# City of Ryde

The City of Ryde is a local government area in the Northern Sydney region, in New South Wales, Australia. It was first established as the Municipal District of Ryde in 1870, became a municipality in 1906 and was proclaimed as the City of Ryde in 1992.
The local government area extends from the Parramatta River to the Lane Cove River which encircles the area in the north, and is bounded in the east by the peninsula of Hunters Hill and the City of Parramatta in the west. The City comprises an area of 40.651 square kilometres (15.695 sq mi) and as at the 2021 census had an estimated population of 129,123.
The mayor of the City of Ryde since 28 March 2024 is Councillor Trenton Brown, a member of the Liberal Party.

## Suburbs and localities in the local government area

The following suburbs and localities are within the City of Ryde:
* Chatswood West (shared with City of Willoughby)
* Denistone
* Denistone East
* Denistone West
* East Ryde
* Eastwood (shared with City of Parramatta Council)
* Gladesville (shared with Municipality of Hunter's Hill)
* Macquarie Centre
* Macquarie Park
* Macquarie University campus
* Marsfield
* Meadowbank
* Melrose Park (shared with City of Parramatta Council)
* North Ryde
* Putney
* Ryde
* Tennyson Point
* Top Ryde
* West Ryde

## Heritage listings

The City of Ryde has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Denistone, 1-13 Pennant Avenue: The Hermitage
* Eastwood, Marsden Road: Brush Farm
* Gladesville, 144 Ryde Road: Gladesville Drill Hall
* Ryde, 782 Victoria Road: Willandra, Ryde
* Ryde, 808-810 Victoria Road: Ryde police station
* Ryde, 813 Victoria Road: Addington House
* Ryde, 817 Victoria Road: The Retreat, Ryde
* West Ryde, 135 Marsden Road: Riverview House, West Ryde
* West Ryde, Victoria Road: Ryde Pumping Station

## Demographics

At the 2021 census, there were 129,123 people in the Ryde local government area, of these 48.8% identified as male and 51.2% identified as female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.5% of the population. The median age of people in the City of Ryde was 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 16.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 14.3% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 51% were married and 8.3% were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the City of Ryde between the 2006 Census and the 2011 Census was 6.28%, and in the subsequent five years to the 2016 Census, population growth was 12.87%. When compared with total population growth of Australia of 8.81% during the same period, population growth in the Ryde local government area was approximately 50% higher than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the City of Ryde was around 25% above the national average. At the 2021 Census, the Ryde local government area was linguistically diverse, with a significantly higher than average proportion (55.3%) where two or more languages are spoken (the national average was 24.8%); and a significantly lower proportion (46.3%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.0%).
Selected historical census data for Ryde local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 94,244 | 96,948 | 103,038 | 116,302 | 129,123 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | | 22nd | 22nd | |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | 1.49% | 1.48% | 1.49% | 1.56% | 1.59% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.50% | 0.49% | 0.48% | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 17.0% | 14.1% | 16.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 16.9% | 15.1% | 16.9% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Chinese | | | 15.7% | 19.2% | 26.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 6.3% | 5.8% | 6.1% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Italian | | | 5.4% | 5.1% | 6.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | 3.0% | 5.9% | 8.6% | 12.7% | 13.8% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | 6.4% | 7.0% | 7.1% | 7.0% | 7.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Korean | 2.4% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | 3.5% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Armenian | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.9% | - | - |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Arabic | | | | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 32.1% | 30.6% | 29.4% | 25.3% | 22.9% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | 13.7% | 17.4% | 22.4% | 30.2% | 36.7% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 16.9% | 14.2% | 12.0% | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Buddhism | n/c | 3.6% | 4.4% | 4.1% | - |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% | - | - |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | $528 | $635 | $738 | $967 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 113.3% | 110.1% | 111.5% | 120.1% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | $1,158 | $1,841 | $2,106 | $2,519 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 112.8% | 124.3% | 121.5% | 118.8% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | $1,486 | $1,466 | $1,786 | $2,098 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 126.9% | 118.8% | 120.2% | 120.1% |
| Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | | | | |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Separate house | 56.2% | 54.5% | 52.8% | 47.3% | 40.8% |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse | 13.0% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 16.3% | 14.3% |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Flat or apartment | 29.5% | 30.0% | 31.9% | 35.6% | 44.6% |

## Council
### Current composition and election method

The City of Ryde is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing four councillors. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor since 2024 is directly elected for a four-year term. The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024. The makeup of the council is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Liberal Party of Australia | 8 |
| Australian Labor Party | 3 |
| Independent | 1 |
| Greens | 1 |
| Total | 13 |
The current Council, elected in 2024 is:
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Mayor | Trenton Brown | Liberal | Elected 2017, Mayor 2024 - present. First directly elected Mayor of Ryde |
| Central Ward | Daniel Han | Liberal | Elected 2022, Deputy Mayor September 2023-present |
| Central Ward | Lyndal Howison | Labor |
| Central Ward | Shweta Deshpande | Liberal | Elected 2021, Deputy Mayor March-September 2023. |
| Central Ward | Tina Kordrostami | Greens |
| East Ward | Penny Pedersen | Labor | Elected 2017. |
| East Ward | Roy Maggio | Independent | Elected 2008; Mayor 2013–2014; Deputy Mayor 2009–2010, 2014–2016, 2021–2022. |
| East Ward | Keanu Arya | Liberal | |
| East Ward | Sophie Lara-Watson | Liberal | |
| West Ward | Justin Li | Liberal | Elected 2008–2017, 2022–present; Deputy Mayor, 2012–2014. Jerome Laxale (Labor) resigned on 22 July 2022; by-election held on 15 October 2022. |
| West Ward | Kathy Tracey | Liberal | |
| West Ward | Felix Lo | Labor | |
| West Ward | Cameron Last | Liberal |

### Referendum on the position of mayor

A referendum was also undertaken at the election held on 4 December 2021, asking residents the following question: "Do you support a popularly elected Mayor where the voters of the City of Ryde elect the Mayor for a four (4) year term, thereby adopting a thirteen (13) Councillor model (including the Mayor)?". The final declared results were: 76.18% YES and 23.82% NO. As a result, the position of mayor was directly elected from the next local government elections scheduled for 2024.

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Ryde :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 28,550 | 44.1 | +8.9 | 7 | 1 |
| | Labor | Labor | 18,853 | 29.1 | −6.8 | 3 | 2 |
| | Roy Maggio Independents | Roy Maggio Independents | 11,405 | 17.6 | | 1 | |
| | Greens | Greens | 5,257 | 8.1 | −2.7 | 1 | 1 |
| | Peter Kim Independent Team | Peter Kim Independent Team | 1,663 | 2.6 | | 0 | |
| | Unity | Unity | 842 | 1.3 | | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 64,790 | 93.9 | | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 4,235 | 6.1 | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 69,025 | | | | |
2024 New South Wales mayoral elections: Ryde :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Trenton Brown | 27,324 | 41.03 | +41.03 |
| | Labor | Bernard Purcell | 16,422 | 24.66 | +24.66 |
| | Roy Maggio Independents | Roy Maggio | 14,694 | 22.07 | +22.07 |
| | Greens | Tina Kordrostami | 8,152 | 12.24 | +12.24 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 66,592 | 96.31 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,550 | 3.69 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,142 | 86.17 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Liberal | Trenton Brown | 30,248 | 56.51 | +56.51 |
| | Labor | Bernard Purcell | 23,276 | 43.49 | +43.49 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
* This was the first time the position of mayor of Ryde was directly-elected instead of appointed by councillors
* Trenton Brown (Liberal) was the incumbent mayor going into the elections, having been appointed on 28 March 2024

## Council history

In June 1870, 201 residents of the district of Ryde sent a petition to the governor, requesting the incorporation of the "Municipal District of Ryde". This resulted in the municipality being formally proclaimed on 11 November 1870. With a total land area of 40.6 square kilometres, Ryde was the largest Sydney municipality. However, due to an error in the proclamation regarding the western boundary, a new proclamation was made on 11 June 1872.
In June 1894 the northern section of the municipality known as Marsfield, was proclaimed as the "Municipal District of Marsfield". In 1907, Marsfield became known as the Municipality of Eastwood, and lasted until it was re-amalgamated with Ryde following the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.
With the passing of the Local Government Act 1906, the council name was changed to be the "Municipality of Ryde". The City of Ryde was proclaimed by the Governor, Peter Sinclair, on 20 September 1991, and with the passing of the Local Government Act 1993, aldermen were also retitled councillors and the town clerk became the general manager.
A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Ryde merge with adjoining councils. The government proposed a merger of the Hunter's Hill, Lane Cove and Ryde Councils to form a new council with an area of 57 square kilometres (22 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 164,000. In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the Hunter's Hill, Lane Cove and Ryde local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.

### Town Clerks and General Managers

| Name | Term |
| George Miller Pope | 1870 – 18 February 1887 |
| William Short | 1 March 1887 – 6 January 1902 |
| Nelson Kirby | 20 March 1903 – July 1904 |
| Joseph Parry | 18 July 1904 – June 1919 |
| Donald Neil Morrison | August 1919 – 11 November 1936 |
| F. C. Taylor | 12 April 1937 – 28 February 1949 |
| E. Gyllies | 28 February 1949 – 1951 |
| Mervyn Leslie Donnelly | 1951–1968 |
| A. G. Sindel | 1968–1975 |
| K. R. Brown | 1975–1989 |
| K. J. King | 1989–1994 |
| Gerry Brus | 1994–2000 |
| Michael McMahon | January 2001 – August 2004 |
| Michael Whittaker | October 2004 – October 2009 |
| John Neish | 4 January 2010 – 12 February 2013 |
| Danielle Dickson (acting) | 12 February 2013 – August 2013 |
| Roy Newsome (acting) | August 2013 – 22 August 2014 |
| Dominic Johnson (acting) | 22 August 2014 – 12 January 2015 |
| Gail Connolly | 12 January 2015 – 17 May 2016 |
| Roy Newsome (acting) | 17 May 2016 – July 2017 |
| George Dedes | July 2017 – 1 July 2022 |
| Wayne Rylands | 1 July 2022 – present |

## International relations

* Stepanakert, Republic of Artsakh: The City of Ryde established a Friendship Declaration with Stepanakert, the capital of the partially-recognised Republic of Artsakh on 23 July 2019.
* Ryde, Isle of Wight

## Coat of arms

Coat of arms of the City of Ryde :
* NotesDesigned by the Chester Herald, Walter Verco.
* Adopted19 November 1963. Formal grant by the Kings of Arms, 20 January 1964 (Earl Marshal's Warrant, 7 September 1963).
* CrestOn a Wreath of the Colours (Argent and Vert), a Sea Horse couchant Azure, charged on the shoulder with a representation of the Constellation of the Southern Cross Argent, in the mouth a Waratah Flower slipped and leaved proper, and supporting with the dexter leg a Cog Wheel Or.
* HelmA closed helmet.
* EscutcheonVert, on a Chevron the point ensigned with a Cross Formy Argent, between in chief two Apples slipped and leaved, and in base a Sun rising Or, a pair of Dividers Gules, on a Chief wavy Barry wavy Azure and Argent a Cornu copia fesswise Or.
* SupportersOn the dexter side a Private of Marines of the late Eighteenth Century, accoutred and armed, and on the sinister side a Colonial Settler also of that period supporting with the exterior hand a Musket all proper.
* CompartmentA grassy mound proper.
* MottoProgress Through Endeavour
* Other elementsMantling Vert doubled Or.
* SymbolismEscutcheon: The green field alludes to the rural nature of the early Ryde district, and the white chevron signifies Ryde's residential areas. The red dividers in the refers to town planning and the Ryde Housing Scheme, which was established in the late 1930s by the council to develop affordable housing in the area. The apex of the chevron is a cross pattée representing Christianity, and references the establishment of St Anne's Church in Ryde in 1826. The two golden apples are symbolic of the orchard industry and the creation of the Granny Smith apple in Eastwood in 1868. The rising sun recalls the district's original name, "Eastern Farms". The position of Ryde on the northern side of the Parramatta River and its position along the Lane Cove River is also referenced with the blue and white wavy bars. The cornucopia is a symbol of the early agricultural industry of the region and the transport of produce by the waterways. Crest: The seahorse is taken from the 1869 coat of arms granted to the Borough of Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, and also references the waterways. The seahorse is charged with the Southern Cross for Australia. The Waratah in the seahorse's mouth is the State Floral Emblem of New South Wales and also appears in the mayoral chain. The golden cogwheel between the seahorse's legs denotes the flourishing of industry. Supporters: The Private of Marines supporter alludes to the fact that two Royal Marines were the first local land grantees, when Governor Arthur Phillip granted the first parcels of land in the district in 1792, and which likely resulted in the naming of the Parish of Field of Mars. The positioning of the marine and the colonist is meant to represent the pioneers at the Field of Mars on the west; and at Hunter's Hill Parish, and Eastern Farms, or Kissing Point, on the east.