History of Strathfield, New South Wales
The history of the Strathfield area, in New South Wales started with the Wangle aboriginal people but then involves the first disasterous white settlement at Liberty Plains. After this settlement failed the land became part of the Redmire estate and then was subdivided and sold into lots of land. A house called Strahfieldsaye was built and it is from this that the Strathfield area derives its name. In 1887 Strathfield council was formed and after it went through many mergers and threats of amalgamation the Municipality of Strathfield was formed.
Aboriginal history
The Municipality of Strathfield area was once home to the Wangal clan who were part of the Turuwal tribe, whose country was known as Wanne. Although knowledge of life in Sydney prior to European settlement is limited there is evidence that Aboriginal people were living in the Sydney Basin for at least 20,000 years prior to 1788.
European settlement in "Liberty Plains"
European settlement began in 1793 when the first free settlers were granted land to establish farms in the area then known as "Liberty Plains". Eventually there were 63 settler farmers in the area, however they were largely unsuccessful in their efforts. Governor Hunter wrote to the Duke of Portland in August 1796 complaining that the English settlers had arrived in the colony with high expectations and unfounded reports of government assistance without any real understanding of the level of work they would have to undertake to develop the land. Further, Governor Hunter complained that "the settlers have more than once killed what they received from the Government — every reduction of the ration of animal food occasioned the destruction of what might then have been in their possession." The settlers soon exhausted their own resources and were living on credit. In March 1798 Samuel Marsden, following a visit to the settlement with D'Arcy Wentworth, found them in a dire situation. They had run out of "seed wheat" and he wrote that "should a ship arrive with any articles of consumption, they can't raise a single pound in the two districts [Concord and ?? areas]." Most of the settlers eventually moved away from the area. However, Edward Powell returned and successfully established a Halfway Hotel on Parramatta Rd [now site of the Horse & Jockey Hotel]. Assistant surgeon D'Arcy Wentworth settled in what is now the North Homebush area.
Birth of Strathfield
James Wilshire was granted 243 acres (1 km²) of land by Governor Macquarie in 1808 [regranted 1810] following representations from Lord Horatio Nelson, a relation by marriage of Wilshire. Ownership was transferred in 1824 to ex-convict Samuel Terry. The land became known as the Redmire Estate, which Michael Jones says could either be named after his home town in Yorkshire or could be named after the "red clay of the Strathfield area". Subdivision of the land commenced in 1867. An early buyer was one-time Mayor of Sydney, Walter Renny who built in 1868 a house they called Stratfieldsaye, possibly after the Duke of Wellington's mansion near Reading, Berkshire. It may have also been named after the transport ship of the same name that transported many immigrants — including Sir Henry Parkes — to Australia, though the transport ship was probably also named after the Duke's mansion as it was built soon after his death and was likely named in his honour. A plaque marking the location of Stratfield Saye can be found in the footpath of Strathfield Avenue, marking the approximate location of the original house [though some of the wording on the plaque is incorrect]. According to local historian Cathy Jones, "ownership of [Stratfieldsaye] was transferred several times including to Davidson Nichol, who shortened the name to ‘Strathfield House’, then ‘Strathfield’."
Strathfield was proclaimed on June 2 1885 by the Governor of NSW, Sir Augustus Loftus, after residents of the Redmyre area petitioned the New South Wales State government. Residents in parts of Homebush and Druitt Town [now Strathfield South] formed their own unsuccesful counter-petition. It is possible that the region was named Strathfield because the Redmyre land was sold as "Strathfield" land, and the naming was an attempt to avoid the rivalry between Homebush and Redmire. At the time of incorporation the population of the Strathfield municipality was estimated at 600 (thus satisfying the 1867 Municipalities Act's requirement of a minimum of 500 residents in an area before a municipality could be established) and the net revenue was £1,210. The area at that time was only about 1/3 of the size of today's municipality with boundaries at Homebush Crescent and the railway in the north, the Boulevarde in the east, Liverpool Road and the Cooks River in the south and undeveloped land in the west.
Strathfield Council
Strathfield Municipal Council opened their Council Chambers along the corner of Redmyre and Homebush Roads in August 1887. It was largely run by businessmen who became well known for their frugality and they spent only a modest amount of money on the building. The building was designed by the then noted Sydney architect John Sulman who was a resident of Strathfield, however they refused to spend much more money on construction and the adjoining Town Hall was only added in 1923. Soon after the Council Chambers were opened, however, the council was scandalised when they discovered that the town clerk, Bennett, had embezzeled £635. The clerk refunded the money and was dismissed and evicted from the council cottage he had been living in.
Strathfield council soon started expanding its boundaries. The Flemington district (then a part of the former Municipality of Lidcombe — the area is now known as Homebush West) was annexed by Strathfield in 1892 and increased the area of the Strathfield municipality by about 50%. The council was further divided into three separate wards soon after: the Flemington ward, the Homebush ward and the Strathfield ward. These wards were abolished in 1916.
Following the introduction of the Local Government Act in 1919, the Municipality was one of the first to proclaim the major part of its area a residential district by proclamation in 1920. The proclamation excluded any trade, industry, shop, place of amusement, advertisements or residential flats and largely stayed in place until 1969 when the proclamation was suspended by the Strathfield Planning Scheme Ordinance.
Amalgamations
In 1898, Strathfield council was threatened by a forced amalgamation into a greater Sydney council. Heading the push was Strathfield Alderman George Christie who outlined the scheme in his pamphlet "The Unification of the Municipal Council of Sydney and its Suburbs". Christie felt that local councils operated under severe limitations that constrained their own management and growth, as well as self-determination and proposed that 41 municipal councils be merged into the City of Sydney. The push to amalgamate the councils into one mega-council was known as The Greater Sydney Movement, and it had many supporters, but just as many opponents. Supporters included Sidney Webb, who visited Sydney in 1898, as well as John Daniel Fitzgerald, who was a journalist, editor, barrister, and politician and who was deeply involved in municipal affairs. When Fitzgerald became the State Minister for Local Government in 1916 he pushed for a bill to create a Greater Sydney area. This was energetically opposed by Strathfield and other local councils who did not wish to be amalgamated. A petition was tabled in parliament in August 1914 opposing such a push. Bills to amalgamate councils were brought raised in parliament in 1912, 1927 and 1931 but each time they failed to gather any support, mainly due to campaigning by most local councils in Sydney.
In May 1947, the Municipality of Homebush voluntarily amalgamated with Strathfield and in January 1949 the west ward of the former Municipality of Enfield was added. As this doubled the population that was managed by Strathfield local council the threats of amalgamation after the Second World War ended subsided. However, in 1974 C. J. Barnett worte a Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Local Government Areas and Administration in New South Wales and recommended that Strathfield be amalgamated with Ashfield, Drummoyne, Burwood and Concord. In 1983 it was further recommended by the State Boundaries Commission that Strathfield be amalgamated into Burwood. A great deal of uproar greeted this plan and a circus tent was erected for a town meeting in which 2,000 people attended (from a population of 26,000) after the plan was announced. The then Mayor, Clarrie Edwards, spoke at the meeting and after seeing the tremendous opposition to the merger the then New South Wales Permier, Neville Wran finally decided that a merger would not be in anyone's best interest.
In 1992, a section of the northern part of the Municipality was transferred to the Auburn Council area. 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.
Alleged corruption
On December 20, 2004, Strathfield council's mayor, Alfred Tsang stepped down over allegations of corruption. Pictures had been published in The Australian of him accepting a wad of $100 bills from a developer, Michael Saklawi. However, it was not clear why the money was given to him, though it was alleged that he was talking to Mr Saklawi about the redevelopment of a 800sqm council-owned carpark [1]. Mr Tsang had previously released a statement that "Councils need to take leadership roles in this area, we simply cannot continue to support unsustainable development, for the sake of our children, grandchildren and the future environment, we need to make changes now." [2] According to the Australian he was heard to have said that "Basically, we get it for nothing," Mr Tsang says. "I am making Strathfield a better place ... I am doing it for the area." [3] Strathfield council soon afterwards released a press statement that it "will not and does not" tolerate misconduct. [4] The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is currently investigating whether claims developers were given inside information about land rezoning proposals put to Strathfield Council have any substance and the pictures taken by The Australian were handed to them for further investigation.
According to Anne Davies, who reports for The Sydney Morning Herald, "behind the Strathfield saga is a ferocious battle among developers for sites. These developers are not from the big end of town; they are locals - many are Lebanese - who regard the inner west as their development playground." She has alleged that more corruption may be revealed as the new year progresses. (Davies, SMH, pg. 4). As the inquiry has progressed, former Mayor John Abi-Saab has also been investigated.
See also
References
- Barnett, C. J., 1974. Report of the Committee of lnquiry into Local Government Areas and Administration in New South Wales. Sydney: NSW Government Printer.
- Davies, Anne (December 21, 2004). Design rules for developments won't block out ground-floor corruption. Sydney Morning Herald.
- Jones, Cathy (2004). Strathfield - origin of the name. Retrieved October 4, 2004.
- Jones, Cathy [2005], A [very] short history of Strathfield, Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter.
- Jones, Michael (1985). Oasis in the West: Strathfield's first hundred years. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin Australia. ISBN 0-86861-407-6.
- Reps, John W. Fitgerald, Critique of Capital City Plans. Cornell University.
- Original source: Fitzgerald, John Daniel (July 27, 1912). The Capital plans, the city of the future. The Sydney Morning Herald.
- Mayor stands down over cash wad claim (December 20, 2004). The Australian.
- Sexton, Jennifer (December 20, 2004). Video cash mayor steps down. The Australian.
- Tsang, Alfred (2004). Message from the Mayor of Strathfield, Cr Alfred Tsang