounded by the Illawarra railway line, Georges River, Rocky Point Road, Princes Highway and Harrow Road. The name Kogarah is Aboriginal, meaning place of reeds and takes its name from the reeds that grew in the inlets along the Georges River and at the head of Kogarah Bay.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 12 May 2016, the NSW Government announced that Kogarah and Hurstville councils would merge to form Georges River Council with immediate effect.

Council history

The "Municipal District of Kogarah" was proclaimed on 23 December 1885, and the district's boundaries commenced at the intersection of the Illawarra Railway Line with the northern shore of Georges River.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Municipal District was renamed the "Municipality of Kogarah" following the passage of the Municipalities Act, 1897 on 6 December 1897.<ref name=KCC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 22 December 1916 and 1 January 1969, parts of Municipality of Rockdale were transferred to Kogarah.<ref name=KCC/> Kogarah was proclaimed a city in 2008.

In December 1920, Kogarah combined with the councils of Rockdale, Hurstville, and Bexley to form the St George County Council. The elected County Council was established to provide electricity to the Kogarah, Rockdale, Hurstville, and Bexley areas, and ceased to exist when it was amalgamated with the Sydney County Council on 1 January 1980.<ref name=SGCC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Council Chambers

In 1910 the council acquired land in Belgrave Street, Kogarah, for £285.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The foundation stone of the Council Chambers was laid 27 March 1912 by the Mayor W. J. Jones and was designed by Alderman Charles Herbert Halstead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The completed Council Chambers was officially opened on 7 September 1912 by the Governor, Lord Chelmsford.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 1912 Council Chambers had had many alterations, including a first floor addition completed to a design by architects Moore & Dyer in 1937 which had required the council to hold its meetings at the St George County Council headquarters in Montgomery Street while construction occurred.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The newly remodelled chambers were officially reopened by the Minister for Local Government, Eric Spooner, on 28 April 1937.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1970 it was decided to replace the old council chambers, which were demolished to make way for the Kogarah Civic Centre, opened by Governor Sir Roden Cutler in 1973.

Amalgamation

Efforts to bring about a unified council for the St George area were raised regularly since 1901 and the 1946 Clancy Royal Commission into local government boundaries recommended the amalgamation of the municipalities of Hurstville, Kogarah, Rockdale and Bexley. In the following act of parliament passed in December 1948, the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, the recommendations of the commission were modified, leading only to the merger of Bexley and Rockdale councils. A merger was again considered in the 1970s, but 1977 plebiscites run in Hurstville and Kogarah rejected the idea. A further idea of amalgamating Kogarah and Hurstville with Sutherland Shire to the south was raised in 1999 but did not progress.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kogarah opposed an attempt by the NSW Government to amalgamate with Hurstville and Rockdale in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that Kogarah merge with the City of Hurstville to form a new council with an area of Template:Convert and support a population of approximately 147,000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 12 May 2016, the NSW Government announced that Kogarah and Hurstville would merge to form Georges River Council with immediate effect.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Suburbs and localities in the former local government area

Suburbs in the City of Kogarah were: Template:Columns-list

Kogarah City Council also managed and maintained the following localities: Template:Columns-list

Demographics

At the 2011 Census, there were 55,806 people in the Kogarah local government area, of these 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.4% of the population. The median age of people in the Kogarah City Council was 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 17.6% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 14.1% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.5% were married and 8.8% were either divorced or separated.<ref name="Census2011"/>

Population growth in the City between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census was 5.32%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 6.22%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Kogarah local government area was marginally lower than the national average.<ref name="Census2001"/> The median weekly income for residents within the city was generally on par with the national average.<ref name="Census2011"/><ref name="Census2006"/>

Selected historical census data for Kogarah local government area
Census year			2001<ref name="Census2001">Template:Census 2001 AUS</ref>	2006<ref name="Census2006">Template:Census 2006 AUS</ref>	2011<ref name="Census2011"/>
Population		Estimated residents on Census night	49,885	52,537	55,806
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales
		% of New South Wales population			0.81%
		% of Australian population	0.27%	Template:Loss 0.26%	Template:Steady 0.26%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Chinese			18.7%
		Australian			14.4%
		English			14.1%
		Greek			8.7%
		Irish			5.1%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Mandarin	4.0%	Template:Profit 8.1%	Template:Profit 10.5%
		Cantonese	7.0%	Template:Profit 7.9%	Template:Profit 8.7%
		Greek	8.0%	Template:Profit 8.1%	Template:Steady 8.1%
		Arabic	3.6%	Template:Profit 3.8%	Template:Loss 3.6%
		Macedonian	n/c	Template:Profit 2.2%	Template:Profit 2.3%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Catholic	27.8%	Template:Loss 26.2%	Template:Loss 24.6%
		No religion	12.1%	Template:Profit 16.2%	Template:Profit 20.0%
		Eastern Orthodox	13.3%	Template:Profit 14.5%	Template:Profit 14.8%
		Anglican	17.4%	Template:Loss 14.0%	Template:Loss 12.0%
		Buddhism	n/c	Template:Profit 3.6%	Template:Profit 4.6%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income		A$514	A$605
		% of Australian median income		110.3%	104.9%
Family income		Median weekly family income		A$1,164	A$1,667
		% of Australian median income		113.3%	112.6%
Household income		Median weekly household income		A$1,354	A$1,463
		% of Australian median income		115.6%	118.6%

Council

Kogarah Civic Centre, opened by Governor Sir Roden Cutler in 1973.

Composition and election method

Kogarah City Council was composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as four separate wards, each electing three councillors. All councillors were elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor was elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The last election was held on 8 September 2012, and the final makeup of the council for the term 2012–2016, in order of election by ward, was as follows:<ref name="EC-East"/><ref name="EC-Middle"/><ref name="EC-North"/><ref name="EC-West"/>

Ward	Councillor		Party	Notes
East Ward<ref name="EC-East">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Australian party style|	Sam Stratikopoulos	Liberal	Councillor 2012–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	Michael Platt	Labor	Deputy Mayor 1996–1997, 2012–2013, Mayor 2004–2005, 2014–2015
	Template:Australian party style|	Annie Tang	Unity	Deputy Mayor 2005–2006, 2008–2011, 2013–2016
Middle Ward<ref name="EC-Middle">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Australian party style|	Nickolas Varvaris	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2004–2005, 2006–2007, Mayor 2005–2006, 2008–2013
	Template:Australian party style|	Nathaniel Smith	Liberal	Councillor 2012–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	Kathryn Landsberry	Labor	Deputy Mayor 2007–2008
North Ward<ref name="EC-North">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Australian party style|	Lachlan McLean	Independent	Councillor 2008–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	Stephen Agius	Liberal	Mayor 2013–2014, 2015–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	Nick Katris	Labor	Mayor 2007–2008
West Ward<ref name="EC-West">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Australian party style|	Nicholas Aroney	Liberal	Councillor 2012–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	George Katsabaris	Liberal	Councillor 2012–2016
	Template:Australian party style|	Jacinta Petroni	Labor	Deputy Mayor 2011–2012

Mayors

Mayor		Party	Term	Notes
	Thomas Peter Lind		September 1995 – September 1996	<ref name="PastMayors"/>
Template:Australian party style|	Samuel Reuben Witheridge	Independent	September 1996 – September 1997	<ref name="PastMayors"/>
	James Jordan		September 1997 – September 1998	<ref name="PastMayors"/>
	Graeme Sydney Staas		September 1998 – September 1999	<ref name="PastMayors"/>
Template:Australian party style|	Samuel Reuben Witheridge	Liberal	September 1999 – 10 September 2001	<ref name="PastMayors"/>
	James Robert Taylor		10 September 2001 – 13 April 2004	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Australian party style|	Michael Platt	Labor	13 April 2004 – 26 September 2005	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
rowspan=2 Template:Australian party style|	Nickolas Varvaris	Liberal	26 September 2005 – 25 September 2006	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Michael Kitmiridis	25 September 2006 – 24 September 2007		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Australian party style|	Nickolas Katris	Labor	24 September 2007 – 29 September 2008	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
rowspan=2 Template:Australian party style|	Nickolas Varvaris	Liberal	29 September 2008 – 23 September 2013	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Stephen Agius	23 September 2013 – 22 September 2014		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Australian party style|	Michael Platt	Labor	22 September 2014 – 28 September 2015	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Australian party style|	Stephen Agius	Liberal	28 September 2015 – 12 May 2016	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Footnotes

^a{{#if:| }}  Land component is Template:Convert

External links

• Kogarah City Council website (Archived)