City of South Melbourne

This article is about a former local government area. For the suburb, see South Melbourne.

The City of South Melbourne was a local government area about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, on the south bank of the Yarra River. The city covered an area of 8.91 square kilometres (3.44 sq mi), and existed from 1855 until 1994.

City of South Melbourne Victoria
Location in Melbourne
South Melbourne Town Hall
Coordinates	37°59′06″S 144°57′36″E
Population	17,600 (1992)[1]
• Density	1,975/km2 (5,116/sq mi)
Established	1855
Abolished	1994
Area	8.91 km2 (3.4 sq mi)
Council seat	South Melbourne
Region	Inner Melbourne
County	Bourke
LGAs around City of South Melbourne: Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Port Melbourne City of South Melbourne Prahran Port Phillip Port Phillip St Kilda

The council area was bounded by the Yarra River to the north, Fraser and Lorne Streets to the south, the Port Phillip foreshore and Pickles Street to the west, and St Kilda Road to the east.^[2]

History

South Melbourne was first incorporated as the Emerald Hill Borough on 26 May 1855, and became a town on 1 March 1872. It was proclaimed a city, and was renamed South Melbourne, on 21 September 1883.^[2]

On 18 November 1993, a small portion around Southbank and the Victorian Arts Centre was annexed to the City of Melbourne.^[3]

On 22 June 1994, the City of South Melbourne was abolished, and along with the Cities of Port Melbourne and St Kilda, was merged into the newly created City of Port Phillip.^[4]

The council met at the South Melbourne Town Hall on Bank Street, between Fishley and Layfield Streets, South Melbourne. The hall still exists and is now used by the Australian National Academy of Music.

Suburbs

• Albert Park
• Melbourne (between Queens Road and St Kilda Road)
• Middle Park
• Southbank
• South Melbourne*

* Council seat.

Population

Year	Population
1861	8,822
1881	25,374
1891	41,724
1921	46,873
1954	37,955
1958	35,300*
1961	32,528
1966	30,174
1971	26,995
1976	21,334
1981	19,955
1986	18,499
1991	17,712

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

Councillors

The City of South Melbourne was divided into four wards, each electing three councillors:

• Canterbury Ward
• Fawkner Ward
• Hobson Ward
• Queens Ward

List of known councillors

Councillor		Party	Ward	Term start	Term end
	Edward Heather	Independent	Queen's	18??	18??
	Thomas Smith	Political Labour League	Beaconsfield	1885	1895
		Labor		1895	1901
	Thomas Ashworth	Free Trade Association		1895	1898
	James Laurence Murphy	Labor		1904	1942
	Arthur Disney	Labor		1908	1918
	Charles Merrett	Liberal		1915	1917
		Nationalist		1917	1922
		Liberal Union		1922	1925
		Independent Liberal		1922	1925
		Australian Liberal		1926	1932
		Independent Liberal		1932	1937
	Robert Williams	Labor		1921	1932
		Independent		1932	1932
	Arthur Wallace	Labor		1928	1932
		Independent		1932	1937
	Archibald Crofts	Non-Labor	Queen's	1931	1933
		United Australia		1933	1942†
	Keith Sutton	Labor		1939	1952
	Reg Macey	Liberal		1973	1981
	Reg Macey	Liberal		1982	1985

† = Died in office

Gallery

• 
  South Melbourne Town Hall