The City of Yarra is a local government area (LGA) in Victoria, Australia in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It is the second smallest LGA in the state (after the Borough of Queenscliffe) with an area of , and in June 2021 it had a population of 91,543, making it the second most densely populated LGA (after the City of Port Phillip), with around 4,695 people per square kilometre.
The administrative centre of the City of Yarra is the old Richmond Town Hall in Bridge Road, Richmond. The Collingwood Town Hall in Hoddle Street, Abbotsford is also still used by the council as secondary offices and as a service centre, and the Fitzroy Town Hall in Napier Street, Fitzroy is used for the local library and for use as a community space. Some council committees also meet at the Fitzroy and Collingwood Town Halls.
The city is culturally and socially diverse. The 2016 Australian Census found that 38.8% of residents were born outside Australia, with the largest numbers being born in England, New Zealand, Vietnam, China and Greece.
The City of Yarra has some of Melbourne's best shopping streets. These include Bridge Road and Swan and Victoria streets in Richmond, Brunswick and Gertrude streets in Fitzroy and Smith Street in Collingwood. In 2021, Smith Street was named the coolest street in the world.
As of November 2024, the mayor is Stephen Jolly, and the deputy mayor is Labor councillor Sarah McKenzie. The CEO since June 2022 is Sue Wilkinson.
History The suburbs of the City of Yarra were established in the mid-to-late 19th century and retain a Victorian appearance. The majority of housing in the city is made up of Victorian cottages or terraces or apartments built from the 1960s.
The City of Yarra was formed in 1994 as a result of the amalgamation of the former Cities of Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy, and parts of Carlton North (previously part of the City of Melbourne) and parts of Alphington and Fairfield (previously part of the former City of Northcote).
Council
Yarra City Council is composed of nine single-member wards. Prior to the 2024 election, it was composed of three multi-member wards with three members each, but the electoral structure changed as a result of the Local Government Act 2020.
All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected annually in November by a special meeting of the full council.
Current composition PartyCouncillors Yarra For All 4 Independent 2 Greens 2 Labor 1 Total 9
The current council, elected in 2024, is:
WardCouncillorPartyNotes Boulevard Sharon Harrison Yarra For All Curtain Edward Crossland Greens Hoddle Sophie Wade Greens Langridge Evangeline Aston Yarra For All Lennox Andrew Davies Independent MacKillop Stephen Jolly Yarra For All Mayor Melba Meca Ho Independent Nicholls Kenneth Gomez Yarra For All Yarra Bend Sarah McKenzie Labor Deputy Mayor
Mayors
Past councillors 1996–2004 (five wards) YearCarringbushDockerMacKillopMerriNicholsonCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillor 1996 John Sawyer (Labor) Li Hiam Lai (Labor) Marion Macleod (Independent) James Martakis (Independent) Steve Watson (Labor) Linda Hoskins (Labor) Robyn Williams (Labor) John Phillips (Labor) Ray Thomas (Labor) 1999 Sue Corby (Labor) Fiona Harman (Labor) Kay Meadows (Labor) 2001 Gurm Sekhon (Greens) 2002 Judy Morton (Ind. Labor) Greg Barber (Greens) Deborah Di Natale (Greens) Jenny Farrar (Greens) Jackie Fristacky (Independent)
2004–2024 (three wards) Langridge Ward + YearCouncillor PartyCouncillor PartyCouncillor Party 2004 Jenny FarrarGreens Annabel BarbaraLabor Stephen JollySocialist 2008Geoff BarbourLabor 2008Amanda StoneGreens 20122016 The Socialists 2016Danae BoslerLabor2017 Independent Socialist2018 Victorian Socialists2019 Independent Socialist 2020 Anab MohamudGreens Gabrielle de VietriGreens 2023 Michael Glynatsis Independent 2024 Independent Yarra For All Yarra For All
Melba Ward + YearCouncillor PartyCouncillor PartyCouncillor Party 2004 Kay MeadowsLabor Gurm SekhonGreens Judy MortonIndependent Labor 2008Josh FunderLaborAllison ClarkeGreens Dale SmedleyIndependent 2012Simon HugginsLaborMisha ColemanGreensPhillip Vlahogiannis Independent 2016Mi-Lin Chen Yi MeiLaborJames SearleGreensDaniel NguyenIndependent 2020 Herschel LandesIndependentEdward Crossland GreensClaudia NguyenIndependent
Nicholls Ward + YearCouncillor PartyCouncillor PartyCouncillor Party 2004 Kathleen MaltzahnGreens Paul D'AgostinoLabor Jackie FristackyIndependent 2008Sam GaylardGreensJane GarrettLabor 2011 Anthony MainSocialist 2012 Roberto ColanziLabor 2016Mike McEvoyGreens Misha ColemanGreens 2017 Independent 2019 Bridgid O'Brien Independent Socialist 2020 Sophie WadeGreens Amanda StoneGreens 2023 Independent 2024 Yarra For All
2024 (nine wards)
YearBoulevardCurtainHoddleLangridgeLennoxMacKillopMelbaNichollsYarra BendCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillor 2024 Sharon Harrison(YFA) Edward Crossland (Greens) Sophie Wade (Greens) Evangeline Aston(YFA) Andrew Davies(Ind) Stephen Jolly(YFA) Meca Ho(Ind) Kenneth Gomez(YFA) Sarah McKenzie (Labor)
Election results 2024
2020
2004
Controversies Australia Day In August 2017, the Yarra City Council voted unanimously at a town hall meeting to cancel annual Australia Day events, including citizenship ceremonies and instead hold a culturally sensitive event "marking the loss of Indigenous culture". The council also voted to begin lobbying the federal government to change the date of Australia's national day and to use council publications and media to campaign in favour of changing the date. Then Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, accused the council of "using a day that should unite Australians to divide Australians". The City of Darebin later followed suit. Captain Cook statue In May 2025, the Yarra City Council voted unanimously to permanently remove a 1993 statue of Captain Cook from Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy following frequent vandalism, a decision which prompted criticism from Victorian premier Jacinta Allan.
Townships and localities In the 2021 census, the city had a population of 90,114 up from 86,657 in the 2016 census.
Population Locality 2016 2021 8,184 9,088 ^ 5,080 5,702 769 794 ^ 6,300 6,177 6,341 6,606 8,513 9,179 2,018 2,158 ^ 6,558 6,535 10,445 10,431 ^ 12,339 12,781 2,126 2,005 27,705 28,587
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
Economy
The City of Yarra has a high concentration of fashion, technology, and media businesses. Companies located in the City of Yarra include: Aesop has its global headquarters on Smith Street, Fitzroy.About Us – Aesop." Aesop (skin care). Retrieved 14 April 2013. Carsales has its head office located on Punt Road, Richmond."Help Centre – carsales.com.au Carsales Retrieved 14 April 2013. Computershare, one of the largest stock exchange technology and registrar service businesses in the world is located on Johnston Street, Abbotsford."Corporate Directory – ComputerShare Australia ." Computershare. Retrieved 14 April 2013."About Us – ComputerShare Australia " Computershare. Retrieved 14 April 2013. Country Road, an upscale Australia clothing and homewares manufacturer and retailer is headquartered on Church Street, Richmond"Information – Country Road ." Country Road. Retrieved 14 April 2013. Epworth the not-for-profit private health care group, employ 1,800 staff at their head office, and largest hospital, on Bridge Road."Epworth Richmond." Epworth Hospital. Retrieved 21 June 2014. GSK operates offices of its pharmaceutical division on Johnston Street, Abbotsford. Just Group and its brands Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Jacqui E, Portmans, Dotti, Peter Alexander, and Smiggle are headquartered on Church Street, Richmond"Contact – Just Group ." Just Group. Retrieved 14 April 2013. Madman Entertainment has its head office in the Richmond suburb and in the Melba Ward in Yarra."Contact Information." Madman Entertainment. Retrieved 29 March 2010."Map of the Ward Boundaries ." City of Yarra. Retrieved 29 March 2010. REA Group which includes realestate.com.au has its head office located on Church Street, Richmond. Schwartz Publishing publisher of The Monthly, Quarterly Essay and the book imprint Black Inc is located on Langridge Street, Collingwood."Contact – The Monthly." The Monthly. Retrieved 14 April 2013."About Us – Quarterly Essay ." Quarterly Essay. Retrieved 14 April 2013."Contact – Black Inc Books." Black Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2013. SitePoint, a global technology publisher and its website subsidiaries 99designs.com, Flippa.com, Learnable.com and Wave Digital are based on Cambridge Street and Wellingston Street, Collingwood."About Us – SitePoint Pty Ltd." SitePoint. Retrieved 14 April 2013."Contact Us – SitePoint Pty Ltd." SitePoint. Retrieved 14 April 2013."About Us – 99designs." 99designs.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013. Star Entertainment Group, an ASX-listed radio broadcaster best known for SEN 1116, is based on Swan Street, Richmond."Contact Us – Pacific Star Network Limited ." Pacific Star Network Limited. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
References
External links Official website Public Transport Victoria local public transport map Link to Land Victoria interactive maps