150 years ago, a system of local government was introduced to Western Australia
In January 1871 the Road Districts Act was gazetted, which divided the State into Districts. Eighteen were formally established covering the whole of the colony and included an area defined as the Toodyay Road District.
An 1872 map from the New Norcia archives shows the Toodyay Resident Magistrate’s area of responsibility included New Norcia and even a section of coastline north of Lancelin.
Today Toodyay is one of only thirteen local government entities (out of 137 in the State) that has retained its original name - even though its boundaries are now significantly smaller than they were in 1871.
TOODYAY ROAD BOARD 1871 - 1961
EARLY YEARS: 19TH CENTURY
On 15 February 1871 the first election for membership of the Toodyay Road Board was held. The inaugural meeting of the Road Board happened three days later at the Newcastle Hotel.
Also in February the Municipal Institutions Act was passed, but it was another six years before Newcastle, the administrative centre of the Toodyay district, was declared a municipality.
Municipalities had broad responsibilities while the role of the Road Board was rather limited to ‘the conservation, improvement, and making of all roads, and the erection, preservation, and repairs of new or existing bridges’.
NEWCASTLE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL 1877 - 1910
The Newcastle Municipal Council came to be established in September 1877. (The Newcastle township had been proclaimed in 1860 and was laid out over the site originally developed as the Toodyay Convict Depot.)
The Newcastle municipality was entirely surrounded by the Toodyay Road Board district and covered the township on the southern side of the river, extending west to Lukin Street and south to Pelham Reserve.
Initially the Newcastle Municipal Council had its meetings in the Newcastle Mechanics Institute Hall (now the Toodyay Library building). Due to the inconvenience of the Hall also being let for private entertainments, it was decided during the years 1893-7 to meet at one of the three hotels in town.
In 1897 meetings resumed at the Mechanics Institute until new premises were built, after much lobbying to the Western Australian government.
In 1899 Premier John Forrest opened the new purpose built Newcastle Council Chambers. Today the building survives as the front section of the Toodyay Memorial Hall.
Furniture was commissioned for the mayoral chambers from cabinet makers in York.
The Newcastle Municipal Council operated until 1910, after which the township and municipality was renamed Toodyay. (At the same time the original township of Toodyay was renamed West Toodyay).
TOODYAY MUNICIPAL COUNCIL 1910 - 1912
The town’s small revenue base, and the failure to merge North Toodyay into the municipality resulted in a crisis of funding. In 1912 it was decided to dissolve the Toodyay Municipal Council and amalgamate with the Toodyay Road Board.
TOODYAY ROAD BOARD 1871 - 1961
LATER YEARS: 20TH CENTURY
The area formally covered by the Newcastle/Toodyay municipality became the Central Ward of the Toodyay Road Board District and was represented by two Councillors.
In 1926 ownership of the old Mechanics Institute building reverted to the Crown and subsequently to the Toodyay Road Board. It was decided to renovate the building and re-establish Council Chambers at this location.
The Road Board continued to meet at the old Mechanics Institute building (now the Toodyay Library) until another grand old building in the township, the old courthouse on Fiennes Street, was restored.
On 1 January 1959 the Toodyay Road Board relocated to the courthouse building.
SHIRE OF TOODYAY 1961 - TODAY
With the passage of the Local Government Act 1960, all Road Districts became Shires with a president and councillors. This became effective on 1 July 1961.
In 1985 additions were made to the eastern end of the courthouse building to extend the Shire of Toodyay's administrative offices.
Over the years the changing logo of the Toodyay Road Board/Shire of Toodyay, demonstrated how the Council wished to be represented publicly, thereby reflecting the values of the townsfolk.
The “Yesterday to Today’ logo design includes several of the historic buildings as well as livestock and the railway, reflecting the changing theme of the town from a historic place to one of development and industry.
This design was replaced in 2007 when the current ‘Windmill’ logo was adopted.
TOODYAY LOCAL GOVERNMENT VIRTUAL PORTRAIT GALLERY PROJECT
In the Council Chambers today there are three honour boards hanging on the wall. They acknowledge the service of people who have served on the Toodyay Road Board, the Newcastle Municipal Council and the Toodyay Shire Council.
To mark the 150th anniversary of local government in Western Australia, a joint project between the Toodyay Historical Society and the Shire of Toodyay is underway.
Our plan is to have a Toodyay Local Government Virtual Portrait Gallery published on the Shire’s website with individual pages, including photographs, for each person named.
Follow this link to see an update on our progress: Local Government 150th Anniversary Project » Shire of Toodyay