City of Altona

City of Altona
Victoria

Location in Melbourne
Population: 35,900 (1992)[1]
Established: 1957
Area: 40.18 km² (15.5 sq mi)
Council Seat: Altona
Region: Melbourne
County: Bourke
LGAs around City of Altona:
Sunshine Footscray
Werribee City of Altona Williamstown
Werribee Port Phillip Port Phillip

The City of Altona was a Local Government Area located about 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of 40.18 square kilometres (15.51 sq mi), and existed from 1957 until 1994.

Contents

History

The city was named after a village near Hamburg, Germany, in 1844 by Robert Wrede, a pastoralist and early settler. Land in the area was first incorporated as part of the Wyndham District on 6 October 1862, which became the Shire of Wyndham on 7 March 1864 and was renamed the Shire of Werribee on 15 December 1909.[2]

On 20 February 1957, the Altona Riding of the Shire of Werribee was severed and incorporated as the Shire of Altona, which was proclaimed by the Governor of Victoria on 29 May 1957 with nine councillors. It was declared a City on 21 December 1968. Only two changes occurred to Altona's boundaries - in 1958, a 4.05-hectare (10.0-acre) reserve at Laverton was annexed to Werribee, while 83 hectares (205 acres) in the east was severed and annexed to the City of Williamstown.[2]

On 15 December 1994, along with nearly all other councils in Victoria, the City of Altona was abolished and merged into the newly-created City of Hobsons Bay along with the City of Williamstown and a couple of small neighbouring areas.[3]

Town Hall

Council met at the Altona Civic Centre near the intersection of Civic Parade and Pier Street, Altona. The facility is still used for council meetings by the City of Hobsons Bay.

Wards

Altona was the only municipality in Victoria never to be subdivided. The council consisted of nine councillors who represented the entire area.

Suburbs

Population

Year Population
1954 6,300#
1958 9,500*
1961 15,811
1966 24,984
1971 30,589
1976 30,272
1981 30,909
1986 32,838
1991 34,492

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.
# As Altona Shire was created in 1957, this figure is an estimate only. Source: 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book. p. 49. ISSN 0067-1223. 
  2. ^ a b Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson. 1992. pp. 282, 524–525.  Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
  3. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification. Commonwealth of Australia. p. 7. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/76E601D6DB55E88ACA25722500049195/$File/12570_1994-95.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-16.