The Municipality of Busselton 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 ...
in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, centred on the town of
Busselton
Busselton is a city in the South West region of the state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destination for Western Australians; however, the closure of the Busselton ...
.
It was established on 21 February 1871, separating the town of Busselton from the surrounding
Sussex Road District The Sussex Road District was an early form of local government area in the Busselton region of Western Australia.
It was established on 24 January 1871, adopting the historic name of the Busselton region, in honour of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duk ...
, which had been created a month prior.
The boundary between the two bodies was West Street and Ford Road.
The first election was held at the Busselton Court House on 8 March 1871.
The council was based out of municipal chambers in Queen Street from 1900.
The municipal boundaries were extended on 31 August 1928, at which time it was also divided into three wards (West, Central and East).
In 1947, facing a housing shortage, the council undertook what was reputedly the first housing scheme undertaken by a local authority in Western Australia, buying disused buildings from the Busselton Aerodrome from the Commonwealth Government, purchasing land in East Busselton from the State Housing Commission, and re-erecting the old aerodrome buildings as new homes. The scheme resulted in 38 houses, a guest house and two buildings for local sporting bodies.
It ceased to exist on 11 May 1951 when it amalgamated with the Sussex Road District to form the
Busselton Road District (now the City of Busselton).
The municipal council opposed the merger and had requested a referendum be held, but the state government insisted on immediate amalgamation.
George William Barnard was mayor from 1907 to 1909 and 1915 to 1917.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Busselton, Municipality of
Former local government areas of Western Australia