# City of Botany Bay

The City of Botany Bay was a local government area in the Eastern Suburbs region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area encompassed the suburbs to the north of Botany Bay, such as Botany. First proclaimed in 1888 as the "Borough of Botany", the council became the "Municipality of Botany" from 1906 to 1996, when it was proclaimed a city as the "City of Botany Bay".
The administrative centre was located at Mascot, which is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the Sydney central business district. The city was amalgamated with the neighbouring City of Rockdale on 9 September 2016 to form Bayside Council. The last mayor of the City of Botany Bay prior to amalgamation was Cr. Ben Keneally, a member of the Labor Party and the husband of Kristina Keneally, a former Premier of New South Wales.

## Suburbs in the local government area

Suburbs in the City of Botany Bay were:
* Banksmeadow
* Botany
* Botany Bay
* Daceyville
* Eastgardens
* Eastlakes
* Hillsdale
* Mascot (minor part located within Marrickville Council)
* Pagewood (parts are located in City of Randwick council)
* Rosebery (parts are located in City of Sydney council)

## History

First proclaimed in 1888 as the "Borough of Botany", the first council, divided into three wards (Booralee Ward, Cook Ward, Banks Ward), was elected on 9 June 1888. On 15 July 1899, the Botany Town Hall, designed by Byera Hadley, was opened by the governor, Lord Beauchamp. The town hall remained the seat and primary meeting-place of the council until amalgamation in 2016.
The council became the "Municipality of Botany" from 1906 to 11 May 1996, when it was proclaimed a city as the "City of Botany Bay" by the Governor of New South Wales, Gordon Samuels at Sir Joseph Banks Park in Botany. The council wards were abolished from 31 January 1908. Under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, the Municipality of Mascot (formerly North Botany), which was located immediately to the North, was amalgamated into Botany.

### ICAC Operation Ricco

In February 2016, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commenced a public inquiry (known as Operation Ricco) into allegations that the former chief financial officer employed by the council and other council employees, dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by causing fraudulent payments of more than A$4.2 million to be made by the council through false invoicing to either themselves, or various entities. It was also alleged that the former chief financial officer and the council employees dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by using council resources. The inquiry heard that certain senior staff were "totally unqualified" for their positions, and that a culture of "extremely poor corporate governance" allowed official corruption to occur.
It was also revealed that the council's General Manager until 2011, Peter Fitzgerald, had used thousands of dollars in "discretionary" council funds for personal items, private travel for himself and family, in addition to receiving annual cheques for $20,000 from the council for travelling expenses. Fitzgerald admitted that he had not seen a single statement for any of his council accounts until shortly before his retirement in 2011, and was not aware if he had exceeded those "discretionary" limits.
In July 2017, ICAC released its report and found that former chief financial officer, Gary Goodman, and eleven other council employees had acted corruptly, after raising more than $5 million in fake invoices and charging more than $600,000 in personal expenditure on council credit cards, and recommended prosecutions against all. However, despite the specific findings against individuals, the final report noted in particular that "The scale, breadth and duration of corruption at the Council cannot be attributed to a few rogue individuals alone. Overwhelming failures in the Council’s procedures and governance framework created significant opportunities for corruption, and Mr Goodman and others took full advantage."
With the merger of Botany Bay into Bayside Council in September 2016, the legacy of "significant breakdowns in administrative, financial and governance internal controls identified in the former council" had ramifications for the auditing and accounting processes in the new Council with the Council stating that it was unable "to ensure completeness of [their] financial statements as a whole", and the first mayor of Bayside Council, Bill Saravinovski, in particular noted that, "the misappropriations and costs of remediation result in a net fund deficit of $17 million, placing Bayside Council at a significant disadvantage".

### Creation of Bayside Council

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Botany Bay merge with the City of Rockdale to form a new council with an area of 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 153,000.
There was significant community opposition to the merger from within both communities. In Botany Bay, residents were given the chance to have their say in a community poll which was held on 27 February 2016. Ultimately 97.8 per cent of Botany Bay residents voted 'no' when asked the question 'Do you agree that the City of Botany Bay should merge with Rockdale City Council?'. Botany Bay attempted to seek a compromise by proposing to merge with the City of Randwick and parts of the City of Sydney.
With the proclamation of the majority of council amalgamations on 12 May 2016, Botany Bay Council appealed the decision in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, thereby delaying the proposed amalgamation until a decision was made by the Court. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal in early September 2016, and the Minister for Local Government, Paul Toole, moved quickly to proclaim the formation of Bayside Council on 9 September 2016, with the former administrator of Central Darling Shire, Greg Wright, appointed as the Administrator.

## Demographics

As of the 2011 census, there were 39,356 people in the Botany Bay local government area, of these 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.6% of the population. The median age of people in the City of Botany Bay was 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 18.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 14.4% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 47.6% were married and 11.4% were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the City of Botany Bay between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 5.18%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 5.19%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Botany Bay local government area was lower than the national average.
Selected historical census data for the City of Botany Bay local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 35,572 | 37,415 | 39,356 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | 61 | |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | 0.5% | 0.57% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.19% | 0.18% | 0.18% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 16.7% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 14.5% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Chinese | | | 8.0% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 5.8% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Greek | | | 5.6% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Greek | 7.4% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Bengali | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.6% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Indonesian | n/c | n/c | 3.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Spanish | 4.5% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin Chinese | n/c | n/c | 3.0% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 35.0% | 34.2% | 32.9% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | 7.5% | 10.1% | 13.0% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 13.2% | 12.2% | 10.8% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Eastern Orthodox | 10.9% | 10.2% | 9.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Islam | 8.3% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$453 | A$575 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 97.2% | 99.7% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$995 | A$1,488 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 96.9% | 100.5% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$1,166 | A$1,245 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 99.6% | 100.9% |

## Council
### Final composition and election method

Botany Bay City Council was composed of seven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor was directly elected for a four-year term from 1995 to 2016 while the six other Councillors were elected proportionally as six separate wards, each electing one councillor. From 1948 to 1995 the council consisted of 15 councillors/aldermen, with three elected in each of five wards. From 1995 to 2008, the councillors were elected at-large and from 2008 to 2012 the councillors were elected to three wards (A, B, C), with two councillors elected in each. The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012. In Wards One and Five, only one candidate nominated for election. There being no additional candidates, the election for these Wards was uncontested. The final makeup of the council at the last election for the term 2012–2016, including the mayor, was as follows:
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Mayor | Ben Keneally | Labor | Mayor 2012–2016 |
| Ward One | George Glinatsis | Labor | Elected 1991, Deputy Mayor 1995–2015 |
| Ward Two | Brian Troy | Labor | Elected 1987 |
| Ward Three | Christina Curry | Labor | Elected 2012 |
| Ward Four | Stan Kondilios | Labor | Elected 1995, Deputy Mayor 2015–2016 |
| Ward Five | Greg Mitchell | Labor | Elected 1982 |
| Ward Six | Mark Castle | Labor | Elected 2008 |

## Election results
### 2012

2012 New South Wales local elections: Botany Bay :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 8,902 | 66.33 | 6 |
| | Independent | Independent | 3,264 | 24.32 | 0 |
| | Greens | Greens | 1,254 | 9.34 | 0 |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 13,420 | | |

## Mayors

| Mayor | Party | Term |
| James John Macfadyen | Independent | 20 August 1888 – 13 February 1890 |
| John E. Chant | Independent | 13 February 1890 – 14 February 1891 |
| Charles R. Swinbourne | Independent | 14 February 1891 – 10 February 1893 |
| Francis John Luland | Independent | 10 February 1893 – 14 February 1895 |
| James John Macfadyen | Independent | 14 February 1895 – 13 February 1896 |
| Joseph Pemberton | Independent | 13 February 1896 – 9 February 1897 |
| Joshua Wiggins | Independent | 9 February 1897 – 8 February 1898 |
| Francis Hambly | Independent | 8 February 1898 – 10 February 1900 |
| Oscar William Nilson | Independent | 10 February 1900 – 16 February 1901 |
| William Stephen | Independent | 16 February 1901 – 10 February 1902 |
| Frederick Page | Independent | 10 February 1902 – 12 February 1903 |
| Francis John Luland | Independent | 12 February 1903 – 20 February 1905 |
| Clement Frederick Etherden | Independent | 20 February 1905 – February 1909 |
| Frederick Anderson | Independent | February 1909 – 11 February 1910 |
| John Herford | Independent | 11 February 1910 – 9 February 1911 |
| William Hale | Independent | 9 February 1911 – 12 February 1913 |
| Oscar William Nilson | Independent | 12 February 1913 – 10 February 1914 |
| William David Stephen | Independent | 10 February 1914 – 10 February 1915 |
| James Facer Gray Siddins | Independent | 10 February 1915 – 17 February 1916 |
| William David Stephen | Independent | 17 February 1916 – February 1919 |
| Harold Hickson | Independent | February 1919 – December 1920 |
| William David Stephen | Independent | December 1920 – December 1922 |
| John Herford | Independent | December 1922 – December 1924 |
| James Facer Gray Siddins | Independent | December 1924 – 1 December 1927 |
| Frederick Page | Independent | 1 December 1927 – December 1928 |
| George Frederick Anderson | Independent | December 1928 – December 1930 |
| Frederick James Kerr | Independent | December 1930 – December 1932 |
| William Herford | Independent | December 1932 – December 1937 |
| George Frederick Anderson | Independent | December 1937 – 1 December 1938 |
| Garnet Arthur Jackson | Labor | 1 December 1938 – 4 December 1939 |
| Cyril Henry Edward Wall | Labor | 4 December 1939 – December 1940 |
| Garnet Arthur Jackson | Labor | December 1940 – December 1941 |
| George Valentine Arthur | Labor | December 1941 – December 1942 |
| John James Chalmers | Labor | December 1942 – December 1943 |
| John Francis McCarthy | Labor | December 1943 – December 1944 |
| Cecil Dengate Hensley | Labor | December 1944 – December 1945 |
| James Sydney Greenfield | Labor | December 1945 – December 1946 |
| Thomas Henry Albert Tierney | Labor | December 1946 – December 1948 |
| Francis Bernard Joyce | Labor | December 1948 – December 1953 |
| John Samuel Elphick | Labor | December 1953 – December 1954 |
| Alexander McPherson | Labor | December 1954 – December 1956 |
| John Samuel Elphick | Labor | December 1956 – December 1962 |
| Gladstone Sparks | | December 1963 – December 1964 |
| Alfred P. P. Lever | | December 1964 – December 1965 |
| George R. Hanna | | December 1965 – December 1966 |
| James Slattery | | December 1966 – September 1968 |
| John Samuel Elphick | Labor | September 1968 – September 1969 |
| James Slattery | | September 1969 – September 1970 |
| Alfred P. P. Lever | | September 1970 – September 1971 |
| James Tobin | Labor | September 1971 – September 1972 |
| John Samuel Elphick | Labor | September 1972 – September 1974 |
| Robert Mann | Labor | September 1974 – September 1975 |
| James Tobin | Labor | September 1975 – September 1976 |
| Robert Mann | Labor | September 1976 – September 1977 |
| James Tobin | Labor | September 1977 – September 1980 |
| Robert Mann | Labor | September 1980 – September 1981 |
| Ron Hoenig | Labor | September 1981 – 8 September 2012 |
| Ben Keneally | Labor | 8 September 2012 – 12 May 2016 |

## Town Clerks/General Managers

The Local Government Act, 1993 removed the requirement that the administrative head of a council be a "Town or Shire Clerk" and specified that the head was to be known as the "General Manager".
| Years | Officeholder |
| 8 August 1888 – 27 May 1889 | George Garton |
| 27 May 1889 – 12 November 1890 | Samuel Tickle |
| 12 November 1890 – 27 October 1899 | Benjamin Radford |
| 27 October 1899 – December 1912 | Benjamin Morgan |
| December 1912 – 12 February 1913 | J. A. Wauchope (acting) |
| 12 February 1913 – August 1915 | Roland Charles Rose |
| September 1915 – September 1923 | Samuel Morgan |
| September 1923 – 30 March 1939 | Leo Roy Flack |
| 30 March 1939 – 24 May 1939 | John Edward Brotchie (acting) |
| 24 May 1939 – April 1943 | Sidney D. Marchant |
| May 1943 – 31 December 1948 | John Edward Brotchie |
| 1 January 1949 – September 1964 | T. G. Barber |
| September 1964 – 1974 | R. Madden |
| 1974 – 1982 | J. Evans |
| 1982 – 1984 | A. S. Ford |
| 1984 – 1997 | J. F. Patterson |
| 1997 – June 2011 | Peter Fitzgerald |
| June 2011 – 12 May 2016 | Lara Kirchner |

## Coat of arms

Coat of arms of the City of Botany Bay :
* NotesFinal design of grant made by the Garter, Clarenceux, and Norroy & Ulster kings of arms, of the College of Arms.
* Adopted1988
* MottoValue Our Heritage
* SymbolismThe Kangaroo supporter represents the native fauna of Australia and the Bengal tiger supporter references Australia’s first zoo established in Botany in 1840, the Sir Joseph Banks Pleasure Gardens. Both wear an Astral crown, which refers to the importance of the aviation industry to the area which includes Sydney Airport. The banksia flower (Banksia ericifolia) above a mural crown in the crest represents the native flora and references the man for whom the flower is named, Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who sailed with Captain James Cook into Botany Bay on HMS Endeavour in April 1770. Botany Bay and its importance to shipping at Port Botany is represented in the escutcheon by the anchor and wavy blue lines, which also reference the area's position at the mouth of the Cook's River. The gold Polar star in the escutcheon is taken from the arms of James Cook, while the gold Fleur-de-lis is taken from the arms of Joseph Banks. The gold and black colours in the escutcheon are also taken from Banks' arms.