Editing Municipality of Strathfield (section)

==History==
[[File:StrathfieldSayePlaque.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Strathfield Saye Plaque]]
{{main|History of the Strathfield area}}

The Municipality of Strathfield was proclaimed on 2 June 1885 by the [[Governor of New South Wales|NSW Governor]], [[Lord Augustus Loftus|Sir Augustus Loftus]].<ref>{{Gazette NSW | title = Proclamation | issue = 226 | page = 3545 | date = 2 June 1885 | url  = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/221693925 | access-date = 2 April 2023 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref> The initial boundaries included Redmire (later renamed Strathfield), the village of Homebush (the southern part of the present suburb of Homebush and the north-western part of the present-day suburb of Strathfield) and the northern part of Druitt Town (the southern part of today's suburb of Strathfield). The council was incorporated following petitions by residents of the Redmire area to form local government. This move was opposed by residents of Homebush and Druitt Town, possibly fearing the dominance of the more affluent and politically connected residents of Redmire. Despite counter petitions, the Municipality was incorporated in 1885.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Cathy|title=Incorporation of Strathfield Council|url=https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/home/council/about-strathfield/history-of-strathfield-local-government-area/incorporation-of-strathfield-council/|publisher=Strathfield Council|access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> 

Strathfield Council built the current Council Chambers in 1887. Between 1885 and 1887 the council operated from various private homes in Strathfield, pending the building of a permanent Council Chambers. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://strathfieldheritage.com/local-government/council/strathfield-town-hall/ | title=Strathfield Town Hall | date=2 May 2022 }}</ref>

The Strathfield Council area has expanded in geography and population over time. In 1892, an area in the west of the present-day municipality was added, being the suburb of Flemington, including Flemington village in the north. As well, the part of the present-day municipality that lies south of Cook's River and north of Liverpool Road, in the south, which are now the southwestern part of the suburb of Strathfield and the northeastern part of the Greenacre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://strathfieldheritage.com/local-government/council/ | title=Strathfield Council | date=22 August 2009 }}</ref>  The entire Council area came to be referred to as "Strathfield" after this expansion, and the southern and western boundaries of the present-day suburb of Strathfield largely reflects the council boundaries in 1892. With the 1892 addition, Strathfield Municipality was divided into three wards: Flemington Ward in the west (covering the area incorporated in 1892, from Flemington station in the north to Liverpool Road in the south), Homebush Ward in the centre (covering the original council area west of Homebush Road, from Homebush station in the north to Liverpool Road in the south), and Strathfield Ward in the east (covering the remainder of the original council area, east of Homebush Road). The wards were abolished on 30 August 1916.<ref>{{Gazette NSW | title = Notification | issue = 156 | page = 5374 | date = 8 September 1916 | url  = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225844984 | access-date = 2 April 2023 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref>

In 1947, the Municipality of Homebush was amalgamated with Strathfield. This local government area covered the part of present-day Flemington (including Flemington markets) and Homebush that lies north of the railway. The former village centres of Flemington and Homebush south of the railway were carved out of the then-suburb of Strathfield and combined with the newly incorporated area to create the present-day suburbs of Flemington, Homebush West and Homebush. In 1949, the west ward of the Municipality of Enfield was added to Strathfield, with the eastern part going to the [[Municipality of Burwood]]. This added the present-day suburbs of Strathfield South, eastern part of Greenacre, and northern part of Belfield. At the time of  this expansion, the council was divided into two wards: first ward (Strathfield and Homebush) and second ward (Enfield). These wards were abolished in 1953.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://strathfieldheritage.com/local-government/council/ | title=Strathfield Council | date=22 August 2009 }}</ref>

In 1992, a section of the northern part of the Municipality, between the A3 road and Boundary Creek, was transferred to the then [[Auburn City|Auburn Council]] to become part of the site of [[Sydney Olympic Park]]. In return, the area of and between Boundary Creek and the railway line, occupied by the former Ford factory building, was transferred from Auburn to Strathfield Council.

In 2021, a proposal was submitted to the Geographical Names Board, to separate the northern part of [[Belfield, New South Wales|Belfield]] which was within the Municipality of Strathfield (north of Punchbowl Road) from the southern part within the [[City of Canterbury-Bankstown]]. Under this proposal, northern Belfield would form part of [[Strathfield South]], from which it was separated by the [[Cooks River]]. This was approved in 2023.<ref>[https://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/229359/210804_RELEASE_Belfield.pdf Geographical Names Board - Media Release - Belfield], 4 August 2021</ref>

The municipality now includes the suburbs of Strathfield, Flemington, Homebush, Homebush West, Strathfield South, and a minor part of Greenacre.

===Recent council amalgamation proposals===

Throughout its history, there have been movements to amalgamate local councils in the Sydney area: the first major 'threat' was with the 'royal commission for a greater Sydney (1913)', known as 'The Greater Sydney Movement'. The Royal Commission brought together [[Sidney Webb]],{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} a British politician and John Fitzgerald,<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080534b.htm|title=Biography - John Daniel (Jack) Fitzgerald - Australian Dictionary of Biography|chapter=Fitzgerald, John Daniel (Jack) (1862–1922) |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University }}</ref> an Australian politician, who, amongst others, believed that Sydney should be merged into a single local government area. In 1947 Homebush and Strathfield councils merged and part of [[Enfield, New South Wales|Enfield]] was added in 1949.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

A [[Local government areas of New South Wales#Reviews of local government areas|2015 review of local government boundaries]] by the [[Government of New South Wales|NSW Government]] [[Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales|Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal]] recommended that the Strathfield Municipal Council merge with adjoining councils. The government proposed a merger of the [[Municipality of Burwood|Burwood]], [[City of Canada Bay|Canada Bay]], and Strathfield Councils to form a new council with an area of {{convert|41|km2}} and support a population of approximately 163,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dpc-olg-ss.s3.amazonaws.com/56c8a4100d28ddda92d9194af3216c74/Burwood-Canada-Bay-Strathfield.pdf |title=Merger proposal: Burwood Council, City of Canada Bay Council, Strathfield Council |publisher=[[Government of New South Wales]] |date=January 2016 |access-date=27 February 2016 |page=7 }}</ref> On 6 May Strathfield Council commenced legal action in the [[Land and Environment Court of New South Wales|NSW Land and Environment Court]] against the proposed amalgamation.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media/media-releases-2016/strathfield-council-commences-legal-action |title=Strathfield Council commences legal action|publisher=Strathfield Council |date=6 May 2016 |access-date=16 May 2016 }}</ref> After the Court heard that there were legal flaws in the report from the NSW Government appointed delegate who examined the proposal for merging the councils, the NSW Government withdrew from the case and the merger proposal stalled.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-31/forced-merger-of-strathfield-burwood-and-canada-bay-blocked/7463242 |title=NSW council amalgamations: Strathfield, Burwood and Canada Bay merger stopped|work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |author=Raper, Ashleigh |date=31 May 2016 |access-date=1 June 2016 }}</ref> In July 2017, the [[Gladys Berejiklian|Berejiklian government]] decided to abandon the forced merger of the Strathfield, Burwood and Canada Bay local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-27/after-nsw-council-merger-backflip-mayors-try-to-get-money-back/8749462 |title=NSW council amalgamations: Mayors fight to claw back court dollars after backflip on merger |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |date=27 July 2017 |access-date=27 July 2017 |author1=Blumer, Clare |author2=Chettle, Nicole }}</ref>