City of Hobsons Bay

Following the passing of legislation by the then State Government, on 22 June 1994, the City of Williamstown along with the City of Altona were abolished, and together with a couple of small neighbouring areas, were merged into the newly created City of Hobsons Bay.

The new city was under the control of a board of Commissioners and an Acting Chief Executive Officer until 16 March 1996 when a newly elected council took over.  The three Commissioners were – Don Gillies (Chairperson) who was a former executive of the Ford Motor Company of Australia, Maureen Breen who was a former Councillor and Mayor of the City of Richmond and Ernest Barr the Deputy Chancellor at La Trobe University and former Managing Director of the Heinz Company of Australia. The first Mayor was Steven Kingshott and his fellow councillors included Messrs B A Matheson, C Marsich, G J (Dick) Murdoch, K Skehan, W H Sommers, and Ms K Minogue and Ms L Gibson. A Proclamation Day to celebrate the new City of Hobsons Bay was held on 22 June 1996 and was officiated by the Governor of Victoria, His Excellency, the Honourable Richard McGarvie and held at the Corporate Centre in Civic Parade.

Hobsons Bay covers an area of 65 m² including 20 kms of coastline forming Port Phillip Bay and includes the suburbs of Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Brooklyn, Laverton, Newport, Seabrook, Seaholme, South Kingsville, Spotswood, Williamstown and Williamstown North. It is also home to significant coastal wetlands, five creek systems, remnant native grasslands, and important flora and fauna habitats, which makes up 24 per cent of the city’s total land area. It is rich in its history and historical buildings, monuments, statutes, parks and gardens.

City of Hobsons Bay Councillors – 1996 to present