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Timeline of significant events

Year Event
1859 Petition signed by 144 locals proposing that Darling Point, Upper Paddington and Watsons Bay be formed into a municipal district to be named Woollahra.
1860

Municipality of Woollahra proclaimed on 20 April

Municipality of Paddington proclaimed on 20 April

Election of the first councillors of the Municipality of Woollahra on 28 May

  • Thomas Bowden
  • James Edwards
  • John Valentine Gorman
  • Richard Holdsworth
  • David B. Hughes
  • Frederick Oatley
  • Samuel Thompson
  • George Thornton and Joseph Trickett

First meeting of the Council held on 6 June at the offices of Messrs Rowley, Holdsworth and Garrick, solicitors, in Elizabeth Street.

George Thornton elected first Chairman (mayor) of Woollahra.

Thomas Weaver appointed as first Council clerk.

Council meeting held on 3 July at the ‘Iron House’ (since demolished), corner of Edgecliff Road and Ocean Street, which became the first Council chambers.
1862
 Municipality divided into 3 wards – Bellevue, Double Bay and Piper.
1863
 Redleaf, designed by George Mansfield, built for William Walker.
1864
 First purpose built chambers, designed by the architect Harold Brees, opens for business on 24 February at 90 Ocean Street (today the Goethe-Institut).
1867
 Under the Municipalities Act (1867) the existing 35 municipalities (including Woollahra and Paddington) declared legally constituted ‘boroughs’.
1888
 Municipality divided into 4 wards with the addition of Edgecliff.
1894
 Petition organised by the Vaucluse Progress Society to separate from the Borough of Woollahra to form the Borough of Vaucluse.
1895
 The Borough of Vaucluse proclaimed on 1 April.
1906
 Under the Local Government Act (1906) the boroughs of Paddington, Vaucluse and Woollahra adopted the term municipality.
1940
 Council purchases Redleaf to protect the foreshores of Seven Shillings Beach from inappropriate development and to enable the area to be used for public bathing.
1941
 Redleaf Pool opens.
1947
 Council decides to move the chambers from Ocean Street to Redleaf.  The last meeting of Council held at the Ocean Street chambers on 28 July 1947. The first meeting of Council held at the new chambers at Redleaf on 11 August 1947.
1948

The Municipality of Vaucluse was amalgamated with that of Woollahra on 3 September. The Municipality of Woollahra was reconstituted from 1 January 1949.

The Municipality of Paddington is amalgamated with the City of Sydney on 3 September.
1968
 The section of Paddington north of Oxford Street is amalgamated with the Municipality of Woollahra on 1 August.
1971
 Five wards created being Vaucluse, Bellevue Hill, Double Bay, Cooper and Paddington.
1979
 Reduction of number of aldermen from 18 to 15.
2001
 Restored and extended Redleaf opened 22 February, architects Allen, Jack + Cottier (in association with Design 5) winning the Heritage Award in 2001 for their design.
2002
 Approximately 1.4 square kilometres is transferred from the LGA of Woollahra to the LGA of Waverley on 29 November.

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