Petition to form the Municipality
The Municipalities Act of 1858 provided for the formation of local government areas upon the petition of at least fifty prospective ratepayers of the proposed district. The history of the Municipality of Woollahra begins with the publication in October 1859 of a petition enabled by this legislature, with 144 signatures attached.
The following is a transcription of the notice which appeared in the New South Wales Government Gazette published 26 October 1859. It is reproduced with known spelling errors and inconsistencies uncorrected. Historical comment on the origins of local government in Woollahra and a series of explanatory notes are available.
Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Sydney, 24th October, 1859
MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS
DARLING POINT, UPPER PADDINGTON,
AND WATSON’S BAY PETITION
In pursuance of the Act of the Colonial Parliament 22 Victoria, No. 13, His Excellency the Governor General, with the advice of the Executive Council, has directed the publication of the substance and prayer of a Petition addressed to His Excellency as herein set forth signed by one hundred and forty-four resident householders and freeholders of the District of Darling Point, Upper Paddington and Watson’s Bay, praying for the erection of their locality into a Municipality.
CHARLES COWPER
The Petitioners state that they are desirous of availing themselves of the privileges of the Municipal Act of 1858, 22 Victoria , No. 13.
That the District of Darling Point, Upper Paddington, and Watson’s Bay, comprises the Petitioners believe a population of upwards of one thousand inhabitants.
They suggest that the following should be the boundaries of the proposed Municipality, viz.: - Commencing at the City boundary at the Bridge at the Rushcutter’s Bay Toll Gate, thence bounded on the south by the New South Head Road, to the junction of Ocean-street; thence on the west by Ocean-street and Point Piper Road, to the junction with the Old South Head Road; thence on the south and east by the Old South Head Road, to Camp Cove, near the South Head; and thence by the waters of Port Jackson, to the point of commencement.
And the Petitioners propose that the Municipality may be named “Woollahra”, and be subdivided into three wards.
- John Goold, South Head Road
- Bereton Molencaux, Moncur-street, Point Piper Road
- W. Trappitt, Eliza-place
- R. M. Jones, Point Piper Road
- W.S. Llewellyn, Piper-street
- Joseph Page, Point Piper-street
- George Munro, Piper-street
- Charles Oldham, Piper-street
- James Dimond, South Head Road
- John F. Haslam, South Head Road
- Cornelius Trader, South Head Road
- John Stevenson, South Head Road
- Joseph Fairbank, South Head Road
- Barzillai Quaife, South Head Road
- Thomas T. Balcombe, South Head Road
- Archd. Gardner, John-street
- A. Bendstock, Globe Cottage, John-street
- Joseph Dude, Point Piper Estate
- Joseph Newton, John-streetp
- T.I. Kilminster, Moncur-street
- Philip Casey, John-street
- Thomas Fancourt, Eliza-street
- Thomas Ireland, South Head Road
- L. Stuart, Piper-street
- William White, Piper-street
- Frederic Cane, Eliza-street
- John Dowling, Denison-street
- Frederick Mildwater, Denison-street
- Thomas Southern, Point Piper Road
- John E. Manning, Edgecliffe Road
- William Jackson, South Head Road
- William Fairfax, Edgecliffe Road
- John de V. Lamb, Darling Point
- Chas. Elouis, Darling Point
- Wm. Adams, Edgecliffe Road
- Hugh Gilchrist, Darling Point
- F.B. Miller, Double Bay
- Waltham Rush, Upper Paddington
- Robert Oliphant, John-street
- Ralph Hutchinson, Bellevue Hill
- Edward Evans, John-street
- Richard Redgate, Upper Paddington
- John Davis, John-street
- R. Holdsworth, Rose Bay
- A. Lenehan, Darling Point
- J.V. Gorman, Ocean-street, Point Piper Road
- Wm. Laidley, Edgecliffe Road, Point Piper Road
- Randolph Nott, Edgecliffe Road, Point Piper Road
- Sam. H. Smyth, Darling Point
- W.J. Lennon, Edgecliffe Road
- M.E. Murnin, Darling Point
- P. White, Darling Point
- W. Kennedy, Darling Point
- Edward Dunn, Rushcutter’s Bay
- James Norton, jun., Ocean-street, Double Bay
- Robt. Johnson, Darling Point
- James Wm. Johnson, Darling Point
- Benjn. Buchanan, Darling Point
- Thomas Skinner, Darling Point
- William Wolfen, Darling Point
- Henry Mort, Darling Point
- Robt. Supefearke, Edgecliffe Road
- J. Pitt, Darling Point
- James Mort, Darling Point
- James Johns, Piper-street
- T.W. Bowden, South Head Road
- Saml. Symonds, Edgecliffe Road
- P.J. Thompson, Edgecliffe Road
- Wm. Kirchner, Darling Point
- Edward Raynes, South Head Road
- Robert Tooth, Point Piper
- Fredk. Tooth, Point Piper
- William McDurman, Ocean-street
- L.E. Threlkeld, Edgecliffe Road
- J. Trickett, Darling Point
- J.B. Darvall, Upper Paddington
- John Hosking, Darling Point and Rose Bay
- Henry Milford, Edgecliffe Road
- James Freeman, Edgecliffe Road
- John Hay, Ocean-street
- Francis Giles, Nelson-street
- M. Guilfoyle, Double Bay
- Alfred Toogood, Watson’s Bay
- Thomas Baker, Darling Point
- William Thrum, Rushcutter Bay
- John Armstrong, Rushcutter Bay
- Henry Edmonds, Double Bay
- Richard Perry, Moncur-street
- Denis Martin, Point Piper Road
- Joseph Moore, Denison-street
- Jeremiah O’Brien
- William Lever, Spicer-street
- James Lever, Spicer-street
- Heinrich Dorhauer, Piper-street
- William Seabrook, Piper-street
- Charles Chizzlett, Piper-street
- William Orr, Waverley
- Frederick Oatley, Ocean-street
- Frederick Palmer, John-street
- Robert Mildwaters, Denison-street
- Thomas Thornton, John-street, Point Piper
- Edward Flood, Botany-street, Sydney
- George Crawford, Denison-street
- James Worth, Alton-street
- Patrick Brady, Alton-street
- G. Wm. Randall, Alton-street
- George Miller, Ocean-street
- Simon Moran, Morrell-street
- David Saul, Denison-street
- Patrick O’Brien, Denison-street
- Thomas McKenzie, Wallis-street
- James D. Brennan, Clerk in Orders, Upper Paddington
- James Buckland, South Head Road
- Joseph Peake, South Head Road
- Thomas Joils, South Head Road
- James Rouse, South Head Road
- William Thomas, South Head Road
- Robert Coulthard Dawson, South Head Road
- E. Powell, Grafton Estate
- Frederick Atterton, South Head Road
- Lewis Baldock, South Head Road
- George Keeble, Nelson-street
- T. Griffiths, Ocean-street
- C.W. Keele, Rose Bay
- Thomas Bowden, Riviere
- G. Roswell, Ocean-street
- George Miller, Ocean-street
- Samuel Harris, Ocean-street
- George Marks, Piper-street
- Frederick Tiddiman, Piper-street
- Alexander Westland, John-street
- John Rothwell, Ocean-street
- William Harris, Double Bay
- C. Hamburger, Piper-street
- N.F. Compton, Piper-street
- Thomas Pope, Eliza-street
- Joseph Billington, John-street
- William Tate, John-street
- Alexander Wilson, John-street
- J.J. Adams, Nelson-street
- John Gaynor, Morrell-street
- James Stockbridge, John-street
- Henry Pickering, John-street
- George Banks, Double Bay
SYDNEY: Printed and published by THOMAS RICHARDS, Government Printer, Phillip-street, 26th October, 1859