Woollahra was proclaimed a Municipality in April 1860, following a successful petition by 144 residents of Darling Point, Woollahra (then known as Upper Paddington) and Watsons Bay.

The first Mayor, or Chairman as the position was then called, was George Thornton. The first Town Clerk, appointed at an annual salary of 200 pounds, was Thomas Weaver.

Early municipal boundaries did not include Paddington, which was a prosperous and independent municipality.  Vaucluse residents also successfully petitioned the New South Wales State Government to establish a separate Municipality in 1894.

The three councils of Woollahra, Vaucluse and Paddington operated independently until 1948, when the State Government passed legislation to reduce the number of Local Government areas in New South Wales. Under this act, Vaucluse was reunited with Woollahra and Paddington became part of the City of Sydney Council.

Twenty years later, in 1968, Paddington (north of Oxford Street) was amalgamated with Woollahra.

For more information on local history in our local government area, visit the local history section of this website.

Mayors and Chairmen of Woollahra (1860 - present)