The City of Wyndham is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the outer south-western suburbs of Melbourne, within the Melbourne Metropolitan Area, between Melbourne and the regional city of Geelong. It has an area of . The city had a population of 292,011 as of the . For the year to 2018 the City of Wyndham increased its population by 14,251, the largest number of any LGA in Victoria, as well as being the second most populous and the second fastest growing at a rate of 5.9 per cent.
History
The Wyndham District was first incorporated as a local government entity on 6 October 1862. Under changes made to Local Government legislation, it became the Shire of Wyndham on 7 March 1864 and was renamed the Shire of Werribee on 15 December 1909. Accessed at State Library of Victoria La Trobe Reading Room.
With an initial size of and being largely rural in character, the shire ceded land to metropolitan Melbourne as suburban development encroached. On 6 January 1922 and 5 February 1941, the City of Footscray annexed two parcels of land totalling about 700 hectares. On 20 February 1957, the Altona Riding of the Shire of Werribee was severed and incorporated as the Shire of Altona, which became a City eleven years later. After this, the boundaries remained fairly stable, and on 20 March 1987 Werribee was proclaimed a City.
On 15 December 1994, during major restructuring of Victoria's local governments, Werribee changed less than most. It gained no new territory, and lost only some rural areas in its north-west (Balliang East to the Shire of Moorabool and Exford to the Shire of Melton) and residential areas on its eastern flank (Seabrook, the western half of Altona Meadows and the residential part of Laverton to the City of Hobsons Bay). After 85 years of being known as Werribee, the area's former name of Wyndham was restored.
The Eynesbury development, approved in the 2000s, straddled the 1994 LGA boundary. On 1 July 2026, Wyndham's northern boundary was shifted southward so as to unite the entire urban-zoned area of Eynesbury in the City of Melton.
Population
The City is home to numerous new housing estates in suburbs such as Williams Landing, Point Cook, Wyndham Vale, Truganina, Tarneit and Manor Lakes. The following table presents data from official census and other publications by the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
Year Population Annual growth rate 1871 1,476 1933 7,853 7.0% 1954 9,414# 0.9% 1958 10,520* 2.9% 1961 13,629 9.9% 1966 18,369 7.0% 1971 25,116 7.3% 1976 31,790 5.3% 1981 40,555 5.5% 1986 52,458 5.9% 1991 60,563 3.1% 1996 73,691 4.3% 2001 84,861 3.0% 2006 112,695 6.6% 2011 161,575 8.7% 2016 217,122 6.9% 2021 292,011 6.9%
* Estimates in 1958, 1983 and 1988 Victorian Year Books. # Excludes Altona Shire which was severed in 1957. Source: 1958 Victorian Year Book. ^ Based on 2011 Census data.
Wards and councillors
The City of Wyndham is divided into three wards (Chaffey, Harrison and Iramoo) and is represented by eleven elected councillors. The Victorian Electoral Commission undertook a representation review in 2011–2012, which resulted in the former Truganina ward being renamed Harrison ward. Ward boundaries were also redrawn.Victorian Electoral Commission – Wyndham City Council profile The council has adopted a portfolio system for councillors from 2013 onward.
Victorian local government elections were last held in October 2024, and the following were elected as councillors:
WardPartyCouncillorNotes Bemin Liberal Preet SinghMayor Brinbeal Labor Robert Szatkowski Cheetham Independent Susan McIntyre Featherbrook Independent Jasmine Hill Deupty Mayor Grange Independent Shannon McGuire Heathdale Independent Jennie Barrera Iramoo Independent Maria King Quandong Labor Peter Maynard Werribee Park Liberal Mia Shaw Williams Landing Labor Larry Zhao Wimba Labor Josh Gilligan
Mayors 2012–2013: Heather Marcus 2013–2014: Bob Fairclough 2014–2015: Peter Maynard 2015–2016: Adele Hegedich 2016–2017: Henry Barlow 2017–2018: Peter Maynard 2018–2019: Mia Shaw 2019–2020: Josh Gilligan 2020–2021: Adele Hegedich 2021-2022: Peter Maynard 2022-2023: Susan McIntyre 2023-2024: Dr. Jennie Barrera 2024-2025: Mia Shaw 2025-2026: Josh Gilligan (Cr Josh Gilligan's term as mayor ended early upon a one month suspension effective 25 February 2026) 2026-2026 Preet Singh
Townships and localities The 2021 census, the city had a population of 292,011 up from 217,122 in the 2016 census
Population Locality 2016 2021 0 0 ^ 2,577 2,838 38,701 37,216 ^ 4,915 4,760 73 119 ^ 1,322 1,353 4 315 * 12,675 ^ 569 496 49,929 66,781 0 5 34,562 56,370 ^ 20,687 36,305 40,345 50,027 1,768 2,392 6,646 9,448 23,273 20,518
^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census
Sister cities Changzhou Costa Mesa, California, United States Chiryū, Aichi Prefecture, Chūbu region, Japan
See also Wyndham City Council List of places on the Victorian Heritage Register in the City of Wyndham Wyndham City Libraries
References
External links
Wyndham City Council City of Wyndham (Local Government Victoria) Link to Land Victoria interactive maps