The One-Page History

The Greater Brisbane Scheme was proposed because the town and shire councils in the Brisbane area were having difficulty making infrastructure improvements and providing local government services equally across twenty council areas.

A Royal Commission in 1896 had recommended that some amalgamations occur, after which the Booroodabin Council joined with Brisbane Municipal Council. At the 1915 state election, both the Liberal Premier, Digby Denham, and the Labor Leader of the Opposition, Thomas Ryan, supported the Greater Brisbane concept.

Two bills were introduced to Parliament – a hurried one in 1917, which did not proceed beyond introduction, and a huge bill in 1923, which was considered too complex, and failed to pass.

The Assistant Under Secretary of the Home Secretary’s Department, Charles Chuter, redrafted the bill, which was introduced to Parliament and passed as the City of Brisbane Act 1924. It created the Greater Brisbane City Council and came into effect on 30 October, 1924.

The City of Brisbane replaced twenty local authorities.

Two cities: Brisbane and South Brisbane;

Six towns: Ithaca, Hamilton, Toowong, Windsor, Sandgate and Wynnum;

Ten shires: Balmoral, Belmont, Coorparoo, Enoggera, Kedron, Moggill, Sherwood, Stephens, Taringa and Toombul;

Two parts of the shires: Tingalpa and Yeerongpilly.

The Greater Brisbane City Council comprised a Mayor, elected by the people, and 20 aldermen, one for each ward, elected at triennial elections.

The first election was stipulated under the Act to be on 21 February, 1925, and the first meeting of the Council was held on 18 March, 1925, in the Central Technical College (now QUT) in George Street, Brisbane. The old Councils continued to have meetings during 1925, effectively winding up their affairs, and Greater Brisbane came into effect on 1 October 1925, under the leadership of Mayor William Jolly.

The city was raised to Lord Mayoralty in March, 1930.