The City of Sunshine was a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

about west of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, the state capital of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1860 until 1994.

History

The local area was first incorporated as the Braybrook Road District on 28 May 1860. The Braybrook Road District became the Shire of Braybrook on 27 May 1871. In May 1916 and again in February 1951, parts of the shire were annexed to the neighbouring

Shire of Melton The City of Melton is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, on Melbourne's western rural–urban fringe. It covers , and in June 2018, Melton had population of 156,713. It is governed by the Melton City Council. The seat of local ...

. The Shire of Braybrook was proclaimed a city on 16 May 1951, and was renamed to the City of Sunshine. Accessed at

State Library of Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the ...

, La Trobe Reading Room. Labor Party candidates were successful in most Sunshine Council elections, although Independent candidates were frequently elected. The only endorsed

Australian Democrats The Australian Democrats is a centrist political party in Australia. Founded in 1977 from a merger of the Australia Party and the New Liberal Movement, both of which were descended from Liberal Party dissenting splinter groups, it was Australia ...

candidate to be elected in a municipal election, Joe Cilmi, was successful at the City of Sunshine. Cilmi, aged 21, was elected to the Sunshine City Council in August 1982, although he only held office for one three-year term. The city was managed by a state-appointed commissioner,

Alex Gillon Alexander George Gillon (23 December 1909 – 25 August 2007) was a civic and sporting administrator in Melbourne, Australia. He was most notable as the longest-serving president of the Victorian Football Association, and as a mayor of the ...

, from November 1976 until 1982, after the elected council was sacked by the state government for its financial mismanagement. On 15 December 1994, the City of Sunshine was abolished; the western part of the city, including Sunshine itself, was merged with parts of the

City of Keilor The City of Keilor was a local government area about northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1863 until 1994. History Keilor was first incorporated as a road district ...

, into the newly created

City of Brimbank The City of Brimbank is a local government area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the western suburbs between 10 and 20 km west and northwest from the Melbourne city centre. The City has ...

, with the eastern part merging with the

City of Footscray The City of Footscray was a local government area about west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of and existed from 1859 until 1994. Its civic centre, after which it was named, was Footscray. Hi ...

, to form the newly created City of Maribyrnong. Council met at the City Hall, in Alexandra Avenue, Sunshine. The premises is used today as municipal offices for the City of Brimbank. Ruth Atkins in her book ''Albany to Zeehan: a new look at local governments''Atkins R (1979: 40-48) Albany to Zeehan A New Look at Local Governments, The Law Book Company, Sydney dedicated a chapter to the activities of the City of Sunshine during the period 1972–1976.

Wards

On 1 October 1981, the City of Sunshine was subdivided into four wards: * North Ward * South Ward * River Ward

Suburbs

* Albanvale* *

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

* Ardeer * Braybrook *

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

* Cairnlea* * Deer Park *

Derrimut Derrimut is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Brimbank Local government area. Derrimut recorded a population of 8,651 at the 2021 census. Located on the l ...

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

* Maribyrnong *

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

(shared with the City of Keilor) * Sunshine+ * Sunshine North *

Sunshine West Sunshine West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Brimbank local government area. Sunshine West recorded a population of 18,552 at the . Sunshine West is a ...

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...

* Suburbs gazetted since the amalgamation.
+ Council seat.

Population

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References

External links

Victorian Places - Sunshine
{{Coord, -37.781, 144.832, format=dms, region:AU-VIC_type:adm2nd, display=title Sunshine 1869 establishments in Australia 1994 disestablishments in Australia City of Brimbank City of Maribyrnong Sunshine, Victoria