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List of mayors and lord mayors of Melbourne facts for kids

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Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Flag of Melbourne.svg
Incumbent
Nicholas Reece
since 2 July 2024
Style The Right Honourable Lord Mayor
Appointer Melbourne City Council
Term length 4 years, renewable indefinitely
Inaugural holder Henry Condell (mayor)
Sir Samuel Gillott
(lord mayor)
Formation 1842 (as mayor)
1902 (as lord mayor)

Have you ever wondered who leads a big city like Melbourne? This article lists the important people who have served as the top leader of the City of Melbourne. These leaders are called either a mayor or a lord mayor.

The City of Melbourne is a special area in Victoria, Australia. It has its own local government. The mayor or lord mayor is like the head of the city's council. They help make important decisions for everyone living in Melbourne.

Melbourne's Early Mayors (1842–1902)

The first leader of Melbourne was called a "Mayor." This role started in 1842. These mayors helped guide the city as it grew from a small town into a busy place.

Here is a list of the mayors who served Melbourne before the title changed to "Lord Mayor":

No. Mayor Term
1 Henry Condell 1842–1844
2 Henry Moor 1844–1845
3 Sir James Frederick Palmer 1845–1846
4 Henry Moor 1846–1847
5 Andrew Russell 1847–1848
6 William Montgomerie Bell 1848–1849
7 Augustus Greeves 1849–1850
8 William Nicholson 1850–1851
9 John Thomas Smith 1851–1853
10 John Hodgson 1853–1854
11 John Thomas Smith 1854–1856
12 Peter Davis 1856–1857
13 John Thomas Smith 1857–1858
14 Henry Sallows Walsh 1858–1859
15 Richard Eades 1859–1860
16 John Thomas Smith 1860–1861
17 Robert Bennett 1861–1862
18 Edward Cohen 1862–1863
19 John Thomas Smith 1863–1864
20 George Wragg 1864–1865
21 William Bayles 1865–1866
22 William Williams 1866–1867
23 James Stewart Butters 1867–1868
24 Thomas Moubray 1868–1869
25 Samuel Amess 1869–1870
26 Thomas McPherson 1870–1871
27 Orlando Fenwick 1871–1872
28 Thomas O'Grady 1872–1873
29 John McIlwraith 1873–1874
30 James Gatehouse 1874–1875
31 Alexander Kennedy Smith 1875–1876
32 James Paterson 1876–1877
33 John Pigdon 1877–1878
34 Joseph Story 1878–1879
35 George Meares 1879–1881
36 Cornelius Job Ham 1881–1882
37 James Dodgshun 1882–1883
38 Charles Smith 1883–1884
39 Godfrey Downes Carter 1884–1885
40 James Cooper Stewart 1885–1886
41 William Cain 1886–1887
42 Sir Benjamin Benjamin 1887–1889
43 Matthew Lang 1889–1892
44 Sir Arthur Snowden 1892–1895
45 William Strong 1895–1897
46 Sir Malcolm McEacharn 1897–1900
47 Sir Samuel Gillott 1900–1902

Melbourne's Lord Mayors (1902–1980)

In 1902, something special happened. King Edward VII gave Melbourne's mayor the fancier title of "Lord Mayor." This showed how important Melbourne had become.

Here are the people who served as Lord Mayor during this period:

No. Lord mayor Term
48 Sir Samuel Gillott 1902–1903
49 Sir Malcolm McEacharn 1903–1904
50 Charles Pleasance 1904–1905
51 Sir Henry Weedon 1905–1908
52 James Burston 1908–1910
53 Thomas James Davey 1910–1912
54 Sir David Valentine Hennessy 1912–1917
55 Frank Stapley 1917–1918
56 William Whyte Cabena 1918–1919
57 John Aikman 1919–1920
58 Sir John Warren Swanson 1920–1923
59 Sir William Brunton 1923–1926
60 Sir Stephen Joseph Morell 1926–1928
61 Harold Daniel Luxton 1928–1931
62 Sir Harold Gengoult Smith 1931–1934
63 Sir Alexander George Wales 1934–1937
64 Edward Campbell 1937–1938
65 Sir Arthur Coles 1938–1940
66 Sir Frank Beaurepaire 1940–1942
67 Sir Thomas Sydney Nettlefold 1942–1945
68 Sir Francis Raymond Connelly 1945–1948
69 Sir James Stanley Disney 1948–1951
70 Oliver John Nilsen 1951–1952
71 William John Brens 1952–1953
72 Robert Henry Solly 1953–1954
73 Sir Francis Palmer Selleck 1954–1957
74 Sir Frederick William Thomas 1957–1959
75 Brigadier Sir Bernard Evans 1959–1961
76 Maurice Arnold Nathan 1961–1963
77 Edward Leo Curtis 1963–1965
78 Ian Beaurepaire 1965–1967
79 Reginald Thomas Anthony Talbot 1967–1969
80 Ted Best 1969–1971
81 Alwynne Rowlands 1971–1972
82 Alan Douglas Whalley 1972–1974
83 Ron Walker 1974–1976
84 Donald Osborne 1976–1977
85 Irvin Rockman 1977–1979
86 Ralph Angelo Bernardi 1979–1980
87 John William Woodruff 1980–1981

Commissioners Leading Melbourne (1981–1982)

Sometimes, a city's council might be replaced by a group of "Commissioners." These are people chosen to manage the city for a short time. This happened in Melbourne between 1981 and 1982.

Here are the Commissioners who led Melbourne during this period:

Commissioners Term
Peter Francis Thorley (Chairman) 1981–1982
Neil Smith
Richard Allston

Melbourne's Lord Mayors (1982–1993)

After the period with Commissioners, Melbourne once again had Lord Mayors. They continued to lead the city's growth and development.

Here is a list of the Lord Mayors from 1982 to 1993:

No. Lord mayor Term
88 John William Gardner 1982–1983
89 Kevin Chamberlin 1983–1984
90 Edwin John Beacham 1984–1985
91 Thomas Simon Lynch 1985–1986
92 Trevor Huggard 1986–1987
93 Alexis Ord 1987–1988
94 Winsome McCaughey AO 1988–1989
95 William Deveney 1989–1990
96 Richard Wynne 1990–1991
97 Richard Meldrum 1991–1992
98 Desmond Clark 1992–1993
99 Alan Watson 1993–1993

More Commissioners (1993–1996)

Melbourne had another period where Commissioners managed the city. This group worked from 1993 to 1996. They helped keep the city running smoothly.

These are the Commissioners who served during this time:

Commissioners Term
Kevan Gosper AO (Chief Commissioner) 1993–1996
John Rose (Deputy Chief Commissioner)
Catherine Walter
Kevin Rose

Melbourne's Lord Mayors (Since 1996)

Since 1996, Melbourne has continued to be led by elected Lord Mayors. These leaders work with the city council to make Melbourne a great place to live.

Here are the Lord Mayors who have served Melbourne from 1996 to the present day:

No. Lord mayor Term
100 Ivan Deveson AO 1996–1999
101 Peter Costigan 1999–2001
102 John So AO 2001–2008
103 Robert Doyle 2008–2018
104 Sally Capp AO 2018–2024
105 Nicholas Reece 2024-present

See also

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