with Michelle Nichols & Jonathan Auld
One hundred and fifty years of
local government in the Hawkesbury
This year marks 150 years since local government was successfully established in the Hawkesbury .
Continued local government started in 1871 when Windsor Borough Council was proclaimed , however , it was not the first attempt at providing public administration in the area .
With the passing of the Act for the Government of NSW , provisions were made to establish district councils in local areas in 1842 . The Windsor District Council , the second proclaimed in NSW , was announced in 1843 .
The Governor at the time , Sir George Gipps , nominated six individuals as members of the council ; Thomas Arndell jnr , J . A . Betts , Robert Fitzgerald , Thomas Tebbutt , Francis Beddek and Charles Tompson .
The council controlled a large area covering Windsor to Wisemans Ferry and Richmond to Bilpin . William Cox was appointed as the first warden along with five salaried positions of treasurer , surveyor , clerk and two assessors .
The only election for the Windsor District Council was held in 1844 but the council eventually folded in 1847 . Like many of the early district councils , financial concerns led to its failure , the result of insufficient revenue to carry out their services .
When the Municipalities Act was passed in 1858 , a second attempt was made to introduce a system of local
NSW Government Gazette , 6 June 1871 p . 1217 . Source : htnla . gov . au / nla . newsarticle223590304 . government in NSW . A public meeting was advertised and held at the Windsor Court House in 1858 to petition the township about a municipal corporation as there were differing opinions on the subject .
Over two hundred residents attended the meeting which was reported in detail by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper to be “ very disorderly ” particularly by those “ attending the meeting for the express purpose of creating a disturbance .”
It was moved that a municipal corporation be established but the speakers were heckled and rotten eggs were thrown . The meeting became rowdy before it was called to order and the move was eventually thwarted . The newspaper concluded , “ We regret to state , however , for the credit of the town , that the egg gentry , under cover of night , recommenced their annoyances , to some extent , upon some of the promoters of the meeting on their way home .”
Local government was successfully founded with the incorporation of the Borough Council of Windsor on 4 March 1871 . The first alderman was elected to council on 31 May and officially confirmed the following day .
William Irons Crew , Robert Dick , Richard Ridge , William Gosper , William Walker , John Johnston , William Beard , Thomas Primrose and John Michael McQuade were the successful candidates . Well known community member , Stephen Tuckerman , was the Returning Officer for the first meeting , which was held in the Windsor Courthouse . John Thomas Smith was appointed as the first town clerk . Robert Dick was unanimously elected as the first mayor on 7 June . The council was responsible not only for roads and bridges but also cemeteries , wharves , water supply and sewerage .
Meetings were held in the Oddfellows Hall in Macquarie Street until 1891 except for the two years when the School of Arts was used . The Oddfellows Hall was destroyed during the Great Fire in 1874 , which destroyed a lot of the Windsor business centre .
The hall was subsequently rebuilt in 1876 . Council purchased the old 1860 Telegraph Office in George Street , which was dedicated as the council office in 1891 . This building was demolished and a new purposebuilt office and chambers constructed in 1934 . In 1966 new offices and chambers were established at 366
Windsor Municipal Council 1910 from Australian Country Life 15 December 1910 , p . 35 Back ( L-R ): William Evans ( Council Clerk ), F . Forster , G . Pye , A . Waters , A . Hipwell ( Inspector ) Front ( L-R ): J . W . Chandler , J . W . Cragg , J . W . Ward .
George Street , the current location . This building was extended and renovated in the 1980s .
The following year after Windsor ’ s incorporation in 1871 , Richmond was on the path to a municipality . The Borough Council of Richmond was incorporated on 18 June 1872 and on 10 August , the following aldermen were elected : George Bowman , James Bates , William Holborrow , Matthew Hughes , Thomas Pryke , Joseph Onus senior , William Tomkinson , Henry Turner and William Sullivan .
The first meeting was held on 27 August at the Richmond School of Arts , and Alderman Holborrow moved and Alderman Onus seconded that the popular George Bowman be elected as the first mayor .
Charles Guest was appointed as the first Council Clerk and he remained in the position for 19 years . Rooms were rented at the Richmond School of Arts until 1913 when council offices were built in March Street , at the rear of the current Richmond Library .
The many layers of government were reviewed as a result of Federation and the Local ( Shires ) Act 1905 introduced many rural areas to local government . Colo was amongst 134 councils formed in NSW in 1906 .
A provisional council was elected for the district of Colo with Henry Albert Wilson elected as chairman and C . S . Icely appointed as temporary shire clerk . Edward Thomas Bowd , C . J . Tuckerman , John Dunstan and Jonathan Gosper were elected to assist .
The first election was held in late 1906 and John Lamrock , Edward Bowd , Henry Wilson , William Henry Gosper , Arthur C . Anderson and James Edward McMahon were appointed . Lamrock was elected as Mayor . In 1928 when council boundaries were adjusted , the majority of Riverstone was moved from Windsor to Blacktown Council . Following World War II a number of councils amalgamated in NSW , including Windsor and Richmond , amalgamating in 1949 to form Windsor Municipal Council .
In 1981 Windsor Municipal Council and Colo Shire amalgamated to form Hawkesbury Shire and eventually became Hawkesbury City Council . A remarkable history spanning 150 years !
02 ) 4577 8200 38 Fairey Road , SOUTH WINDSOR www . difftrans . com We can replace your tired old original Gear Box , Driveline & Rear End parts with new or reconditions after market components . FOR CARS – 4WD – TRUCKS – MACHINERY
Also Mini Spools , Full Spools , Detroit Locker , Tru-Trac , Planetary Gear kits .
Diff conversions a speciality , Billet axles made to order Mark Williams - Moser stockist , 9 inch Borg Warner and Hi-Lux , Kaaz race LSD units - Manual Gearboxes - free strip and quote . We are the Top Loader - Muncie - Saginaw and Tremic TKO Specialists . Complete I . R . S . AND S . T . Differential Assembly . Don ’ t delay - call the experts today !
10 ISSUE 137 // OCTOBER 2021 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT