History of Queenscliffe Council

The Borough of Queenscliffe was created in May 1863 under Schedule B. No. 54, Queenscliffe; of the Municipal Institutions Act No. 184 – an act to consolidate and amend laws relating to Municipal Institutions.

The first Municipal Council elections under this act were conducted by Mr. William T. Mollison, the Police Magistrate.

The first Councillors were:

  • Dr. David John Williams (Mayor)
  • Thomas Howard Fellows (MLC)
  • William John Craig
  • William Leihy
  • William Pagan
  • William Wright (JP)
  • Dr. Alexander P. L. Robertson.

The first Council meetings are said to have been held in Pilot's Row, Gellibrand Street, near the Fort.

At the 2008 elections the number of Councillors was reduced from seven to the current five.

Previous Mayors of the Borough of Queenscliffe

Dr. D. J. Williams 1863–64
T. H. Fellows 1865
C. Kennedy 1866–67, 1868–69
W. Pagan 1867–68
H. Reed 1869
T. Stoneman 1870–76, 1880–82, 1884–87
G. Admans  1876–80, 1888–89
C. Simpson               1882–83
E. Cuzens 1883–84, 1907–10, 1915–16
W. Jamieson         1887–88
W. Sheehan         1889–90
J. Henley                       1890–91, 1892–93, 1894–95
G. Priddle                           1891–92
J. Baillieu                          1893–94
W. Frewin                            1895–96
G. Baillieu          1896–99
R. Tobias           1899–1901, 1905–06
J. Sheehan          1902–03
W. Mortimer       1903–04
R. Dickinson      1904–05
A Baillieu        1905–06
W. J. Thwaites      1910–11, 1916–20
T. Arkins        1911–12
A. S. Patching          1912–13
L. Klugg       1913–14, 1924–29, 1930–31, 1932–38
A. Dewar      1914–15
T. Thomson    1920–21
W. Brinsmead         1921–22
J. M. Hewitt            1922–24
M. S. Caithness               1929–30
R. Fraser        1931–32, 1940–43
P. C. Shoppee              1938–40
W. J. Field       1943–47
J. H. Smith       1946–47
C. W. Howden              1947–50
J. A. Monahan     1950–52
J. R. Golightly     1952–55, 1961–64, 1969–70
A. W. Hodgetts      1955–56
A. E. Laker        1956–57, 1964–67
L. J. Romey        1957–58
V. McG Johnstone            1960–61
F. R. St. John     1967–69
F. C. Mason               1970–72
J. P. Hume         1972–74, 1979–80
G. W. Anderson            1974–75
F. C. Heweston     1975–77
F. A. Moore               1977–79
M. J. Smart       1980–82
K. W. Potter           1982–84
D. W. Golightly        1984–86
I. R. Curtis           1986–88
L. P. Whelan          1988–90
J. M. Barry          1990–92
L. I. Irving-Dusting   1992–95
C. Dyer           1995–96
K. Erler         1996–98
R. J. Bugg        1998–2001, 2004–05
V. Lawrence       2001–04
P. Semmens        2005, 2007
F. C. Player      2006
B. Merriman       2008–12, 2018–
H. Cameron 2012–16
T. Francis 2016–17
S. Salter 2017–18
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