The Mayor of North Sydney is the head of North Sydney Council, which is the local government area in the lower north shore region of Sydney including North Sydney, Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Crows Nest in the State of New South Wales, Australia. From 1983 to 2017, the mayor was directly elected, replacing the previous system of being internally elected annually by the councillors, nominally serving a four-year term.

Following a referendum in 2017, the mayor is now elected for a two-year term by the elected councillors, effective from the 2021 elections, and the office is currently held by Zoë Baker. The mayor is assisted in their work by a deputy mayor, who is elected on an annual basis by the elected councillors.

History The area now covered by North Sydney Council originally comprised three municipalities: the Borough of East St Leonards from 1860 (Kirribilli, Cremorne Point, Milsons Point), the Borough of St Leonards from 1867 (Cammeray, Mosman, Waverton, Wollstonecraft) and the very small Borough of Victoria from 1871 (McMahons Point and parts of North Sydney and Lavender Bay). These boroughs lasted until 29 July 1890 when they merged to form the "Borough of North Sydney", with the last mayor of St Leonards, Francis Punch, elected as the first mayor of North Sydney. Following a petition submitted by residents in 1892, on 11 April 1893 the Mossman Ward of North Sydney confirmed its separation as the Borough of Mosman, being proclaimed by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Frederick Darley. From 28 December 1906, following the passing of the Local Government Act, 1906, the council was renamed as the "Municipality of North Sydney". With the passing of the Local Government Act, 1993, the Municipality of North Sydney became North Sydney Council and aldermen were renamed councillors.

A referendum passed at the 2017 election also altered the system of electing the mayor. Starting from 2021, the mayor was elected by the councillors for a two-year term. As the wording of this referendum did not specify a reduction in the number of elected positions in the council (such as from 10 councillors to 9), the Office of Local Government required Council to specify a ward structure of equal numbers to each ward: two wards of five councillors or five wards of two councillors. At its extraordinary meeting held on 20 January 2020, the Council voted to adopt a two-ward model on a north–south boundary with the northern ward named "St Leonards Ward" and the southern ward named "Cammeraygal Ward" from the next election. Although the fixed term of the council is four years, due to delays caused by amalgamations and the COVID-19 pandemic, the term from 9 September 2017 expired on 3 December 2021.

Mayors 1890−present The following individuals has served as the mayor of North Sydney Council, or any predecessor titles: No.PortraitMayorPartyTerm startTerm endTime in office 1 Francis Punch Protectionist 8 August 1890 10 February 1892 2 Gerard Phillips Independent 10 February 1892 17 May 1892 3 Edward Clark Labor24 May 1892 12 February 1893 4 Alexander Macknight Independent12 February 1893 15 February 1894 5 Gerald Joseph Barry Independent15 February 1894 11 February 1897 6 John Purves Independent11 February 1897 10 February 1898 7 Francis Clarke Protectionist10 February 1898 11 February 1899 (6) John Purves Independent14 February 1899 12 February 1901 8 Thomas Wilson Hodgson Independent12 February 1901 12 February 1903 9 John Carter Independent12 February 1903 9 February 1909 10 Alfred Milson Independent9 February 1909 6 February 1912 11 Charles Alexander Walker Independent6 February 1912 3 November 1913 (10) Alfred Milson Independent11 November 1913 3 February 1914 12 William Anderson Independent3 February 1914 28 February 1918 (3) Edward Clark Independent1 March 1918 1 March 1919 13 Albert Ernest Whatmore Independent1 March 1919 13 December 1921 14 Henry Green Independent13 December 1921 12 December 1922 15 George Thomas Clarke Independent12 December 1922 11 December 1923 16 Charles William Watt Independent11 December 1923 7 December 1926 17 Hubert Primrose Independent7 December 1926 25 May 1932 (17) United Australia25 May 193220 December 1932 18 Raymond Lee Hodgson Independent20 December 1932 4 December 1934 19 Robert Charles Forsyth Independent4 December 1934 3 December 1935 20 David Blair Hunter Independent3 December 1935 7 December 1937 21 James Street Stanton Independent 7 December 1937 14 December 1939 22 John Cramer United Australia14 December 1939 6 December 1941 23 George Augustus Fowle IndependentDecember 1941 5 December 1945 24 William Alan Gould Kesterton Independent5 December 1945 December 1949 25 Cecil Leatham Kyle IndependentDecember 1949 December 1950 (23) George Augustus Fowle IndependentDecember 1950 15 December 1953 26 William Henry Brothers Independent15 December 1953 December 1956 27John Lincoln LiberalDecember 1956 19 December 1958 28 Joseph Vincent Bugler Independent19 December 1958 December 1961 29 Leslie Nuttal Flitcroft IndependentDecember 1961 1 December 1962 30 Barton Donald Higgs Independent 5 December 1962 1 December 1964 31 Royce Henry Herswell Jeffrey Independent1 December 1964 15 July 1966 32 Innes Stanley Haviland Independent26 July 1966 13 December 1968 (28) Joseph Vincent Bugler Independent13 December 196811 December 1969 33 Michael John Fitzpatrick Independent11 December 1969 23 September 1971 34 John Woodward Independent23 September 1971 27 September 1972 35 Michael O'Dea Independent27 September 1972 21 September 1974 (32) Innes Stanley Haviland Independent25 September 1974 24 September 1975 36 David Michael Wyllie Independent24 September 1975 22 September 1976 (33) Michael John Fitzpatrick Independent22 September 1976 29 September 1977 37 Willis Anthony Salier Independent29 September 1977 20 September 1978 (33) Michael John Fitzpatrick Independent20 September 1978 26 September 1979 38 Carole Baker Independent26 September 1979 20 September 1980 39Ted Mack Independent29 September 1980 4 October 1988 – Neil Hartley (acting) Independent 4 October 1988 10 December 1988 40 Roslyn Crichton Independent10 December 1988 14 September 1991 41 Gerry Nolan Independent14 September 1991 9 September 1995 42 Genia McCaffery Independent 9 September 1995 8 September 2012 43 Jilly Gibson Team Jilly 8 September 2012 4 December 2021 44 Zoë Baker Real Independents10 January 2022 incumbent

Deputy mayors The position of deputy mayor was made a permanent council position when the Local Government Act 1919 came into effect from 1 January 1920. However, the position was optional and was not filled until August 1926, when during a period of illness of the sitting mayor, Charles Watt, the Council resolved to fill the position permanently, and a former mayor, Edward Clark, was elected as the first deputy mayor.

1926−present The following individuals have been elected as deputy mayor of North Sydney:

No.PortraitMayorPartyTerm startTerm endTime in office Mayor 1 Edward Clark Independent 17 August 1926 7 December 1926 Watt 2 Robert Charles Forsyth Independent 7 December 1926 20 December 1932 Primrose (Independent/UAP) 3 Sydney Frederick Rupert Hardy Independent 20 December 1932 5 December 1933 Hodgson (2) Robert Charles Forsyth Independent 5 December 1933 4 December 1934 4 David Blair Hunter Independent 4 December 1934 3 December 1935 Forsyth 5 James Street Stanton Independent 3 December 1935 7 December 1937 Hunter 6 John Cramer United Australia 7 December 1937 14 December 1939 Stanton 7 George Augustus Fowle Independent 14 December 1939 December 1941 Cramer (UAP) 8 William Alan Gould Kesterton Independent December 1941 December 1942 Fowle 9 Kenneth McLeod Bolton Independent 27 December 1942 5 December 1944 (8) William Alan Gould Kesterton Independent 5 December 1944 5 December 1945 10 William Henry Brothers Independent 5 December 1945 December 1948 Kesterton unknown December 1948 December 1949 Kesterton unknown December 1949 December 1950 Kyle unknown December 1950 15 December 1953 Fowle Barton Donald Higgs Independent 15 December 1953 December 1954 Brothers unknown December 1954 December 1956 unknown December 1956 19 December 1958 Lincoln Matthew Goodman Independent 19 December 1958 December 1959 Bugler Joseph Aloysius Hazell Independent 15 December 1959 December 1960 unknown December 1960 December 1961 unknown December 1961 1 December 1962 Flitcroft William Edward Churchill Independent 5 December 1962 1 December 1964 Higgs 1 December 1964 10 December 1965Jeffrey Allan John Mitchell Independent 10 December 1965 26 July 1966 26 July 1966 13 December 1966Haviland Frederick James Brunton Independent 13 December 1966 13 December 1968 John Woodward Independent 13 December 1968 11 December 1969 Bugler 11 December 1969 11 December 1970Fitzpatrick Helen Gordon Cook Independent 11 December 1970 23 September 1971 Peter Ronald Tranter Independent 23 September 1971 27 September 1972 Woodward 27 September 1972 19 September 1973O'Dea David Michael Wyllie Independent 19 September 1973 25 September 1974 Robyn Read Independent 25 September 1974 September 1975 Haviland September 1975 22 September 1976Wyllie Carole Anne Baker Independent 22 September 1976 29 September 1977 Fitzpatrick David Michael Wyllie Independent 29 September 1977 20 September 1978 Salier Henry William Wirth Independent 20 September 1978 26 September 1979 Fitzpatick David Michael Wyllie Independent 26 September 1979 29 September 1980 Baker Peter Tranter Independent 29 September 1980 September 1983 Mack Neil Hartley Independent September 1983 September 1984 Mark Singer Independent September 1984 September 1985 Neil Hartley Independent September 1985 10 December 1988 10 December 1988 September 1991Crichton Shirley Ann Colless Independent September 1991 September 1992 Nolan Sybil Kesteven Independent September 1992 September 1995 Christopher Ringstad Independent September 1995 September 1997 McCaffery Penny Scardifield Independent September 1997 27 March 2004 Craig Carland Independent 19 April 2004 25 September 2006 Evan Predavec Independent 25 September 2006 10 September 2007 Michel Reymond Independent 10 September 2007 21 September 2009 Andrew Robjohns Independent 21 September 2009 13 September 2010 Michel Reymond Independent 13 September 2010 12 September 2011 Zoë Baker Independent 12 September 2011 24 September 2012 Sarah Burke Independent 24 September 2012 16 September 2013 Gibson () Stephen Barbour Independent 16 September 2013 15 September 2014 Maryann Beregi Independent 15 September 2014 21 September 2015 Jeff Morris Independent 21 September 2015 19 September 2016 Melissa Clare Independent 19 September 2016 9 September 2017 Stephen Barbour CommUnity 1st9 October 2017 3 September 2021 Kathy BrodieTeam Jilly3 September 2021 4 December 2021 William Bourke Sustainable Australia10 January 2022 26 September 2022 Baker Godfrey SanterLabor26 September 2022 25 September 2023 William Bourke Sustainable Australia25 September 2023 14 September 2024 Godfrey SanterLabor8 October 2024 incumbent

Electoral results 2017

2012

Notes

See also Borough of St Leonards Borough of East St Leonards Borough of Victoria

References

External links