eHive Object Details

Name/TitleMelbourne City Council, minutes of first meeting, c. 1842

About this objectTwo hand-written pages documenting the first meeting of the Town Council of Melbourne which was held at the old Royal Hotel, Collins Street.

Melbourne was created a town by the Melbourne Incorporation Act 1942 (6 Vic., No. 7). The Act also made provision for the creation of a Town Council to administer the affairs of the town, and for the election of town councillors and aldermen.

The minutes read:
"Minutes of Proceedings / of / The Town Council of Melbourne / Melbourne 9th December 1842 / Present / Councillors Beaver, Condell, Dickson, Fawkner, James, Kerr, / Mortimer, Orr, Patterson, Russell & Smith

At the first quarterly meeting of the councillors / elect of Melbourne held pursuant to announcement of / his honor the Superintendent in the Royal Hotel Collins / Street at noon the Councillors proceeded in terms of the / Melbourne Municipal Corporation Act to the transaction / of the business to be done so that day.

Resolved on the motion of Councillor James, seconded / by Councillor Smith, that Councillor Patterson be the / Presiding Officer at the present election of Mayor and / Aldermen.

Resolved on the motion of Councillor Kerr, seconded / by Councillor Orr, that Councillors Mortimer and / Russell be the scrutineers at the present election.

The council then proceeded to the motion of Aldermen / for the different Wards, when the following Councillors / were declared duly elected Aldermen of their respective / Wards.
Alderman for Bourke Ward Councillor Kerr 6 votes / Gipps Ward Councillor Crondell 9 votes / La Trobe Ward Councillor Russell 10 votes / Lonsdale Ward Councillor Mortimer 6 votes

[Page 2-far right edge of page hard to read]

The Council then determined that Aldermen Condell / and Russell should remain in office for six years / and Aldermen Kerr and Mortimer for three years.

The vote was then taken for the office of Mayor, / when it appeared that there were an equal number / of votes for Alderman Condell and Councillor Patterson, / the Presiding Officer & scrutineers having decided in / favour of the former Alderman, Condell was / duly elected.

Moved by Councillor Fawkner, seconded by Councillor / Beaver, that the doors of the Council Chamber be hence- / forth open for the admission of the public. / The decision on Councillor Fawkner's motion was / by consent deferred until next meeting of the Council.

[signed] H. Condell / Mayor"

Isaac Selby made photocopies of the above document, which he included in a talk he gave to the Victorian Historical Society titled, "The Life of Dr John Patterson and The Election of the First Mayor of Melbourne", reproduced in "The Victorian Historical Magazine" (Vol. XXI, No. 4, p.16). According to Selby, John Charles King held the office of town clerk from 1842 to 1851, so he was probably the secretary who took the minutes of the meeting.

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

Inscription and MarksMelb. City Council 1842 / First Minutes

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1840-1850

Object TypeGlass slide

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsCondell, Henry, 1791-1871.

Subject and Association KeywordsFawkner, John Pascoe, 1792-1869.

Subject and Association KeywordsPatterson, Dr John, R.N., c. 1789-1853

Subject and Association KeywordsSmith, John Thomas, 1816-1879

Subject and Association KeywordsKerr, William, 1812-1859

Subject and Association KeywordsOrr, John, 1816-1860

Subject and Association KeywordsMelbourne Town Council, 1842-1847

Subject and Association KeywordsMortimer, Henry William (H.W.), 1796-1887

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-EM-12

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved