This is a list of the mayors, lord mayors and administrators of Wollongong City Council and its predecessors, a local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The official title of a lord mayor while holding office is The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Wollongong.
History of the office First incorporated on 28 February 1859 as the 'Municipality of Wollongong', the council became known as the 'City of Wollongong' on 11 September 1942. On 3 September 1947, the City of Wollongong, the Shire of Bulli (established 1906) and the Municipalities of Central Illawarra (established 1859) and North Illawarra (established 1868) amalgamated to form the 'City of Greater Wollongong' under the Local Government Act 1919. On 10 April 1970 the council was granted the title of 'Lord Mayor' by Queen Elizabeth II. On 30 October 1970 the official title of the council reverted to become the 'City of Wollongong'. On 1 July 1993 following the enactment of a new Local Government Act, elected representatives of the council were to be known as 'Councillor', replacing the former title of 'Alderman'. Originally nominated annually by the council, the mayor is now popularly elected for a four-year term.
On 4 March 2008, following recommendations from Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Jerrold Cripps QC, the Minister for Local Government requested the Governor of New South Wales to dismiss the council and install a panel of administrators (Gabrielle Kibble AO, Dr Colin Gellatly and Robert McGregor AM) for four years citing clear evidence of systemic corruption in the Council.
The panel of administrators ran Wollongong City Council until the elections held on the 3 September 2011, when Councillor Gordon Bradbery (Independent) was elected as Lord Mayor. Bradbery was re-elected in 2017 for a further three-year term and continued to serve as Lord Mayor. In the most recent council elections held in September 2024, Tania Brown (Labor) was elected as Lord Mayor of Wollongong, succeeding Bradbery after his decision not contest the elections.
List of incumbents Wollongong Municipal/City Council, 1859–1946
Years Mayors Notes 1859–???? John Garrett 1868 Charles Throsby Smith 9 December 1946 – 3 September 1947 Charles Dawson
Central Illawarra Shire Council, 1859–1947
Years Shire Presidents Notes 1912-13, 1920-22, 1925-28, 1931-33 1937 James William Gorrell 3 December 1945 – 3 September 1947 Harry Graham
North Illawarra Municipal Council, 1868–1947
Years Mayors Notes ???? Andrew Lysaght Snr. 1886, 1887 and 1894Patrick Lahiff 1901–1902 Andrew Lysaght Jnr. c. 1915 William Maurice Madden 8 December 1944 – 3 September 1947 Oscar James Thomas Murphy
Bulli Shire Council, 1906–1947 Years Shire Presidents Notes 8 December 1906 – 10 February 1908 William P. Mitchell 10 February 1908 – 1 February 1909 James Davidson 1 February 1909 – 14 February 1910 John Stephen Kirton 14 February 1910 – 13 February 1911 Phillip Spiller 13 February 1911 – 9 February 1914 John Stephen Kirton 9 February 1914 – 7 February 1916 James Davidson 7 February 1916 – 4 February 1918 John Stephen Kirton 4 February 1918 – 5 February 1920 James Davidson 5 February 1920 – 7 December 1922 W. H. Tresidder 7 December 1922 – 14 December 1925 H. McNaughton 14 December 1925 – 13 December 1926 A. Southern 13 December 1926 – 9 December 1929 Alfred Herbert Fackender 9 December 1929 – 9 December 1931 Laurie Kelly Snr. 9 December 1931 – 14 December 1936 Arthur Frederick Morrison 14 December 1936 – 12 December 1938 Edward James Ryan 12 December 1938 – 11 December 1939 John Clowes 11 December 1939 – 10 December 1941 Robert Thompson 10 December 1941 – 3 December 1945 Con Quilkey 3 December 1945 – 3 September 1947 Laurie Kelly Snr.
Greater Wollongong/Wollongong City Council, 1947–present Years Mayors Notes 12 December 1947 – 7 December 1949 Harry Graham 7 December 1949 – 5 December 1951 Charles Dawson 5 December 1951 – December 1956 Jerry Kelly December 1956 – December 1965 Albert Squires December 1965 – December 1968 Tony Bevan December 1968 – 10 April 1970 Ernie Ford Years Lord Mayors Notes 10 April 1970 – September 1971 Ernie Ford September 1971 – September 1974 John Parker 27 September 1974 – September 1991 Frank Arkell September 1991 – March 1999 David Campbell March 1999 – September 2002 George Harrison 14 September 2002 – 4 March 2008 Alex Darling 4 March 2008 – 16 December 2009 Gabrielle Kibble (Administrator) 16 December 2009 – 2 September 2011 Richard Colley (Administrator) 4 March 2008 – 2 September 2011 Dr Colin Gellatly (Administrator) Robert McGregor (Administrator) 3 September 2011 – 14 September 2024 Rev Gordon Bradbery 14 September 2024 – Present Tania Brown
Election results 2024
2021
2017
Notes
References
External links The City of Wollongong (council website)