The City of Moorabbin was a local government area about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of 53.13 square kilometres (20.51 sq mi), and existed from 1862 until 1994.

City of Moorabbin
Victoria
Location in Melbourne
Population100,400 (1992)[1]
 • Density1,889.7/km2 (4,894.3/sq mi)
Established1862
Area53.13 km2 (20.5 sq mi)
Council seatMoorabbin
RegionSoutheastern Melbourne
CountyBourke
LGAs around City of Moorabbin:
Brighton Caulfield Oakleigh
Sandringham City of Moorabbin Springvale
Sandringham Mordialloc Springvale

History edit

Moorabbin was first incorporated as a road district on 16 May 1862. It became a shire on 27 January 1871, and was essentially rural in character, relying on the villages on its western side for services.[2] As regions on the coast became more urban in character, local severance movements successfully obtained their own local governments. On 3 April 1912, one part was united with the Town of Brighton to the northwest. On 28 February 1917, the Borough of Sandringham split away, while on 26 May 1920, the Borough of Mentone and Mordialloc also split away. Eventually, with the development of areas such as Bentleigh and Cheltenham within the shire's boundaries, Moorabbin was proclaimed a city, on 10 October 1934. On 1 October 1959, it lost a further piece of land to the City of Oakleigh.[3]

On 15 December 1994, the City of Moorabbin was abolished, and was split three ways; Bentleigh was transferred into the newly created City of Glen Eira, along with the City of Caulfield; Cheltenham was transferred into the newly created City of Bayside, along with the Cities of Brighton and Sandringham; while the bulk of the city merged with the Cities of Chelsea and Mordialloc, and parts of the Cities of Oakleigh and Springvale, to become the newly created City of Kingston.[4]

Municipal offices edit

The council originally met in the Plough and Harrow Hotel, a site now occupied by the Moorabbin Junction Hotel, on the corner of the Nepean Highway and South Road, Moorabbin. The first town hall was built on the other side of South Road in 1867, and enlarged in 1907. In 1931, municipal offices were constructed next to the town hall. A new town hall, designed by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon, was officially opened in 1963, near the Moorabbin railway station. In 1970, new council chambers and meeting rooms were added.[5][6] The municipal site is currently home to the Kingston City Hall and the Kingston Arts Centre.

Wards edit

The City of Moorabbin was subdivided into four wards on 21 May 1929, each electing three councillors:[3]

  • North Ward
  • Centre Ward
  • Cheltenham Ward
  • Moorabbin Ward

Suburbs edit

* Council seat.

Population edit

Year Population
1921 7,443
1933 19,006
1947 29,236
1954 65,332
1958 86,800*
1961 95,669
1966 103,716
1971 109,588
1976 103,059
1981 97,810
1986 95,291
1991 94,161

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References edit

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book. p. 49. ISSN 0067-1223.
  2. ^ Monash University (January 1999). "Australian Places - Moorabbin". Archived from the original on 11 October 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  3. ^ a b Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson. 1992. pp. 426–427. Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
  4. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. pp. 4, 6, 8. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  5. ^ Harvey, Anthony (1982). The Melbourne Book. Australia: Hutchinson Books. ISBN 0091377501.
  6. ^ "Moorabbin Town Hall". kingston historical website. City of Kingston. Retrieved 4 March 2008.

External links edit

37°56′S 145°02′E / 37.933°S 145.033°E / -37.933; 145.033