City of Whitehorse
Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place
The City of Whitehorse is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of Template:Convert and an estimated residential population of 183,462 as of June 2024.<ref name=ABSLGA/>
History
The City of Whitehorse was created in December 1994 following the amalgamation of the City of Box Hill and the City of Nunawading, which shared a boundary along Middleborough Road.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Earlier plans to form a smaller City of Whitehorse by merging the City of Box Hill and the eastern part of the City of Camberwell were not followed through.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The municipality derives its name and logo from The White Horse Hotel, a popular coaching inn located on the corner of Elgar Road and Whitehorse Road.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> After its demolition in 1933, the Council acquired the horse and porch from the hotel, and they were erected on Whitehorse Road.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1986, the monument was relocated to Box Hill Town Hall and a replica was erected in its place.<ref>Template:Cite document</ref>
Council
The City of Whitehorse is divided into eleven wards: Cootamundra, Eley, Elgar, Kingsley, Lake, Mahoneys, Simpson, Sparks, Terrara, Walker and Wattle.<ref name="CoWwards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One Councillor is elected to represent each ward, every four years.<ref name="CoWCandW">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Council elections are conducted by postal voting and votes are counted using preferential voting. Voting is compulsory for residents who are on the electoral roll for state elections, but voters aged 70 years or over are not obliged to vote at local council elections. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected by the Councillors to serve as the principal ambassador for the city for a twelve-month term.
The current council was elected in November 2024, and its composition is:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Australian party style| | Independent | 8 |
| Template:Australian party style| | Independent Liberal | 2 |
| Template:Australian party style| | Independent Labor | 1 |
| Total | 11 | |
Template:Victoria LGA ward map
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cootamundra | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Kieran Simpson | ||
| Eley | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Daniel Griffiths | ||
| Elgar | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Blair Barker | ||
| Kingsley | Template:Australian party style| | Independent Liberal | Kirsten Langford | ||
| Lake | Template:Australian party style| | Independent Labor | Hayley Weller | ||
| Mahoneys | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Jason Martin | ||
| Simpson | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Prue Cutts | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Sparks | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Peter Allan | ||
| Terrara | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Jarrod Gunn | ||
| Walker | Template:Australian party style| | Independent | Ben Stennett | ||
| Wattle | Template:Australian party style| | Independent Liberal | Andrew Davenport | Mayor<ref name=mayor/> | |
Past councillors
2000−2020 (multi-member wards)
Whitehorse comprised five two-member wards until 2020, when they were replaced by single-member wards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Year | Central | Elgar | Morack | Riversdale | Springfield | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | |||||||||||
| 2000 | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Jessie McCallum (Ind) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Peter Allan (Ind) | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Bernie Millane (Ind) | rowspan="7" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Robert Chong (Ind) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Bill Bowie (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Noel Spurr (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Helen Buckingham (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Richard Anderson (Ind) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Chris Aubrey (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Kaele Way (Ind) |
| 2003 | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | George Droutsas (Ind) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Sharon Ellis (Ind) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | John Koutras (Ind) | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Sharon Patridge (Ind) | ||||||||||||
| 2004 | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Haley Weller (Ind) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Helen Harris (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Pauline Richards (Labor) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Ben Stennett (Ind) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Andrew Munroe (Liberal) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Bill Pemberton (Ind) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Mark Lane (Liberal) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Raylene Carr (Ind) | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Phillip Daw (Ind) | ||||||||||
| 2012 | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Denise Massoud (Liberal) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Bill Bennett (Ind) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Andrew Davenport (Liberal) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Tanya Tescher (Liberal) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Tina Liu (Ind) | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Prue Cutts (Ind) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style| | Blair Barker (Liberal) | ||||||||||||||||||
Townships and localities
The 2021 Census counted 169,346<ref>Template:Census 2021 AUS</ref> residents in the City of Whitehorse, up from 162,078<ref>Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref> in the 2016 Census.
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 20,406 | 21,302 |
| Template:VICcity | 13,940 | 14,478 |
| Template:VICcity | 7,436 | 7,627 |
| Template:VICcity | 10,793 | 10,939 |
| Template:VICcity | 11,395 | 14,353 |
| Template:VICcity | 11,874 | 12,337 |
| Template:VICcity | 8,434 | 8,491 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 15,019 | 15,147 |
| Template:VICcity | 10,273 | 10,675 |
| Template:VICcity | 10,626 | 10,780 |
| Template:VICcity | 16,148 | 16,795 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 4,840 | 4,948 |
| Template:VICcity | 5,503 | 5,609 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 11,876 | 12,413 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 13,605 | 13,655 |
| Template:VICcity^ | 10,442 | 10,993 |
| Template:VICcity | 11,678 | 11,954 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
Major thoroughfares
- Template:AUshield Blackburn Road (State Route 13)
- Template:AUshield Boronia Road (State Route 36)
- Template:AUshield Burwood Highway (State Route 26)
- Template:AUshield Canterbury Road (State Route 32)
- Template:AUshield Elgar Road (B970)
- Template:AUshield Eastern Freeway (M3)
- Template:AUshield Highbury Road
- Template:AUshield Maroondah Highway (Whitehorse Road) (State Route 34)
- Template:AUshield Middleborough Road (State Route 23)
- Template:AUshield Mitcham Road (State Route 36)
- Template:AUshield Riversdale Road (State Route 20)
- Template:AUshield Springvale Road (State Route 40)
- Template:AUshield Station Street (State Route 47)
- Template:AUshield Surrey Road (State Route 13)
- Template:AUshield Warrigal Road (State Route 15)
Culture
Neighbours is filmed in Vermont South; Pin Oak Court is the real cul-de-sac that has doubled for Ramsay Street since 1985.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> All of the houses featured in the show are real and the residents allow Neighbours to shoot external scenes in their front and back yards and on occasions, in their garages.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Owing to its association with the show, Pin Oak Court is popular with tourists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Interior scenes were filmed at Global Television studios in the adjacent suburb of Forest Hill.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Box Hill has variously supported an eponymous brass band since 1889.
Sister city relations
On 12 May 1971, the City of Box Hill established a sister city relationship with Matsudo, in Chiba, Japan. In December 1994, when Box Hill amalgamated with Nunawading, the City of Whitehorse re-affirmed its relationship with Matsudo.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In April 2005, the City of Whitehorse signed a Memorandum of Friendship and Understanding with Shaoxing, in Zhejiang, China. The Memorandum of Friendship and Understanding aims to foster international liaisons and links and facilitate the exchange of information and personal visits, as well as to strengthen economic, tourism and educational connections between the two cities through sharing knowledge and cultural understanding.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Libraries
Libraries in the City of Whitehorse are operated by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries, which also has branches in the City of Manningham.
The branches in Whitehorse include:
- Blackburn Library – Located at Cnr Blackburn and Central Roads, Blackburn.
- Box Hill Library – Located at 1040 Maroondah Highway, Box Hill.
- Nunawading Library – Located at 379 Maroondah Highway, Nunawading.
- Vermont South Library – Located at Pavey Place, Vermont South.
See also
References
External links
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} Official website
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} Includes train and tram connections
- Link to Land Victoria interactive maps Template:Webarchive
- Template:Victorian local government areas pre-1994 vs present map link
Template:City of Whitehorse suburbs Template:Local Government Areas of Victoria