64
Land, Places and Local History – City of Melbourne
Click
here for a PDF version (39k)
Melbourne was founded in 1835 and was incorporated as a town
in the Colony of New South Wales in 1842. It was created a Cathedral City by
Letters Patent of Queen Victoria in 1847 and began referring to itself as the
City of Melbourne about this time. The New South Wales Act conferring Melbourne
with the status of City was not passed until 1849. On separation of Victoria
from New South Wales in 1851 Melbourne became the capital of the Colony.
The beginnings of the City of Melbourne can be traced to the
establishments of markets. In 1839 the New South Wales government passed an act
authorising the establishment of markets in towns in the Colony and the
appointment of commissioners to manage them. Market Commissioners were to be
elected from proprietors of land and householders within the town limits. The
voters were householders or occupiers of dwellings valued at more than
£20 and proprietors of land or buildings to the value of £200.
In Melbourne markets were not established until 22 October 1841 at which time Melbourne was divided into four wards for the purpose of
electing the Commissioners. When Melbourne was created a town in 1842 the
powers of the Market commissioners were transferred to the newly elected
Council. The four wards of Bourke, Gipps, LaTrobe and Lonsdale remained.
Between 1850 and 1860 the structure and boundaries of the
City changed markedly. New wards were created and the boundaries of the city
altered as some districts became separate municipalities. Collingwood and
Fitzroy wards were created in 1850, Collingwood becoming a municipality in
1855, Fitzroy following in 1858. In 1856 Smith Ward and MacArthur Ward were
created. In 1860 MacArthur Ward became the Municipality of Sandridge, later to
be renamed Port Melbourne. The municipalities of Emerald Hill (later South
Melbourne), Richmond and St Kilda were established in 1855, while Brunswick
was created in 1857. The Victoria and Albert Wards were added in 1869. At the
turn of the century there were seven wards.
In 1905 the City of Melbourne was united with the Borough of
Flemington Kensington and the Town of North Melbourne. Hopetoun Ward was
created to accommodate the new citizens within the City. In more recent years
the number of wards has changed frequently and on two occasions elected
councillors have been replaced by commissioners.
Public Record Office Victoria has an extensive collection of
records from the City of Melbourne. The records document the activities of the
City Council from the 1840s to the present. They reflect the wide range of
matters for which the Council had responsibility and are a rich source of
information about the City.
The powers and responsibilities of local authorities concern
such matters as building control, land ownership, health, town planning, land
valuation and transport regulation. Councils are empowered to make and enforce
by-laws on a wide range of matters including road and traffic regulation,
building construction, health, drainage, sanitation, environmental protection
and planning. Local authorities have traditionally been responsible for road
construction and maintenance, public health matters such as the inspection of
premises, food and drug sampling and immunisation. They provide a wide range of
social services including child day care, infant welfare, social welfare and
domiciliary care services such as home help and meals to the elderly and others
requiring assistance.
The Acts incorporating the Town of Melbourne in 1842 and
1849 provided for lighting, street construction and maintenance, drainage and
sewers, construction of waterworks and water supply. An Act of 1863 gave local
government districts responsibility for roads, streets, wharves, cemeteries,
public health, water supply, drainage, charitable institutions, recreation
facilities, libraries, pounds, licensed premises, markets, slaughter houses,
weights and measures.
Major record series transferred to Public Record Office Victoria
by the City of Melbourne include:
Council Records
|
VPRS
8910
|
Minute Books of Council Meetings
|
1842 – 1989
|
|
VPRS
54
|
Notice Papers and Proceedings of the Council
|
1842 – 1887
|
|
VPRS
8911
|
Proceedings of Council Meetings
|
1869 – 1990
|
|
VPRS
8945
|
Committee Meetings
|
1851 – 1990
|
Search PROV’s
Online Catalogue for Committee minutes registered as separate series.
Correspondence Records
|
VPRS
3181
|
Town Clerk’s Correspondence Files
|
1842 – 1909
|
|
VPRS
3183
|
Town Clerk’s Correspondence Files
|
1910 – 1982
|
|
VPRS
8904
|
Subject Index to Town Clerk’s Correspondence Files
(online digitised index)
|
1913 – 1983
|
|
VPRS
8907
|
Town Clerk’s Register of Inward Correspondence
|
1910 – 1983
|
Rate and Valuation Records
Available on microfiche (1845-1900) and microfilm
(1901-1975) in the Victorian Archives Centre Reading Room.
Citizen Records
|
VPRS
4029
|
Citizen Lists and/or Citizen Rolls
|
1843 – 1994
|
Available on microfiche (1877-1891) in the Victorian
Archives Centre Reading Room.
Building Records
|
VPRS
9289
|
Building Notices Register and Index
|
1850 – 1916
|
The Index is also available on microfiche in the Victorian
Archives Centre Reading Room
(ie. VPRS
9463 Burchett Index).
|
VPRS
9288
|
Notices of Intention to Build
|
1850 – 1916
|
|
VPRS
11202
|
Building Application Index
|
1916 – 1993
|
Available on microfiche in the Victorian Archives Centre
Reading Room.
Cemetery Records
|
VPRS
9583
|
Alphabetical Records of Burials – Old Melbourne Cemetery
|
1866 – 1917
|
Available on microfiche in the Victorian Archives Centre
Reading Room.
|
VPRS
9585
|
Chronological Record of Permissions to Bury – Old Melbourne
Cemetery
|
1877 – 1917
|