# List of mayors of North Sydney

The Mayor of North Sydney is the head of North Sydney Council, which is the local government area in the lower north shore region of Sydney including North Sydney, Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Crows Nest in the State of New South Wales, Australia. From 1983 to 2017, the mayor was directly elected, replacing the previous system of being internally elected annually by the councillors, nominally serving a four-year term.
Following a referendum in 2017, the mayor is now elected for a two-year term by the elected councillors, effective from the 2021 elections, and the office is currently held by Zoë Baker. The mayor is assisted in their work by a deputy mayor, who is elected on an annual basis by the elected councillors.

## History

The area now covered by North Sydney Council originally comprised three municipalities: the Borough of East St Leonards from 1860 (Kirribilli, Cremorne Point, Milsons Point), the Borough of St Leonards from 1867 (Cammeray, Mosman, Waverton, Wollstonecraft) and the very small Borough of Victoria from 1871 (McMahons Point and parts of North Sydney and Lavender Bay). These boroughs lasted until 29 July 1890 when they merged to form the "Borough of North Sydney", with the last mayor of St Leonards, Francis Punch, elected as the first mayor of North Sydney. Following a petition submitted by residents in 1892, on 11 April 1893 the Mossman Ward of North Sydney confirmed its separation as the Borough of Mosman, being proclaimed by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Frederick Darley. From 28 December 1906, following the passing of the Local Government Act, 1906, the council was renamed as the "Municipality of North Sydney". With the passing of the Local Government Act, 1993, the Municipality of North Sydney became North Sydney Council and aldermen were renamed councillors.
A referendum passed at the 2017 election also altered the system of electing the mayor. Starting from 2021, the mayor was elected by the councillors for a two-year term. As the wording of this referendum did not specify a reduction in the number of elected positions in the council (such as from 10 councillors to 9), the Office of Local Government required Council to specify a ward structure of equal numbers to each ward: two wards of five councillors or five wards of two councillors. At its extraordinary meeting held on 20 January 2020, the Council voted to adopt a two-ward model on a north/south boundary with the northern ward named "St Leonards Ward" and the southern ward named "Cammeraygal Ward" from the next election. Although the fixed term of the council is four years, due to delays caused by amalgamations and the COVID-19 pandemic, the term from 9 September 2017 expired on 3 December 2021.

## Mayors
### 1890−present

The following individuals has served as the mayor of North Sydney Council, or any predecessor titles:
| No. | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| 1 | Francis Punch | Protectionist | 8 August 1890 | 10 February 1892 | 1 year, 186 days |
| 2 | Gerard Phillips | Independent | 10 February 1892 | 17 May 1892 | 97 days |
| 3 | Edward Clark | Labor | 24 May 1892 | 12 February 1893 | 264 days |
| 4 | Alexander Macknight | Independent | 12 February 1893 | 15 February 1894 | 1 year, 3 days |
| 5 | Gerald Joseph Barry | Independent | 15 February 1894 | 11 February 1897 | 2 years, 362 days |
| 6 | John Purves | Independent | 11 February 1897 | 10 February 1898 | 364 days |
| 7 | Francis Clarke | Protectionist | 10 February 1898 | 11 February 1899 | 1 year, 1 day |
| (6) | John Purves | Independent | 14 February 1899 | 12 February 1901 | 1 year, 363 days |
| 8 | Thomas Wilson Hodgson | Independent | 12 February 1901 | 12 February 1903 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 9 | John Carter | Independent | 12 February 1903 | 9 February 1909 | 5 years, 363 days |
| 10 | Alfred Milson | Independent | 9 February 1909 | 6 February 1912 | 2 years, 362 days |
| 11 | Charles Alexander Walker | Independent | 6 February 1912 | 3 November 1913 | 1 year, 270 days |
| (10) | Alfred Milson | Independent | 11 November 1913 | 3 February 1914 | 84 days |
| 12 | William Anderson | Independent | 3 February 1914 | 28 February 1918 | 4 years, 25 days |
| (3) | Edward Clark | Independent | 1 March 1918 | 1 March 1919 | 1 year, 0 days |
| 13 | Albert Ernest Whatmore | Independent | 1 March 1919 | 13 December 1921 | 2 years, 287 days |
| 14 | Henry Green | Independent | 13 December 1921 | 12 December 1922 | 364 days |
| 15 | George Thomas Clarke | Independent | 12 December 1922 | 11 December 1923 | 364 days |
| 16 | Charles William Watt | Independent | 11 December 1923 | 7 December 1926 | 2 years, 361 days |
| 17 | Hubert Primrose | Independent | 7 December 1926 | 25 May 1932 | 6 years, 13 days |
| (17) | Hubert Primrose | United Australia | 25 May 1932 | 20 December 1932 | 6 years, 13 days |
| 18 | Raymond Lee Hodgson | Independent | 20 December 1932 | 4 December 1934 | 1 year, 349 days |
| 19 | Robert Charles Forsyth | Independent | 4 December 1934 | 3 December 1935 | 364 days |
| 20 | David Blair Hunter | Independent | 3 December 1935 | 7 December 1937 | 2 years, 4 days |
| 21 | James Street Stanton | Independent | 7 December 1937 | 14 December 1939 | 2 years, 7 days |
| 22 | John Cramer | United Australia | 14 December 1939 | 6 December 1941 | 1 year, 357 days |
| 23 | George Augustus Fowle | Independent | December 1941 | 5 December 1945 | |
| 24 | William Alan Gould Kesterton OBE | Independent | 5 December 1945 | December 1949 | |
| 25 | Cecil Leatham Kyle OBE | Independent | December 1949 | December 1950 | |
| (23) | George Augustus Fowle | Independent | December 1950 | 15 December 1953 | |
| 26 | William Henry Brothers | Independent | 15 December 1953 | December 1956 | |
| 27 | John Lincoln | Liberal | December 1956 | 19 December 1958 | |
| 28 | Joseph Vincent Bugler | Independent | 19 December 1958 | December 1961 | |
| 29 | Leslie Nuttal Flitcroft | Independent | December 1961 | 1 December 1962 | |
| 30 | Barton Donald Higgs | Independent | 5 December 1962 | 1 December 1964 | 1 year, 362 days |
| 31 | Royce Henry Herswell Jeffrey | Independent | 1 December 1964 | 15 July 1966 | 1 year, 226 days |
| 32 | Innes Stanley Haviland | Independent | 26 July 1966 | 13 December 1968 | 2 years, 140 days |
| (28) | Joseph Vincent Bugler | Independent | 13 December 1968 | 11 December 1969 | 363 days |
| 33 | Michael John Fitzpatrick | Independent | 11 December 1969 | 23 September 1971 | 1 year, 286 days |
| 34 | John Woodward | Independent | 23 September 1971 | 27 September 1972 | 1 year, 4 days |
| 35 | Michael O'Dea AM | Independent | 27 September 1972 | 21 September 1974 | 1 year, 359 days |
| (32) | Innes Stanley Haviland | Independent | 25 September 1974 | 24 September 1975 | 364 days |
| 36 | David Michael Wyllie | Independent | 24 September 1975 | 22 September 1976 | 364 days |
| (33) | Michael John Fitzpatrick | Independent | 22 September 1976 | 29 September 1977 | 1 year, 7 days |
| 37 | Willis Anthony Salier | Independent | 29 September 1977 | 20 September 1978 | 356 days |
| (33) | Michael John Fitzpatrick | Independent | 20 September 1978 | 26 September 1979 | 1 year, 6 days |
| 38 | Carole Baker | Independent | 26 September 1979 | 20 September 1980 | 360 days |
| 39 | Ted Mack | Independent | 29 September 1980 | 4 October 1988 | 8 years, 5 days |
| – | Neil Hartley (acting) | Independent | 4 October 1988 | 10 December 1988 | 67 days |
| 40 | Roslyn Crichton | Independent | 10 December 1988 | 14 September 1991 | 2 years, 278 days |
| 41 | Gerry Nolan | Independent | 14 September 1991 | 9 September 1995 | 3 years, 360 days |
| 42 | Genia McCaffery | Independent | 9 September 1995 | 8 September 2012 | 16 years, 365 days |
| 43 | Jilly Gibson | Team Jilly | 8 September 2012 | 4 December 2021 | 9 years, 124 days |
| 44 | Zoë Baker | Real Independents | 10 January 2022 | incumbent | 3 years, 41 days |

## Deputy mayors

The position of deputy mayor was made a permanent council position when the Local Government Act 1919 came into effect from 1 January 1920. However, the position was optional and was not filled until August 1926, when during a period of illness of the sitting mayor, Charles Watt, the Council resolved to fill the position permanently, and a former mayor, Edward Clark, was elected as the first deputy mayor.

### 1926−present

The following individuals have been elected as deputy mayor of North Sydney:
| No. | Portrait | Mayor | Party | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Mayor | Mayor |
| 1 | | Edward Clark | Independent | 17 August 1926 | 7 December 1926 | 112 days | | Watt (Independent) |
| 2 | | Robert Charles Forsyth | Independent | 7 December 1926 | 20 December 1932 | 6 years, 13 days | | Primrose (Independent/UAP) |
| 3 | | Sydney Frederick Rupert Hardy | Independent | 20 December 1932 | 5 December 1933 | 350 days | | Hodgson (Independent) |
| (2) | | Robert Charles Forsyth | Independent | 5 December 1933 | 4 December 1934 | 364 days | | Hodgson (Independent) |
| 4 | | David Blair Hunter | Independent | 4 December 1934 | 3 December 1935 | 364 days | | Forsyth (Independent) |
| 5 | | James Street Stanton | Independent | 3 December 1935 | 7 December 1937 | 2 years, 4 days | | Hunter (Independent) |
| 6 | | John Cramer | United Australia | 7 December 1937 | 14 December 1939 | 2 years, 7 days | | Stanton (Independent) |
| 7 | | George Augustus Fowle | Independent | 14 December 1939 | December 1941 | | | Cramer (UAP) |
| 8 | | William Alan Gould Kesterton | Independent | December 1941 | December 1942 | | | Fowle (Independent) |
| 9 | | Kenneth McLeod Bolton | Independent | 27 December 1942 | 5 December 1944 | 1 year, 344 days | | Fowle (Independent) |
| (8) | | William Alan Gould Kesterton | Independent | 5 December 1944 | 5 December 1945 | 1 year, 0 days | | Fowle (Independent) |
| 10 | | William Henry Brothers | Independent | 5 December 1945 | December 1948 | | | Kesterton (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1948 | December 1949 | | | Kesterton (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1949 | December 1950 | | | Kyle (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1950 | 15 December 1953 | | | Fowle (Independent) |
| | | Barton Donald Higgs | Independent | 15 December 1953 | December 1954 | | | Brothers (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1954 | December 1956 | | | Brothers (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1956 | 19 December 1958 | | | Lincoln (Liberal) |
| | | Matthew Goodman | Independent | 19 December 1958 | December 1959 | | | Bugler (Independent) |
| | | Joseph Aloysius Hazell | Independent | 15 December 1959 | December 1960 | | | Bugler (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1960 | December 1961 | | | Bugler (Independent) |
| | | unknown | | December 1961 | 1 December 1962 | | | Flitcroft (Independent) |
| | | William Edward Churchill | Independent | 5 December 1962 | 1 December 1964 | 3 years, 6 days | | Higgs (Independent) |
| 1 December 1964 | 10 December 1965 | | Independent | Jeffrey (Independent) | | 3 years, 6 days |
| | | | Allan John Mitchell | Jeffrey (Independent) | Independent | 10 December 1965 | 26 July 1966 | 1 year, 3 days |
| 26 July 1966 | 13 December 1966 | | Haviland (Independent) | | Independent | | | 1 year, 3 days |
| | | | Haviland (Independent) | Frederick James Brunton | Independent | 13 December 1966 | 13 December 1968 | 2 years, 0 days |
| | | John Woodward | Independent | 13 December 1968 | 11 December 1969 | 1 year, 363 days | | Bugler (Independent) |
| 11 December 1969 | 11 December 1970 | | Independent | Fitzpatrick (Independent) | | 1 year, 363 days |
| | | | Helen Gordon Cook | Fitzpatrick (Independent) | Independent | 11 December 1970 | 23 September 1971 | 286 days |
| | | Peter Ronald Tranter | Independent | 23 September 1971 | 27 September 1972 | 1 year, 361 days | | Woodward (Independent) |
| 27 September 1972 | 19 September 1973 | | Independent | O'Dea (Independent) | | 1 year, 361 days |
| | | | David Michael Wyllie | O'Dea (Independent) | Independent | 19 September 1973 | 25 September 1974 | 1 year, 6 days |
| | | Robyn Read | Independent | 25 September 1974 | September 1975 | 1 year, 363 days | | Haviland (Independent) |
| September 1975 | 22 September 1976 | | Independent | Wyllie (Independent) | | 1 year, 363 days |
| | | Carole Anne Baker | Independent | 22 September 1976 | 29 September 1977 | 1 year, 7 days | | Fitzpatrick (Independent) |
| | | David Michael Wyllie | Independent | 29 September 1977 | 20 September 1978 | 356 days | | Salier (Independent) |
| | | Henry William Wirth | Independent | 20 September 1978 | 26 September 1979 | 1 year, 6 days | | Fitzpatick (Independent) |
| | | David Michael Wyllie | Independent | 26 September 1979 | 29 September 1980 | 360 days | | Baker (Independent) |
| | | Peter Tranter | Independent | 29 September 1980 | September 1983 | | | Mack (Independent) |
| | | Neil Hartley | Independent | September 1983 | September 1984 | | | Mack (Independent) |
| | | Mark Singer | Independent | September 1984 | September 1985 | | | Mack (Independent) |
| | | Neil Hartley | Independent | September 1985 | 10 December 1988 | | | Mack (Independent) |
| 10 December 1988 | September 1991 | | Independent | Crichton (Independent) | | |
| | | Shirley Ann Colless | Independent | September 1991 | September 1992 | | | Nolan (Independent) |
| | | Sybil Kesteven | Independent | September 1992 | September 1995 | | | Nolan (Independent) |
| | | Christopher Ringstad | Independent | September 1995 | September 1997 | | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Penny Scardifield | Independent | September 1997 | 27 March 2004 | | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Craig Carland | Independent | 19 April 2004 | 25 September 2006 | 2 years, 159 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Evan Predavec | Independent | 25 September 2006 | 10 September 2007 | 350 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Michel Reymond | Independent | 10 September 2007 | 21 September 2009 | 2 years, 11 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Andrew Robjohns | Independent | 21 September 2009 | 13 September 2010 | 357 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Michel Reymond | Independent | 13 September 2010 | 12 September 2011 | 364 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Zoë Baker | Independent | 12 September 2011 | 24 September 2012 | 1 year, 12 days | | McCaffery (Independent) |
| | | Sarah Burke | Independent | 24 September 2012 | 16 September 2013 | 357 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Stephen Barbour | Independent | 16 September 2013 | 15 September 2014 | 364 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Maryann Beregi | Independent | 15 September 2014 | 21 September 2015 | 1 year, 6 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Jeff Morris | Independent | 21 September 2015 | 19 September 2016 | 364 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Melissa Clare | Independent | 19 September 2016 | 9 September 2017 | 355 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Stephen Barbour | CommUnity 1st | 9 October 2017 | 3 September 2021 | 3 years, 329 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | Kathy Brodie | Team Jilly | 3 September 2021 | 4 December 2021 | 92 days | | Gibson (Team Jilly) |
| | | William Bourke | Sustainable Australia | 10 January 2022 | 26 September 2022 | 259 days | | Baker (Real Independents) |
| | | Godfrey Santer | Labor | 26 September 2022 | 25 September 2023 | 364 days | | Baker (Real Independents) |
| | | William Bourke | Sustainable Australia | 25 September 2023 | 14 September 2024 | 355 days | | Baker (Real Independents) |
| | | Godfrey Santer | Labor | 8 October 2024 | incumbent | 135 days | | Baker (Real Independents) |

## Electoral results
### 2017

2017 New South Wales mayoral elections: North Sydney :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Jilly Gibson | 13,791 | 42.0 | +1.5 |
| | Independent | Zoë Baker | 9,856 | 30.0 | −3.1 |
| | Independent | Jessica Keen | 6,510 | 19.8 | +19.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Kong | 2,655 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 32,812 | 95.4 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 4.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.6 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent | Jilly Gibson | 14,828 | 56.4 | −0.4 |
| | Independent | Zoë Baker | 11,441 | 43.6 | +0.4 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | −0.4 | |

### 2012

2012 New South Wales mayoral elections: North Sydney :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jilly Gibson | 11,893 | 40.5 |
| | Independent | Zoë Baker | 9,731 | 33.1 |
| | Independent | Suzanne Clarke-Nash | 7,745 | 26.4 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 29,369 | 93.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,040 | 6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,409 | 74.1 |
| Two-candidate-preferred result ||||||
| | Independent | Jilly Gibson | 14,559 | 56.8 |
| | Independent | Zoë Baker | 11,062 | 43.2 |
| | Independent gain from Independent | Independent gain from Independent | Swing | N/A |