City of Fitzroy

The City of Fitzroy was a local government area located about 2 kilometres (1 mi) northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of 3.73 square kilometres (1.44 sq mi), making it the smallest municipality by land area in Victoria, and existed from 1858 until 1994.

This article is about a former local government area. For the suburb, see Fitzroy, Victoria.

City of Fitzroy
Victoria
Location in Melbourne (shown in black)
Population17,600 (1992)[1]
 • Density4,718/km2 (12,220/sq mi)
Established1858
Area3.73 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Council seatFitzroy
RegionMelbourne
CountyBourke
LGAs around City of Fitzroy:
Brunswick Brunswick Northcote
Melbourne City of Fitzroy Collingwood
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne

History

In 1850 the area was made the Fitzroy Ward of the City of Melbourne, and on 10 September 1858, the ward was severed and Fitzroy was incorporated as a municipality. It became a borough on 1 October 1865, a town on 3 December 1870, and a city on 1 February 1878.[2] Many public buildings were erected at this time, with the free public library, one of the first in Melbourne, being erected in 1877, and a courthouse in 1888.[3]

During the mid-1920s there was a strong move to have the Fitzroy municipality amalgamate with the City of Melbourne. Three referenda on the matter were held in the space of 18 months: on 24 June and 20 August 1926, and 24 November 1927.[4] In each case, ratepayers voted in favour of amalgamation,[4][5] but a determined rearguard action by councillors opposed to the merger meant that no change occurred.

On 22 June 1994, the City of Fitzroy was abolished, and, along with the Cities of Collingwood and Richmond and parts of Fairfield and Alphington, from the City of Northcote, was merged into the newly created City of Yarra.[6]

Council meetings were held at the Fitzroy Town Hall, in Napier Street, Fitzroy. The hall is still used for this purpose and as a municipal library for the City of Yarra.

Wards

Fitzroy was historically divided into five wards, each electing three councillors. However, on 25 November 1986, the wards were reduced from five to three:

  • North Ward
  • Clifton Ward
  • South Ward

Suburbs

Population
Year Population
186111,807
188123,118
192134,938
195430,312
195829,300*
196129,399
196627,213
197125,708
197620,451
198119,112
198618,163
199117,885

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book. p. 49. ISSN 0067-1223.
  2. Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson. 1992. pp. 371–372. Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
  3. Monash University (1999). "Australian Places - Fitzroy". Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
  4. "Fitzroy Amalgamation: Referendum To-morrow". The Argus. 23 November 1927. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  5. "Fitzroy and the City: Amalgamation Favoured". The Argus. 25 November 1927. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. p. 12. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. Retrieved 16 December 2007.

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