# City of Tea Tree Gully

The City of Tea Tree Gully is a local council in the Australian state of South Australia, in the outer north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide. The major business district in the city is at Modbury, where Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, Modbury Hospital, the Civic Centre and the library are located.
Howard, Lord Florey, Australian pathologist and co-discoverer of penicillin, was a resident of the City of Tea Tree Gully.

## History

The Tea Tree gully itself passes through the Adelaide foothills roughly marking the easiest path eastwards from Grand Junction Road to Gumeracha. The 1850s settlement at the entrance to the gully (approximately where North East Road enters the foothills) was known as the village of 'Steventon' after local resident and miller, John Stevens, who was a major landowner in the area. The name Steventon is retained as one of the electoral wards of the City of Tea Tree Gully.
The council was originally proclaimed in October 1858 as the District Council of Tea Tree Gully, when the northern half of the District Council of Highercombe, which had been created in 1853, successfully seceded to form its own municipality. In the early 1930s, the two councils were considered unviable, being very small in relative size and population. The District Council of Highercombe was included in a Local Government Commission list of 53 local councils with annual revenue of less than £2000. Following the commission recommendation, the two councils were recombined under the name Tea Tree Gully in May 1935.
It inherited the former 1855 Highercombe council chambers, which had been built in Tea Tree Gully, and used that building until 1967. The Old Tea Tree Gully Council Chambers survive today and are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register, having been the first purpose-built district council chambers in South Australia. In 1967 the Tea Tree Gully civic centre was opened, comprising a new council chamber and civic hall. The municipality was granted city status and proclaimed as the City of Tree Gully in 1968.
A council-owned colonial building was converted into a community art gallery, and is now known as Gallery 1855. The gallery hosts regular contemporary art and craft exhibitions and artist-led workshops.
From 1954 to 1971 the population of Tea Tree Gully council rose from just over 2,500 to almost 37,000, and in 1975 it had reached approximately 55,000 as urban residential development quickly expanded. By 2004 the population had exceeded 100,000.

## Council

Council consists of 13 Elected Members comprising a Mayor, and 12 Ward Councillors. The Council area is divided into six wards, with two Counicllors elected from each ward.
The current council as of December 2022 is:
| Ward | Party Affiliation | Councilor | First Elected | Notes |
| Mayor | Independent | Marijka Ryan | 2022 | |
| Balmoral Ward | Liberal | Rob Unger | 2018 | Deputy Mayor (2022-2024) |
| Balmoral Ward | Liberal | Irena Zagladov | 2022 | |
| Drumminor Ward | United Australia | Kimberley Drozdoff | 2022 | |
| Drumminor Ward | Liberal | Lyn Petrie | 2018 | Lyn Petrie was elected by a recount of votes following the resignation in November 2023 of former Councillor Damian Wyld due to illness. |
| Hillcott Ward | Labor | Kristianne Foreman | 2021 | |
| Hillcott Ward | Independent | Sandy Keane | 2014 | |
| Pedare Ward | Independent | Bernie Keane | 1994 | |
| Pedare Ward | | Vacant | 2024 | On 8 October 2024 Cr Tammie Sinclair resigned from their position on council. |
| Steventon Ward | Independent | Jessica Hawkvelt | 2018 | Deputy Mayor (2024-2025) |
| Steventon Ward | Labor | Lucas Jones | 2008 | Deputy Mayor (2025-2026) |
| Watergully Ward | Family First | Marina Champion | 2022 | |
| Watergully Ward | Liberal | Blake Lawrenson | 2022 | |

## Chairmen and Mayors of Tea Tree Gully

* William Henry Ind (1936–1943)
* Albert George Dearman (1943-1951)
* George Norman Lambert (1951-1954)
* Albert George Dearman (1954-1955)
* David Stanley Goodes (1955-1957)
* Basil David Mitchell (1957–1960)
* Viggo Ole Jacobsen (1960–1965)
* William Green (1967–1969)
* William Gilbert Brassington (1969–1972)
* John Charles Burford (1972–1974)
* John Garfield Tilley (1974–1981)
* Donald David Stuart (1981–1982)
* John Garfield Tilley (1982–1989)
* Thomas Edward Loveland Milton (1989-1991)
* Lesley Purdom (1991-1997)
* Bernie Keane (1997-2000)
* Lesley Purdom (2000-2006)
* Miriam Smith (2006-2014)
* Pat Trainor (2014)
* Kevin Knight (2014-2022)
* Marijka Ryan (2022-Current)

## Geography

The gully to which the city name refers actually exists and is known to be sizable as it provided a gradient negotiable only by bullock wagons travelling through the Mt. Lofty Ranges. Additionally the gully had permanent freshwater springs which promoted the growth of tea trees in the area – thus the eventual name 'Tea Tree Gully'.
The 350-hectare (860-acre) Anstey Hill Recreation Park is adjacent to the suburbs of Vista and Tea Tree Gully.

## Sister cities

The City of Tea Tree Gully, has two sister cities. They are:
* Asakuchi, Japan (April 2006)
* Borodyanka, Ukraine (May 2023)

## Suburbs and post codes

* Banksia Park – 5091
* Dernancourt – 5075
* Fairview Park – 5126
* Gilles Plains – 5086
* Golden Grove – 5125
* Gould Creek – 5114
* Greenwith – 5125
* Gulfview Heights – 5096
* Highbury – 5089
* Holden Hill – 5088
* Hope Valley – 5090
* Houghton – 5131
* Modbury – 5092
* Modbury Heights – 5092
* Modbury North – 5092
* Para Hills – 5096
* Redwood Park – 5097
* Ridgehaven – 5097
* St Agnes – 5097
* Salisbury East – 5109
* Surrey Downs – 5126
* Tea Tree Gully – 5091
* Upper Hermitage – 5131
* Valley View – 5093
* Vista – 5091
* Wynn Vale – 5127
* Yatala Vale – 5126