City of Coburg | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location inMelbourne | |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
 The extent of the City of Coburg at its dissolution in 1994 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | NorthernMelbourne | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1856 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Coburg | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 19.44 km2 (7.51 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 52,500 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 2,701/km2 (6,995/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| County | Bourke | ||||||||||||
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TheCity of Coburg was alocal government area about 10 kilometres (6 mi) north ofMelbourne, the state capital ofVictoria,Australia. The city covered an area of 19.44 square kilometres (7.51 sq mi), and existed from 1859 until 1994.
Initial efforts at local government saw theSydney Road Trust set up in 1840, which boastedJohn Fawkner as a founding member, but the first incorporation in the area was thePentridge District Road Board in 1859, which was renamed Coburg on 21 January 1869, after a Royal visit fromPrince Alfred, Duke ofSaxe-Coburg and Gotha.[2] It became a shire on 24 December 1874, before increasing urbanisation in the late 19th century led to it being reclassified aborough in January 1905. Coburg then became a town on 18 September 1912, and was proclaimed a city on 29 March 1922.[3]
Between 1947 and 1981, the percentage of overseas-born residents of the City of Coburg increased from 9% to 34%, with significant proportions being ofItalian orGreek origins.[2]
On 22 June 1994, the City of Coburg was abolished, and along with theCity of Brunswick, was merged into the newly created City of Moreland (nowCity of Merri-bek). A tiny strip on the eastern boundary was transferred to the newly createdCity of Darebin, which incorporated the Cities ofPreston andNorthcote.[4]
Council meetings were held at theCoburg City Hall, onBell Street, Coburg. The hall is still used for this purpose by the City of Merri-bek.
The City of Coburg was divided into four wards, each electing three councillors:
* Council seat.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1,033 |
| 1891 | 5,272 |
| 1911 | 9,505 |
| 1933 | 33,118 |
| 1954 | 62,077 |
| 1958 | 68,900* |
| 1961 | 70,771 |
| 1966 | 68,578 |
| 1971 | 65,662 |
| 1976 | 58,379 |
| 1981 | 55,035 |
| 1986 | 52,885 |
| 1991 | 50,625 |
* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.
37°44′17″S144°58′55″E / 37.738°S 144.982°E /-37.738; 144.982
