Municipality of Woollahra

This article is about the Australian local government area. For the Sydney suburb, see Woollahra, New South Wales.

Woollahra Municipal Council (or Woollahra Council) is a local government area in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is bounded by Sydney Harbour in the north, Waverley Council in the east, Randwick City in the south and the City of Sydney in the west.

Woollahra Municipal Council New South Wales
Location in Metropolitan Sydney
Coordinates	33°53′S 151°15′E / 33.883°S 151.250°E / -33.883; 151.250
Population	53,496 (2021 census)^[1]
• Density	4,460/km^2 (11,500/sq mi)
Established	April 1860
Area	12 km^2 (4.6 sq mi)
Mayor	Richard Shields
Council seat	Double Bay
Region	Metropolitan Sydney
State electorate(s)	Vaucluse Sydney
Federal division(s)	Wentworth
Website	Woollahra Municipal Council
LGAs around Woollahra Municipal Council: Sydney Harbour Sydney Harbour Tasman Sea Sydney Woollahra Municipal Council Waverley Sydney Randwick Waverley

Woollahra Council Chambers

Vaucluse clifftop homes.

The administrative centre of Woollahra Municipal Council is located in Double Bay. The mayor of Woollahra Municipal Council is Cr. Richard Shields.^[2]

Suburbs in the local government area

Suburbs in the area include:

• Bellevue Hill
• Darling Point
• Double Bay
• Edgecliff
• Paddington (parts are located within City of Sydney Council)
• Point Piper
• Rose Bay (the east side of Old South Head Road is located within Waverley Council)
• Vaucluse (parts are located within Waverley Council)
• Watsons Bay
• Woollahra

Demographics

At the 2011 Census, there were 52,158 people in the Woollahra local government area, of these 47.1% were male and 52.9% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.2% of the population. The median age of people in the Municipality of Woollahra was 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 15.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.3% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 43.1% were married and 10.3% were either divorced or separated.^[3]

Population growth in the Municipality of Woollahra between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census was 0.70%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 3.98%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Woollahra local government area was significantly lower than the national average.^[4] The median weekly income for residents within the Municipality of Woollahra was double the national average.^[3][5]

At the 2016 Census, the proportion of residents who stated a religious affiliation with Judaism was in excess of thirty–two times the state and national averages.^[6]

Selected historical census data for Woollahra local government area
Census year			2001^[4]	2006^[5]	2011^[3]	2016^[6]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	49,814	50,161	52,158	54,240
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales		19th	42nd	43rd
		% of New South Wales population		1.90%	0.75%	0.73%
		% of Australian population	0.26%	0.25%	0.24%	0.23%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		English			23.6%	23.7%
		Australian			17.7%	16.8%
		Irish			9.0%	9.5%
		Scottish			6.9%	7.2%
		Chinese			n/c	3.1%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Mandarin	n/c	n/c	0.8%	1.6%
		French	1.0%	1.0%	1.1%	1.3%
		Greek	1.4%	1.3%	1.3%	1.3%
		Spanish	n/c	n/c	n/c	1.1%
		Italian	1.2%	1.1%	1.0%	1.0%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		No religion	15.1%	16.7%	21.7%	30.2%
		Catholic	19.9%	19.7%	20.2%	19.1%
		Anglican	21.2%	19.8%	17.9%	13.8%
		Judaism	13.4%	14.1%	14.2%	13.0%
		Not stated	n/c	n/c	n/c	12.8%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income		A$976	A$1,145	A$1,365
		% of Australian median income		209.4%	198.4%	206.2%
Family income		Median weekly family income		A$1,917	A$2,832	A$3,626
		% of Australian median income		186.7%	191.2%	209.1%
Household income		Median weekly household income		A$2,654	A$2,398	A$2,687
		% of Australian median income		226.6%	194.3%	186.7%

Woollahra Municipal Council

See also: List of mayors of Woollahra

Current composition and election method

Woollahra Municipal Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally as five separate wards, each electing three Councillors. Councillors are usually elected for a fixed four-year term of office.^[7] The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the council. The Council election of 4 December 2021 resulted in the following makeup:^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

 

Party		Councillors
	Liberal Party	8
	Residents First Woollahra	5
	The Greens	2
	Total	15

The council as elected in 2021, in order of election by ward, was:

Ward	Councillor		Party	Notes
Bellevue Hill Ward^[8]		Lucinda Regan	Residents First
		Isabelle Shapiro	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2007–2009, 2022–2023; Mayor 2010–2011.
		Sean Carmichael	Liberal
Cooper Ward^[9]		Sarah Swan	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2023–present.
		Luise Elsing	Residents First
		Nicola Grieve	The Greens
Double Bay Ward^[10]		Toni Zeltzer	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2011–2012; Mayor 2013–2017.
		Mark Silcocks	Residents First
		Richard Shields	Liberal	Mayor 2023–present; Deputy Mayor 2019–2022.
Paddington Ward^[11]		Matthew Robertson	The Greens
		Peter Cavanagh	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2009–2011; Mayor 2017–2019.
		Harriet Price	Residents First
Vaucluse Ward^[12]		Merrill Halkerston Witt	Residents First
		Mary-Lou Jarvis	Liberal	Deputy Mayor 2018–2019.
		Susan Wynne	Liberal	Mayor 2011–2012, 2019–2023; Deputy Mayor 2015–2018.

History of Woollahra

The name 'Woollahra' is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'camp' or 'meeting ground'.^[13]

A petition was submitted in 1859 with 144 signatures of local residents from Darling Point, Paddington and Watsons Bay for the formation of the Municipality. With no petition against formation of the Municipality, Woollahra was proclaimed to be named so on 17 April 1860, and gazetted on 20 April 1860. At the first meeting, The Hon. George Thornton was elected as the first Chairman of Woollahra.^[13]

In 1947, after previously acquiring 'Iron House' on Ocean Street, in the 1860s, Council transferred to the current site at Redleaf.^[13]

Woollahra largely developed as a residential locality. A few small local industries were established in Woollahra, Double Bay and Paddington; but with the residential gentrification of Paddington and Woollahra in the 1960s, most of these cottage industries had vanished by the end of the 20th century.^{[citation needed]}

Woollahra's cultural heritage has been enriched by the influx of people from many different cultural backgrounds. Some of the influential immigrants to Woollahra have been the Chinese market gardeners, who began leasing land in Double Bay gully and Rose Bay in the 1880s; the Portuguese whalers who settled at Watsons Bay in the 19th century, building a church and becoming a part of the village life, and the many Europeans who migrated after World War II and helped change the face of commercial centres such as Double Bay.^{[citation needed]}

A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Municipality of Woollahra merge with the Waverley and Randwick councils to form a new council with an area of 58 square kilometres (22 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 274,000.^[14] Following an independent review, in May 2016 the NSW Government sought to dismiss the council and force its amalgamation with Waverley and Randwick councils. Woollahra Council instigated legal action claiming that there was procedural unfairness and that a KPMG report at the centre of merger proposals had been "misleading". The matter was heard before the NSW Court of Appeal who, in December 2016, unanimously dismissed the council's appeal, finding no merit in its arguments that the proposed merger with its neighbouring councils was invalid.^[15] In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.^[16]

Heritage listings

The Municipality of Woollahra has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Bellevue Hill, 24 Victoria Road: Leura^[17]
• Darling Point, 1a Carthona Avenue: Lindesay^[18]
• Darling Point, 68 Darling Point Road: The Swifts^[19]
• Darling Point, 103 Darling Point Road: Babworth House^[20]
• Darling Point, 11-21 Greenoaks Avenue: Bishopscourt^[21]
• Double Bay, Cross Street: Double Bay Compressed Air Ejector Station^[22]
• Double Bay, 11 Gladswood Gardens: Gladswood House^[23]
• Double Bay, 337-347 New South Head Road: Overthorpe^[24]
• Double Bay, 560 New South Head Road: Fairwater^[25]
• Double Bay, 4 and 6 Wiston Gardens: Houses^[26]
• Edgecliff, 8 Albert Street: Fenton and surrounds^[27]
• Paddington, 1 Ormond Street: Juniper Hall, Paddington^[28]
• Paddington, 56a Ormond Street: Engehurst^[29]
• Paddington, 246 Oxford Street: Paddington Post Office^[30][31][32]
• Paddington, 1 Young Street: Paddington Substation^[33]
• Point Piper, 10 Dunara Gardens: Dunara^[34]
• Rose Bay, 3-4 Fernleigh Gardens: Site of Ficus superba var. henneana tree^[35]
• Rose Bay, 1-7 Salisbury Road: Salisbury Court (Rose Bay)^[36]
• Vaucluse, 32b Fitzwilliam Road: Wentworth Memorial Church^[37]
• Vaucluse, Chapel Road: Wentworth Mausoleum^[38]
• Vaucluse, Greycliffe Avenue: Nielsen Park^[39]
• Vaucluse, Old South Head Road: Macquarie Lighthouse^[40]
• Vaucluse, 52 Vaucluse Road: Strickland House, Vaucluse^[41]
• Vaucluse, 69a Wentworth Road: Vaucluse House^[42]
• Watsons Bay, Dunbar (ship)^[43]
• Watsons Bay, Old South Head Road: Hornby Lighthouse^[44]
• Woollahra, 14 Rosemont Avenue: Rosemont^[45]
• Woollahra, Waimea Avenue: Waimea House^[46]

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of the Municipality of Woollahra

Adopted Granted by the Kings of Arms, 10 May 1964.^[47] Crest On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a Demi-Sun in splendour Or two Cornucopias in a saltire proper. Helm A closed Helmet, mantling Azure, doubled Argent. Escutcheon Argent, on a Pile issuant in base Azure between two threemasted Sailing Ships sails furled proper pennants flying Gules a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross Argent, on a chief of the Second a Garb Or. Supporters On the dexter side an Emu and on the sinister side a Kangaroo each supporting a Staff proper flying therefrom a Banner barry wavy of six Argent and Azure. Compartment A field of Grass Vert. Motto Peace, Plenty, Progress Symbolism Many of the features of the Arms, including the supporters and motto, come from the Council Seal adopted in 1907.^[48] The two sailing ships in the escutcheon allude to both the position of the Municipality on the southern shore of Port Jackson, but also Captain Arthur Phillip's landing with the First Fleet at Camp Cove in 1788. The Southern Cross, and the kangaroo and emu supporters, are common additions for Australian arms. The rising sun in the crest symbolises the position of Woollahra on the east coast of Australia, as well as the promise of the future, while the Cornucopias in front signify the prosperity and position of Woollahra. The gold sheaf of wheat in the escutcheon is also included as a symbol of plenty and prosperity. The banners held by the supporters refer to the expansive water frontages of Woollahra, being bounded by the Tasman Sea to the east and Port Jackson to the north.

See also

•  Politics portal

• Local government areas of New South Wales

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Woollahra (A)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 June 2023.  
2. "Congratulations to our new Mayor and Deputy Mayor!". Instagram. Woollahra Council. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Woollahra (A)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 November 2012.  
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Woollahra (A)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 November 2012.  
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Woollahra (A)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Woollahra (A)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 15 January 2018.  
7. "Council Circular 16-44 Election Timing and Cycle of Council Elections". NSW Office of Local Government. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
8. "Woollahra – Bellevue Hill Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2021. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
9. "Woollahra – Cooper Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2021. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
10. "Woollahra – Double Bay Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2021. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
11. "Woollahra – Paddington Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2021. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
12. "Woollahra – Vaucluse Ward". NSW Local Council Elections 2021. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
13. Jarvis & Kelly (1960). The History of Woollahra. Sydney: Halstead Press.
14. "Merger proposal: Randwick City Council, Waverley Council, Woollahra Municipal Council" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
15. Visentin, Lisa (22 December 2016). "Woollahra loses merger appeal, hints at High Court challenge". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
16. Blumer, Clare; Chettle, Nicole (27 July 2017). "NSW council amalgamations: Mayors fight to claw back court dollars after backflip on merger". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
17. "Leura". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00047. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
18. "Lindesay". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00686. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
19. "Swifts". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00146. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
20. "Babworth House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01300. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
21. "Bishopscourt". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00362. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
22. "Double Bay Compressed Air Ejector Station". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01324. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
23. "Gladswood House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00496. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
24. "Overthorpe". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00246. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
25. "Fairwater". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01381. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
26. "Houses". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00209. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
27. "Fenton and surrounds". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00249. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
28. "Juniper Hall". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00268. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
29. "Engehurst". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00575. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
30. "Paddington Post Office". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01418. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
31. "Paddington Post Office (CHL) (Place ID 105300)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
32. "Paddington Post Office (Place ID 19158)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
33. "Substation". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00939. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
34. "Dunara". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00539. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
35. "Site of Ficus superba var. henneana tree". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00578. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
36. "Salisbury Court". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00251. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
37. "Wentworth Memorial Church and Moveable Collection". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01882. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
38. "Wentworth Mausoleum and site". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00622. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
39. "Nielsen Park". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01988. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
40. "Macquarie Lighthouse Site". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00677. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
41. "Strickland House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00722. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
42. "Vaucluse House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00955. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
43. "Dunbar Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01675. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
44. "South Head Signal Station". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01436. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
45. "Rosemont". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00294. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
46. "Waimea House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00226. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
47. Low, Charles (1971). A Roll of Australian Arms. Adelaide: Rigby Limited. p. 20. ISBN 0-85179-149-2.
48. "Administrative history". Woollahra Municipal Council. Retrieved 8 October 2023.

External links

• Woollahra Municipal Council website