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| Celebrating 50 years
On 1 July 2009 the City of South Perth celebrated its 50th birthday. The municipality officially became a City on 1 July 1959 under the leadership of Mayor WCG Thomas.
Fifty years of City Status is a significant achievement for us. This is a great time to reflect on where we have come from and how we got here, using our rich past and experience to plan with our community where we are going next as a City.
The area has significant historical status for traditional custodians the Nyoongar people and the original Swan River Colony of the first British settlers in Western Australia. The first official headquarters of the City were at Heritage House on Mends St from 1904 to 1960, when the administration relocated to its current premises on the corner of Sandgate Street and South Terrace.
To qualify for City status, a metropolitan district had to:
- Maintain a population of 30,000
- Demonstrate a gross revenue of more than $200,000 for three consecutive years
- Have a civic centre, halls and distinct residential, industrial and commercial areas.
First formally recognised as the South Perth Roads Board District in 1892, residents pressured then Minister for Local Government, Frederick Illingworth to convert the district to a municipality, which was gazetted in 1902.
To celebrate the milestone, issues of yesteryear were aired when current Council Members re-enacted a section the minutes from the City's first Council Meeting held in 1959.
Past agenda items included:
- The district’s new City status
Construction of a new Town Hall at the Civic Centre
Highway lighting, the opening of the Narrows Bridge
Details of a seminar about the impacts of television on the local community.
Accounts of the beginnings of South Perth’s local government are filled with controversy and include six different Mayors in its first eight years as a Roads Board, a takeover bid by the City of Perth an amalgamation proposal with Town of Victoria Park.