The City is governed and administered by the Greater Geelong City Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Geelong, it also has service centres located in Drysdale, Ocean Grove and several other locations within Geelong. The City is named after the main urban settlement located in the centre-west of the LGA, that is Geelong, which is also the LGA's most populous urban centre with a population of 211,986.[4]
In 2019, City of Greater Geelong announced a new headquarters across the road from WorkSafe Victoria. The project will be part of the new "Civic Precinct" in the Geelong CBD.
History of former municipalities
1838 – Geelong (from the IndigenousWadawurrung word "djillong", meaning "tongue of land")[5] declared a town
1863 – Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale separated from Indented Head Road District to form Queenscliffe Municipal District. Redesignated as Queenscliffe Borough October 1963.
1863 – South Barwon Borough created by amalgamating South Barwon Municipal District and South Barwon Road District
1864 – Bannockburn Road District redesignated as Shire
1864 – Corio Road District redesignated as Shire
1865 – Indented Head Road District redesignated and renamed as Bellarine Shire
1874 – South Barwon Shire created by amalgamating Connewarre Road District and South Barwon Borough
1967 – Newtown and Chilwell City renamed as Newtown City
1974 – South Barwon proclaimed a City
1989 – Bellarine proclaimed a City
1993 – City of Greater Geelong formed by amalgamating part of Bannockburn Shire, part of Barrabool Shire, Bellarine Rural City, Corio Shire, Geelong City, Newtown City & South Barwon City. The part that had been in South Barwon City was then transferred to Surf Coast Shire on its creation in March 1994.
Sourced from Appendix V, A Journey to Destiny 1890–1990 – 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited .[6]
Council
Council composition (as of 2023)
Due to conflicts in the previous council a new electoral structure was established for Geelong in 2017. The number of wards was reduced to 4 with 3 councillors for each (except Windermere having 2) elected by proportional representation. Residents were also no longer able to directly elect a mayor. [7] The current councillors, in order of election at the 2020 election, are:[8]
Election results
2020
Administrators
In December 2015, the Minister for Local GovernmentNatalie Hutchins appointed a Commission of Inquiry into the Greater Geelong City Council in response to concerns about the workplace culture and adequacy of governance structures.[11]
The Inquiry found that the council is riven with conflict, unable to manage Geelong's economic challenges, has dysfunctional leadership and has a culture of bullying.[12]
On the recommendation of the Commission, the Victorian Government dismissed the entire Greater Geelong City Council on 16 April 2016[13] and appointed Yehudi Blacher as interim administrator.[14] On 25 May 2016, Dr Kathy Alexander (chairperson), Peter Dorling and Laurinda Gardner were sworn in as administrators, replacing Yehudi Blacher.[15]
Under the Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016, the panel of administrators constitutes the Greater Geelong City Council, and has the same functions, powers and duties as the Greater Geelong City Council and its councillors. Likewise, the chairperson of the panel of administrators has the same functions, powers and duties as the mayor of the council.[16]
The council was run by administrators until fresh council elections were held on 27 October 2017.[17]
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Geelong City Hall Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. Council customer service centres are located in Belmont, Corio, Drysdale, Geelong West, Ocean Grove, Waurn Ponds and at Brougham St in Geelong.
Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the city had a population of 271,057 up from 233,429 in the 2016 census[20]
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
Sister cities
Geelong has sister city relations with the following cities:[21]
^ a bVictoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Order estg the City of Greater Geelong: S27 of 1993". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 18 May 1993). pp. 1–3. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
^"3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
^"2021 Greater Geelong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^"2021 Geelong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^"Djillong Timeline" (PDF). Djillong. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
^John, McNeil (1990). A Journey to Destiny 1890–1990 – 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited. Australian Cement Limited.
^Victorian Electoral Commission (2017). "Greater Geelong City Council's Electoral Structure" (PDF). State of Victoria (Victorian Electoral Commission). Retrieved 19 November 2017.
^"Greater Geelong City Council election results 2020". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
^Sue Bull (28 June 2023). "Socialist Sarah Hathway elected to the City of Greater Geelong Council". greenleft. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
^"Greater Geelong City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission.
^"Commission Of Inquiry Appointed To Geelong". Premier of Victoria. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^"Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Greater Geelong City Council". State Government of Victoria. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016 (Vic) s 2
^"Dismissal Of Greater Geelong City Council". Premier of Victoria. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^"Administrators assume the role of Mayor and Councillors". City of Greater Geelong. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
^Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016 (Vic) s 7
^"Geelong Council officially sacked, elections to be held in 2017, as bill passes Parliament". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^Paul, Margaret (16 August 2013). "Geelong Mayor Keith Fagg quits because of health problems". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
^Heritage, Stuart (26 November 2013). "Darryn Lyons: what reality TV has taught us about Geelong's new mayor". Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
^"Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.
^"About Geelong". Intown Geelong. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009.
External links
Media related to City of Greater Geelong at Wikimedia Commons
Greater Geelong City Council official website
Geelong Region Alliance Website
Metlink local public transport map
Link to Land Victoria interactive maps Archived 24 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine