Editing Wyong Shire (section)

===Wyong Shire===
In June 1945, Erina Shire resolved to investigate the reconstitution of local government on the Central Coast into two shires and following further discussions a formal proposal was presented to the Minister for Local Government, [[Joseph Cahill]], in October 1945.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134999900 |title=Move to Regroup Areas of Gosford Councils |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 June 1945 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222031971 |title=LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1919. |newspaper=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=113 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 October 1945 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=2022 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Nevertheless, the proposal proved divisive, with Gosford and the Wyong section of Erina Shire in favour and the rest of Erina Shire and Woy Woy Shire opposed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140600432 |title=Inquire into Shire Regrouping |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 February 1946 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The formal government inquiry subsequently supported the proposal and in April 1946, Cahill notified the councils of his intention to proceed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17977132 |title=NEW SHIRES IN GOSFORD AREA |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=22 April 1946 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> On 1 January 1947, part of Erina Shire, all of Woy Woy Shire and the Municipality of Gosford formed [[Gosford City Council|Gosford Shire]], and the remainder of Erina Shire north and east of Kulnura, Central Mangrove and Lisarow formed Wyong Shire.<ref>{{Gazette NSW| title = Local Government Act 1919. Proclamation| issue = 145| page = 2967| date = 20 December 1946| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224795681| access-date = 22 October 2018| via = National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Following the changes, the new Wyong Shire Council initially rented the old Erina Shire offices in Gosford, but soon acquired some army huts from Cowra and had them moved to Wyong to serve as temporary Council Chambers, which were officially opened by Minister Joseph Cahill on 4 February 1948.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134231404 |title=Wyong Council May Have Temporary Home in November |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=10 September 1947 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134230948 |title=Wyong Council in Own "Home" |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate|location=New South Wales, Australia |date=23 December 1947 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161358904 |title=WYONG COUNCIL CHAMBERS |newspaper=National Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=5 February 1948 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> These chambers were later replaced by a more substantial Council Administration Building at 2 Hely Street Wyong completed in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wyong Shire Council Building |url=https://apps.environment.nsw.gov.au/dpcheritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=2720066 |website=NSW State Heritage Inventory |publisher=Heritage NSW |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref>

With Gosford establishing a Library Service in 1948, Wyong Shire took longer to deliver its own Library Service by 1959, having delayed a proposal on cost grounds in 1951, and held a referendum on the question in December 1953 which was resolved in favour of adopting the ''Library Act, 1939''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139509022 |title=Wyong Library "Pigeonholed" |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate|location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 February 1951 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167375856 |title=Wyong Move For Public Library |newspaper=The Gosford Times And Wyong District Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=28 July 1953 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167379502 |title=REFERENDUM ON WYONC LIBRARY |newspaper=The Gosford Times And Wyong District Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 August 1953 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167377041 |title=Wyong Shire's Library Plan |newspaper=The Gosford Times And Wyong District Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 December 1953 |access-date=1 December 2020 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Wyong Shire Council formally adopted the act in 1958 and opened the first public library service on the ground floor of the Council Chambers in May 1959.<ref>{{cite news |title=75 years of public libraries |url=https://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/about-council/council-news/media-releases-2015/media-releases-2014/75-years-of-public-libraries |access-date=17 December 2020 |agency=Wyong Shire Council |date=21 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218071128/https://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/about-council/council-news/media-releases-2015/media-releases-2014/75-years-of-public-libraries |archive-date=18 December 2015 |format=Media Release}}</ref> The Wyong Library Service eventually expanded to five branches at Toukley, The Entrance, Tuggerah (1995), Lake Haven (2002), and Bay Village.<ref>{{cite web |title=Library Information |url=http://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/libraries/libraries_info.html |publisher=Wyong Shire |access-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060224004635/http://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/libraries/libraries_info.html |archive-date=24 February 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Council celebrates 20 years of Tuggerah Library |url=https://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/about-council/council-news/media-releases-2015/council-celebrates-20-years-of-tuggerah-library |access-date=17 December 2020 |agency=Wyong Shire Council |date=26 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616101351/https://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/about-council/council-news/media-releases-2015/council-celebrates-20-years-of-tuggerah-library |archive-date=16 June 2016 |format=Media Release}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Lake Haven Library Turns Five! |url=http://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/whatson/media_releases_september_7_Lake_Haven_Library_5.htm |access-date=17 December 2020 |publisher=Wyong Shire Council |date=12 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007080048/http://www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/whatson/media_releases_september_7_Lake_Haven_Library_5.htm |archive-date=7 October 2009 |format=Media Release}}</ref>