Unique IDFN-0024Description***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.
The function of chief executive officer of the Council. The Town Clerk (since 1993 General Manager) is the chief executive officer of the Council, responsible for the administrative structure created to give effect to the functions assigned to the Council by legislation or other authority.
For much of Council's history, the authority of the Town Clerk was limited by the direct intervention of aldermen in Council management (for example, in the selection of staff and assigning contracts), and by the autonomous responsibilities given to other Council managers (the City Treasurer and City Building Surveyor at different times had statutory responsibilities over which the Town Clerk had no direct control). Successive Town Clerks, especially since the time of Nesbitt have attempted with varying success to establish their authority over all communication between the Council as a political body and the administrative structure.
Chief executive officers since 1842 have been -
Town Clerks
- Richard O'Connor, Provisional Town Clerk (3 Sep 1842 to 16 Nov 1842).
- Charles Henry Chambers (16 Nov 1842 - 27 Jul 1843) (Appointed at Council meeting 16 Nov 1842)
- John Rae (27 Jul 1843 - Dec 1853)
[Commissioners in office - no Town Clerk]
- Charles H Woolcott (1857-1887)
- Henry J Daniels (1887-1898)
- John R Palmer (1898-1899)
- Robert Murray McCheyne Anderson (1899-1901)
- John R Palmer, acting (Feb-Dec 1901)
- Thomas Huggins Nesbitt (1901-1924)
- William Grazebrook Layton (1924-1931)
- Roy Hendy (1931-1956)
- Edward William Adams (1956-1962)
- Jack Hercules Luscombe (1962-1974)
- Leon Parmeter Carter (1974-1992)
- Graham Joss, acting (Aug-Dec 1992)
Title changes to General Manager:
- Katie Lahey (1993-1995)
- Greg Maddock (1996-2000)
- Murray Douglas (Feb-Jun 2001)
- John Kass, acting (Jul-Oct 2001)
- Robert Domm (2001-2004)
- Petar Vladeta, acting (2004-2005)
- Peter Seamer (2005)
Title changes to Chief Executive Officer:
- Peter Seamer (2005-2006)
- Monica Barone (7 Aug 2006 -)CreationSydney Corporation Act 1842, s65 etc, and subsequent City of Sydney Acts until 1949.
Appointment of the Town Clerk.
Local Government Act 1993, ss334,335
Appointment and responsibilities of a General Manager.
For municipalities other than the City of Sydney (prior to 1949) : Municipalities Act 1858 s52 (power to appoint officers). Refer to the function CF 29.
