City of Randwick

City of Randwick
New South Wales

Population: 131,714(2009)[1]
• Density: 3500/km² (9,065.0/sq mi)
Area: 36 km² (13.9 sq mi)
Mayor: Scott Nash
Council Seat: Randwick
Region: Metropolitan Sydney
State District: Coogee, Maroubra, Heffron
Federal Division: Kingsford Smith, Wentworth
Website: http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/
LGAs around City of Randwick:
City of Sydney Waverley Municipal Council Waverley Municipal Council
City of Botany Bay City of Randwick Pacific Ocean
Sutherland Shire Sutherland Shire Pacific Ocean

The City of Randwick [2] is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. One of Sydney's largest parks, Centennial Park, lies within the city boundary of Randwick. Other major landmarks in Randwick include the world-famous Randwick Racecourse, the University of New South Wales and Coogee and Maroubra Beaches. There is some industry in the south, centered around the container terminals of Port Botany in Botany Bay, which lie partially within the city. Randwick has several golf clubs, including the exclusive Australian Golf Club and New South Wales Golf Club.

Major commercial centres within Randwick City include the suburb of Randwick, home to the municipal council; Kingsford, which has a large Chinese and Indonesian community, as well as a large student population; Maroubra Junction; and Matraville. The Australian Army has a major presence in Randwick, with the headquarters of the 2nd Division being located in Randwick Barracks, Avoca Street, Randwick. There is a large state prison at Long Bay (Long Bay Correctional Centre). The Prince of Wales Hospitals, adjacent to the University of New South Wales, is one of Sydney's major hospital complexes. The Botany Bay National Park lies partially within the City of Randwick and is notable for preserving some of the last remaining stands of pre-European coastal heath vegetation in the Sydney area, known as Endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. There is a historic fort on Bare Island at the mouth of Botany Bay, in the suburb of La Perouse. This fort, and another Randwick attraction, the racecourse, featured prominently in the 2000 movie Mission: Impossible II. La Perouse is also home to one of Sydney's largest Aboriginal communities.

Contents

History

Indigenous Australian history in the area dates back tens of thousands of years. The local people at the time of colonisation were the Cadigal of the Dharug language group. European settlement led to the deaths of many Cadigal via introduced diseases or in conflict with settlers. The surviving Cadigal left the area or were pushed to the fringes of settlement. By the mid-nineteenth century, the original tribal groupings had been effectively destroyed.

The name Randwick comes from the village of Randwick in Gloucestershire, England, birthplace of the district's first mayor Simeon Henry Pearce. The area was home to a few wealthy landowners and the poor residents of several shantytowns until the 1880s, when the coming of trams from Sydney brought extensive suburban development. This development continued steadily, with new tram lines (long since demolished) opening up most of the city for subdivision by the early 1900s.

The New South Wales University of Technology opened at Kensington in 1949 on the site of Kensington Racecourse, eventually becoming the University of New South Wales. The university is now one of Randwick City's major landmarks.

The City of Randwick now has a significant Indigenous Australian population, mostly concentrated in the southern half of the city.

Demographics

According to the Australian Bureau Statistics [3], there:

Suburbs in the local government area

Suburbs and localities in the City of Randwick are:

Council

Randwick City Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally. The area is divided into five wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is not directly elected.[4] The current makeup of the council is as follows:[4]

Party Councillors
  Liberal Party of Australia 5
  Australian Labor Party 4
  The Greens 3
  No Parking Meters Party 1
  Independent 2
Total 15

The current council, elected in 2008, is:[4]

Ward Councillor Party Notes
Central Ward   Ted Seng Liberal
  Anthony Andrews Independent
  Geoff Stevenson Labor
East Ward   Bruce Notley-Smith Liberal
  Murray Matson Greens
  Tony Bowen Labor
North Ward   Kiel Smith Liberal
  Margaret Woodsmith Greens
  Paul Tracey Labor
South Ward   Alan White Labor
  Charles Matthews No Parking Meters
  Robert Belleli Liberal
West Ward   Scott Nash Liberal Mayor
  John Procopiadis Independent
  Bradley Hughes Greens Deputy Mayor

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (30 March 2010). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09". http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3218.0Main%20Features42008-09?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2008-09&num=&view=. Retrieved 3 June 2010. 
  2. ^ http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/library/scripts/objectifyMedia.aspx?file=pdf/8/60.pdf&siteID=1&str_title=Randwick City Council Wards and Suburbs.pdf
  3. ^ "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2005-06 (catalogue no.: 3218.0)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2007-03-12. 
  4. ^ a b c "Randwick City Council". 2008 Election results. Electoral Commission NSW. http://www.pastvtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/LGE2008/result.Randwick.html. Retrieved 2011-07-11. 

External links

Regions of Sydney