Facts and figures about local government in Australia
National Office of Local Government - local government area maps
- Population: 19.7 million
- Rates collected: $6.4 billion
- Local road length: 683,893 kilometres
- Number of employees: 145,000
- Local governing bodies: 717
- Value of infrastructure: $106.3 billion
The first local government established in Australia was in Adelaide in 1840.
Australia's largest council by population is Brisbane City Council, servicing a population of 898,500.
Australia's largest council by area is East Pilbara in Western Australia. It covers an area of 378,333 square kilometres, has a population of 6,832 and 2,864 kilometres of roads.
Australia has had four Prime Ministers who served on local government authorities.
- John Gorton (Kerang Shire Council)
- Ben Chifley (Abercrombie Shire Council)
- Earle Page (South Grafton Council)
- Arthur Fadden (Townsville City Council).
Women in local government
| 1919 | Grace Benny becomes the first woman elected to local government in Australia when she was elected to the Brighton Council (Seacliff Ward) in South Australia. |
| 1920 | Mary Rogers elected to Richmond City Council, Victoria |
| 1920 | Elizabeth Clapham elected to Cottesloe Town Council, WA |
| 1925 | Dr Ellen Kent-Hughes, elected to the Kingaroy Shire Council in Queensland |
| 1928 | Lilian Fowler elected to the Newtown Municipal Council in 1928 as an alderman. She serves as alderman from 1929 to 1948. |
| 1928 | Mary Beatrice Scott becomes Australia's first female town clerk when appointed at Echuca, Victoria |
| 1935 | Eva West, Australia's first qualified woman accountant, becomes Victoria's and possibly Australia's first female shire secretary when appointed at Traralgon, Victoria |
| 1937 | Lilian Fowler becomes Australia's first female mayor, serving as mayor from 1937 to 1939 |
| 1944 | Norma Male appointed town clerk (1944-1956) and shire clerk (1957- 1974) at Balranald Municipal, later Shire Council in NSW |
| 1949 | Petronel White becomes the first female to represent a capital city council in Australia when she was elected alderman to the Hamilton ward of the Brisbane City Council |
| 1950 | Dorothy Edwards becomes Tasmania's first alderman when elected to Launceston City Council |
| 1955 | Dorothy Edwards becomes Tasmania's first female mayor (1955 to 1957) |
| 1967 | Esme E Martens becomes Australia's first woman shire engineer when appointed to Woodburn Shire Council in NSW |
| 1974 | Alderman Joy Cummings becomes Australia's first Lord Mayor at Newcastle City Council, NSW (Lord Mayor 1974-1976 and 1978-1983) |
| 1975 | WA and the Northern Territory elect their first female mayors, Councillor Evelyn H. Parker of Subiaco and Dr Ella Stack of Darwin City Council |
| 1983 | Wendy Chapman becomes the first woman Lord Mayor of an Australian state capital city (Adelaide City Council) |
| 1985 | Sallyanne Atkinson becomes Queensland's first female Lord Mayor (1985-91) when elected to the Brisbane City Council |
| 1986 | Doone Kennedy becomes Tasmania's first Lord Mayor (Hobart City Council 1986-96) |
| 1987 | Lecki Ord becomes Victoria's first Lord Mayor (Melbourne City Council 1987- 88). She is followed by Winsome McCaughey (Melbourne City Council 1988-89) |
| 2003 | Lucy Turnbull becomes Sydney City Council's first Lord Mayor (2003-04). She is followed by Clover Moore (Sydney 2004-). |
| 2004 | Mayor Rae Perry form the Municipal Associaiton of Victoria, is elected as the first femal president of the Australian Local Governmnet Assocaiton |
