City of Willoughby | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location inMetropolitan Sydney | |||||||||||||
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 Interactive map of City of Willoughby | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:33°48′S151°11′E / 33.800°S 151.183°E /-33.800; 151.183 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| Region | North Shore | ||||||||||||
| Established | 23 October 1865 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Chatswood | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Tanya Taylor | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal divisions | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 22.6 km2 (8.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Totals | 75,613 (2021 census)[1] 80,339 (2023 est.)[2] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 3,346/km2 (8,665/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Website | City of Willoughby | ||||||||||||
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TheCity of Willoughby is alocal government area on theLower North Shore ofNorthern Sydney, in the state ofNew South Wales, Australia.[3] It is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of theSydney central business district. It was first proclaimed in October 1865 as theMunicipality of North Willoughby.[4]
The main commercial centre of the City of Willoughby isChatswood, home to one of Sydney's suburban skyscraper clusters. Other commercial centres are the suburbs of Willoughby,St Leonards andArtarmon. Willoughby is situated on an elevated plateau, and all of Sydney's television stations broadcast from towers in the area. Within the City of Willoughby is theRoyal North Shore Hospital, located at St Leonards, one of Sydney's major hospitals.
The Council comprises an area of 23 square kilometres (8.9 sq mi), and as at the 2021 census had an estimated population of 75,613.[5]
Suburbs and Localities in the City of Willoughby are:
The City of Willoughby has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
At the2016 census, there were 74,302 people in the Willoughby local government area, of these 48.0% were male and 52.0% were female.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.2% of the population. Themedian age of people in the City of Willoughby was 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 13.6% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.6% were married and 8.2% were either divorced or separated.[17]
Population growth in the City of Willoughby between the 2006 Census and the 2011 Census was 5.9%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2016 Census, population growth was 10.3%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 8.3% and 8.8% respectively, population growth in Willoughby local government area has accelerated faster than the national average.[18]
At the 2016 Census, the proportion of residents in Willoughby local government area who stated theirancestry as Chinese was in excess of four times the state and national averages; and the proportion of households where anAsian language was spoken at home was approximately five times higher than the national average.[17]
| Selected historical census data for Willoughby local government area | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census year | 2001[19] | 2006[18] | 2011[20] | 2016[17] | 2021 | |
| Population | Estimated residents oncensus night | 58,319 | 63,605 | 67,356 | 74,302 | 75,613 |
| LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 19th |  33rd |  32nd | 34th | ||
| % of New South Wales population | 0.97% | 0.99% | 0.94% | |||
| % of Australian population | 0.31% | 0.32% | 0.31% | 0.32% | 0.30% | |
| Cultural and language diversity | ||||||
| Ancestry, top responses | English | 20.5% | 18.8% | 23.5% | ||
| Chinese | 14.5% | 18.6% | 26.5% | |||
| Australian | 18.3% | 15.6% | 20.0% | |||
| Irish | 7.4% | 7.3% | 8.6% | |||
| Scottish | 5.6% | 5.3% | 7.0% | |||
| Language, top responses (other thanEnglish) | Mandarin | 3.6% | 5.5% | 7.2% | 12.1% | 12.9% |
| Cantonese | 6.7% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 7.4% | 7.8% | |
| Korean | 1.7% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.3% | |
| Japanese | 2.4% |  2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | |
| Armenian | n/c | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% | ||
| Hindi | 1.4% | |||||
| Religious affiliation | ||||||
| Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | 18.6% | 22.0% | 27.6% | 36.5% | 43.0% |
| Catholic | 26.1% | 25.5% | 25.0% | 21.6% | 20.3% | |
| Anglican | 19.5% | 17.6% | 15.6% | 11.5% | 9.5% | |
| Buddhism | 3.7% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.5% | |
| Not Stated | 8.7% | 5.0% | ||||
| Median weekly incomes | ||||||
| Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$728 | A$858 | A$946 | A$1,145 | |
| % of Australian median income | 156.2% | 148.7% | 142.9% | 142.2% | ||
| Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,667 | A$2,479 | A$2,671 | A$3,235 | |
| % of Australian median income | 162.3% | 167.4% | 154.0% | 152.6% | ||
| Household income | Median weekly household income | A$2,066 | A$1,996 | A$2,271 | A$2,556 | |
| % of Australian median income | 176.4% | 161.8% | 157.9% | 146.4% | ||
Willoughby City Council is composed of thirteencouncillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor isdirectly elected while the twelve other councillors are electedproportionally as four separatewards, each electing three councillors. Themost recent Council election was held on 14 September 2024.
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Independents | 13 | |
| Total | 13 | |
The current Council is:
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor[21] | Tanya Taylor | Independent | Mayor 2021–present.[22] | |
| Middle Harbour[23] | Robert Samuel | Independent | ||
| Angelo Rozos | Independent | Elected 2012; Deputy Mayor Aug–Dec 2021;[24]Deputy Mayor 2024-present.[25] | ||
| Kristina Dodds | Independent | |||
| Naremburn[26] | Anna Greco | Independent | ||
| Georgie Roussac | Independent | |||
| Nic Wright | Independent | Elected 2012. | ||
| Sailors Bay[27] | Sarah Royds | Independent | ||
| John Moratelli | Independent | |||
| Roy McCullagh | Independent | |||
| West[28] | Craig Campbell | Independent | Elected 2017. | |
| Michelle Chuang | Independent | |||
| Andrew Nelson | Independent | |||
As of January 2022, Willoughby Council has announced that Talus Street Reserve, on Gammeraygal land in the suburb of Naremburn would be handed back to the Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC). The precinct includes a creek, bushland, walking tracks, picnic tables and parking areas. Nathan Moran, CEO of the Metropolitan LALC told NITV News that the hand back represents the realisation of Aboriginal Land Rights. "Returning crown land is recompense for loss of all freehold, leasehold and or state-owned and used land as well for not getting royalties for mining," he said.
Willoughby Mayor, Tanya Taylor, described the reserve as "beautiful land" and emphasised the council's resounding support for the decision. "Council acknowledges the rich Indigenous history of the Gammeraygal people in the area. The transfer will embed this significant indigenous heritage, drive cultural and social outcomes as it affirms Aboriginal Land Rights and supports reconciliation", Mayor Taylor said.[1]
In May 1865, 67 residents of the rural District of Willoughby sent a petition to the Governor Sir John Young, requesting the incorporation of theMunicipality of North Willoughby.[29] This resulted in the Municipality of North Willoughby being formally proclaimed on 23 October 1865.[30] The council first met to elect six Councillors and two Auditors on 16 December 1865, in the house of James Harris French and the first chairman,James William Bligh, was elected on 1 January 1866.
There were no wards until 1876 when the council was divided into three wards: Chatsworth Ward to the north, Middle Harbour Ward to the east and Lane Cove Ward to the west. Lane Cove Ward became the separateMunicipality of Lane Cove on 11 February 1895 and Middle Harbour Ward was divided into Middle Harbour and Naremburn wards.[31] With the passing of the Municipalities Act, 1867, the name was changed to be theBorough of North Willoughby, which then changed toBorough of Willoughby in theBorough of Willoughby Naming Act 1890.[32] In June 1900, a petition to expand the number of wards from three to four, each electing three aldermen, was proclaimed dividing Chatsworth Ward into Chatswood East and West wards in addition to Middle Harbour and Naremburn wards.[33] From 28 December 1906, with the passing of theLocal Government Act, 1906, the council area was renamed theMunicipality of Willoughby. In August 1941, the Minister for Local Government,James McGirr, approved a proposal to split Middle Harbour Ward, adding Northbridge Ward as the fifth ward electing three aldermen.[34]
The first council meetings were held in a hut located behind the main residence of major landholder and timer merchant, James Harris French, on the corner of Penshurst and Penkivil Streets. Municipal offices were afterwards established in Penshurst Street near Forsyth Street corner. These were in turn followed by the Council Chambers in the old School of Arts building in Mowbray Road from 1877, which then became part of theMowbray House School. These chambers were replaced in 1903 by the firstTown Hall building in Victoria Avenue, designed byByera Hadley and officially opened by the Premier,Sir John See, on 2 September 1903.[35][36] The first town hall was demolished in 1969 and replaced by the second Willoughby Town Hall with the adjacent Council Administration Centre as the "Willoughby Civic Centre".[37] The council was granted city status and was proclaimed as theCity of Willoughby on 17 November 1989 bySir David Martin, Governor of New South Wales.[38]
A2015 review of local government boundaries by theNSW GovernmentIndependent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Willoughby merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of theNorth Sydney and Willoughby Councils to form a new council with an area of 33 square kilometres (13 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 145,000.[39] The alternative, proposed byWarringah Council on 23 February 2016, was for an amalgamation of thePittwater,Manly and Warringah councils. As a consequence of Warringah's proposal, the New South WalesMinister for Local GovernmentPaul Toole proposed that the North Sydney, Willoughby andMosman Councils merge.[40] In July 2017, theBerejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the North Sydney, Willoughby and Mosman local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.[41]
The Council seal first appeared in records on 7 May 1867, containing only the words "Municipality of North Willoughby Common Seal". In 1890 the floral emblem was used in the middle of the seal for the first time with "Borough of Willoughby". Willoughby became a City on 17 November 1989 and the city crest was altered accordingly, with the wording "The Council of the City of Willoughby" replacing the previous title and amural crown added to symbolise city status. It was this latest seal that was incorporated into the Willoughby City Flag, designed by John Vaughan and first flown on 12 May 1990.[42]
The present council seal, formally adopted in August 1990, contains an emblem of various native flowers:[42]
Two of the main pioneering industries of the area are also symbolised in the seal: the tanning industry represented by the leather belt and the brick-making industry represented in the mural crown. In July 1999, council adopted a corporate logo, taking the form of a stylised Waratah, with the phrase "City of Diversity".[43]
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