The administrative centre of Woollahra Municipal Council is located at Redleaf in Double Bay. The mayor of Woollahra Municipal Council is Cr. Sarah Swan.[2]
At the 2011 Census, there were 52,158 people in the Woollahra local government area, of these 47.1% were male and 52.9% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.2% of the population. The median age of people in the Municipality of Woollahra was 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 15.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.3% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 43.1% were married and 10.3% were either divorced or separated.[3]
Population growth in the Municipality of Woollahra between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census was 0.70%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 3.98%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Woollahra local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[4] The median weekly income for residents within the Municipality of Woollahra was double the national average.[3][5]
At the 2016 Census, the proportion of residents who stated a religious affiliation with Judaism was in excess of thirty–two times the state and national averages.[6]
Selected historical census data for Woollahra local government area
Woollahra Municipal Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally as five separate wards, each electing three Councillors. Councillors are usually elected for a fixed four-year term of office.[7] The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the council. The Council election of 14 September 2024 resulted in the following makeup:[8][9][10][11][12]
The name 'Woollahra' is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'camp' or 'meeting ground'.[20]
A petition was submitted in 1859 with 144 signatures of local residents from Darling Point, Paddington and Watsons Bay for the formation of the Municipality. With no petition against formation of the Municipality, Woollahra was proclaimed to be named so on 17 April 1860, and gazetted on 20 April 1860. At the first meeting, The Hon. George Thornton was elected as the first Chairman of Woollahra.[20]
In 1947, after previously acquiring 'Iron House' on Ocean Street, in the 1860s, Council transferred to the current site at Redleaf.[20]
Woollahra largely developed as a residential locality. A few small local industries were established in Woollahra, Double Bay and Paddington; but with the residential gentrification of Paddington and Woollahra in the 1960s, most of these cottage industries had vanished by the end of the 20th century.[citation needed]
Woollahra's cultural heritage has been enriched by the influx of people from many different cultural backgrounds. Some of the influential immigrants to Woollahra have been the Chinese market gardeners, who began leasing land in Double Bay gully and Rose Bay in the 1880s; the Portuguese whalers who settled at Watsons Bay in the 19th century, building a church and becoming a part of the village life, and the many Europeans who migrated after World War II and helped change the face of commercial centres such as Double Bay.[citation needed]
A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Municipality of Woollahra merge with the Waverley and Randwick councils to form a new council with an area of 58 square kilometres (22 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 274,000.[21] Following an independent review, in May 2016 the NSW Government sought to dismiss the council and force its amalgamation with Waverley and Randwick councils. Woollahra Council instigated legal action claiming that there was procedural unfairness and that a KPMG report at the centre of merger proposals had been "misleading". The matter was heard before the NSW Court of Appeal who, in December 2016, unanimously dismissed the council's appeal, finding no merit in its arguments that the proposed merger with its neighbouring councils was invalid.[22] In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.[23]
Heritage listings
The Municipality of Woollahra has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a Demi-Sun in splendour Or two Cornucopias in a saltire proper.
Helm
A closed Helmet, mantling Azure, doubled Argent.
Escutcheon
Argent, on a Pile issuant in base Azure between two threemasted Sailing Ships sails furled proper pennants flying Gules a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross Argent, on a chief of the Second a Garb Or.
Supporters
On the dexter side an Emu and on the sinister side a Kangaroo each supporting a Staff proper flying therefrom a Banner barry wavy of six Argent and Azure.
Compartment
A field of Grass Vert.
Motto
Peace, Plenty, Progress
Symbolism
Many of the features of the Arms, including the supporters and motto, come from the Council Seal adopted in 1907.[55] The two sailing ships in the escutcheon allude to both the position of the Municipality on the southern shore of Port Jackson, but also Captain Arthur Phillip's landing with the First Fleet at Camp Cove in 1788. The Southern Cross, and the kangaroo and emu supporters, are common additions for Australian arms. The rising sun in the crest symbolises the position of Woollahra on the east coast of Australia, as well as the promise of the future, while the Cornucopias in front signify the prosperity and position of Woollahra. The gold sheaf of wheat in the escutcheon is also included as a symbol of plenty and prosperity. The banners held by the supporters refer to the expansive water frontages of Woollahra, being bounded by the Tasman Sea to the east and Port Jackson to the north.
Woollahra_Council_Chambers.jpg)
