Unique IDFN-0023Description***This function applies to all Councils***
For Councils other than Sydney City Council, absorbed by the City by 1949, see function FUN 29 for details.
Activities undertaken by the Mayor/Lord Mayor as head of the Council, including ceremonial, political and managerial roles.
Until 1991, the Lord Mayor exercised these roles either personally, or through support provided by various administrative agencies of the Council, principally the Town Clerks Department (as the key administrative agency until 1970) and the Civic Affairs Department (under whatever name, for tasks associated with the ceremonial role in particular), or (especially in the nineteenth century) through Council committees. This was usually on a small scale and staff actually assigned to work directly for the Mayor/Lord Mayor may have included only a secretary and an orderly/messenger. Arrangements tended to vary depending on the workload assumed by the current Mayor/Lord Mayor and on relationships with the Town Clerk and departmental heads.
Until late in 1902 the head of the Council was the Mayor. The first Lord Mayor was Sir Thomas Hughes, who was the leader in the move to create the title and who also pushed for Council to apply for an official grant of arms from the College of Heralds in place of the unofficial local arms formerly in use.
Except for periods of direct election in 1850-52, 1953-57, 1976-88, and 1994+, the Mayors/Lord Mayors were elected annually by the Aldermen or Councillors. For most of Council's history this has tended to mean that the office has been a reward for long or political service, or conferred as the result of a factional deal, or has been seized for a few years by a dominant personality among the aldermen such as Matthew Harris {1898-1900} or Arthur Allen Taylor {1905-06, 1909-12}.
Following the 1991 elections and subsequent elevation of Frank Sartor to the Lord Mayoralty, an Office of the Lord Mayor was established, with a defined administrative structure including a Chief of Staff, administrative staff, media liaison, speechwriters, and policy advisory officers. The Council agencies exercising CF 20 (Ceremonial events and civic occasions) also provide services directly to the Lord Mayor.
Bibliography:
Hilary Golder, A Short Electoral History of Sydney City Council 1842-1992 (Sydney, SCC, 1995). For the politics and franchise, and a chronological list of Mayors/Lord Mayors.
Shirley Fitzgerald, Sydney 1842-1992 (Sydney, Hale & Iremonger, 1992). For the role and influence of Mayors/Lord Mayors.
Renato Perdon, Biographical Register of Aldermen 1842-1992 (Sydney, SCC, 1995) for biographical details and chronological list.
Information files on individual Mayors and Lord Mayors.CreationSydney Corporation Act 1842, ss41, 46, 62 etc
Election and role of Mayor.
Royal Approval November 1902.
Title of Lord Mayor conferred in response to request through NSW Colonial Government (TC Report 1902).
Sydney Corporation Act 1932, Part V.
Election of Lord Mayor.
Local Government Act 1919 (applied to the City from 1949): ss25, 25A. Election of Mayor.
RoC 10 February 1992.
Established Office of the Lord Mayor
For municipalities other than the City of Sydney (to 1949) : Municipalities Act 1858 s31 (Chairman), Municipalities Act 1867 s32 (Mayor).Refer to the function CF 29
