# Mosman Council

Mosman Council is a local government area on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The mayor of Mosman Council is Cr. Ann Marie Kimber, a representative of the Serving Mosman independent political group.

## Suburbs and localities in the local government area

* Mosman
In February 1997, the Government gazetted that they had assigned the suburb of Mosman as the only suburb in the Municipality of Mosman. However, Mosman Council decided that residents should continue to be allowed to use the traditional locality names if they wished.
The municipality also includes, manages and maintains the following localities and locations:
* Athol Bay
* Balmoral
* Balmoral Beach
* Beauty Point
* Bradleys Head
* Chinamans Beach
* Chowder Bay
* Chowder Head
* Clifton Gardens
* Cobblers Beach
* Edwards Beach
* Georges Head
* Georges Heights
* Hunters Bay
* Little Sirius Cove
* Long Bay
* Middle Head
* Mosman Bay
* Obelisk Bay
* Parriwi Head
* Pearl Bay
* Quakers Hat Bay
* Rocky Point
* Shell Cove
* Spit Junction
* Taylors Bay
* Taronga Zoo
* The Spit
* Wyargine Point

## Demographics

At the 2021 census, there were 28,329 people in the Mosman local government area, of these 46.0 per cent were male and 54.0 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.3 per cent of the population, significantly below the NSW and Australian averages of 3.4 and 3.2 per cent respectively. The median age of people in the Mosman Council area was 45 years, significantly above the national average of 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 16.3 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.8 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 50.2 per cent were married and 11.3 per cent were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Mosman local government area between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 2.99 per cent: in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 4.64 per cent. At the 2016 census, the population in the Mosman Council area increased by 3.72 per cent. This was lower than the national average rate of total population growth of Australia for the same period, which was 8.8 per cent. The median weekly income for residents within the Mosman Council area in 2021 was nearly double the national average at $2,892 compared to $1,746 nationally.
About 23.1 per cent of residents in the Mosman Council area nominated an affiliation with Catholicism at the 2021 census, compared with the national average of 20.0 per cent. The proportion of residents with no religion was slightly higher than the national average at 40.1% compared to 38.4% nationally. Compared to the national average, at the 2016 census, households in the Mosman local government area had a low proportion (18.6 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 22.2 per cent); and a high proportion (77.9 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72.7 per cent).
Selected historical census data for Mosman local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 25,475 | 26,236 | 27,453 | 28,475 | 28,329 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | 70th | 63rd | 62nd | |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | 0.42% | 0.40% | 0.38% | |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.14% | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0.12% | |
| Population | Population | Estimated ATSI population on census night | 21 | 26 | 31 | 60 | 82 |
| Population | Population | % of ATSI population to residents | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 39.5% | 40.1% | 41.0% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 28.1% | 25.8% | 26.8% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 13.4% | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | | 11.3% | 11.8% | 12.4% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Chinese | | | | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | n/c | n/c | 0.8% | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Spanish | n/c | n/c | n/c | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | French | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion, so described | 17.1% | 19.2% | 23.5% | 31.3% | 40.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 25.3% | 25.3% | 25.6% | 23.9% | 23.1% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 29.6% | 27.5% | 24.6% | 20.1% | 17.3% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Not stated | n/c | n/c | n/c | 10.6% | 5.0% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | 4.4% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | $969 | $1,117 | $1,295 | $1,487 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 207.9% | 193.6% | 195.6% | |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$1,916 | $2,838 | $3,671 | $4,502 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 186.6% | 191.6% | 211.7% | |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | $2,675 | $2,465 | $2,522 | $2,892 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 228.4% | 199.8% | 175.4% | |
| Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | Dwelling structure | | | | |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Separate house | 36.9% | 38.5% | 38.9% | 35.4% | 34.9% |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse | 12.5% | 11.2% | 12.5% | 12.1% | 12.0% |
| Dwelling type | Dwelling type | Flat or apartment | 48.6% | 49.4% | 48.0% | 51.7% | 52.0% |

## Council

| Mayor | Mayor | Term | Notes |
| Mayor | Ann Marie Kimber | 14 September 2024 – present | |
| Deputy Mayor | Michael Randall | 8 October 2024 – present | |
| General manager | General manager | Term | Notes |
| Dominic Johnson | Dominic Johnson | 8 August 2016 – present | Acting General Manager of Ryde 2014–2015 |

### Composition and election methods

| Term | Aldermen/Councillors | Wards | Mayor |
| 1893–1895 | 9 | No wards | Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors |
| 1895–1902 | 9 (3 per ward) | West Ward East Ward North Ward | Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors |
| 1902–1948 | 12 (3 per ward) | Balmoral Ward West Ward East Ward North Ward | Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors |
| 1948–2008 | 12 (3 per ward) | Middle Harbour Ward Balmoral Ward East Ward West Ward | Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors |
| 2008–2012 | 9 (3 per ward) | Middle Harbour Ward Balmoral Ward Mosman Bay Ward | Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors |
| 2012–present | 7 (6 Councillors, 1 Mayor) | No wards | Direct quadrennial election |

### Current composition and election method

Mosman Council comprises seven councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor has been directly elected since 2012 while the six other councillors are elected proportionally as one ward. The deputy mayor is elected annually by the councillors. From the 2008 elections to the 2012 elections, the area was divided into three wards (Mosman Bay, Middle Harbour, Balmoral), each electing three councillors and the mayor was elected by the councillors annually. The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:
| Party | Councillors |
| Serving Mosman | 4 |
| Independents | 1 |
| Mosman Better/Independent Liberal | 1 |
| Greens | 1 |
| Total | 7 |
The current Council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is:
| Mayor | Party | Party | Notes |
| Ann Marie Kimber | | Serving Mosman | Mayor 2024–present. |
| Councillor | Party | Party | Notes |
| Carolyn Corrigan | | Serving Mosman | Deputy Mayor 2015–2016; Mayor 2017–2024. |
| Simon Menzies | | Independent | Elected 2004 (West Ward 2004–08, Mosman Bay Ward 2008–12); Deputy Mayor 2009–2011, May–Sep 2012, Jan–Sep 2022. |
| Roy Bendall | | Independent Liberal | Elected 2012; Deputy Mayor 2012–2015, 2016–2018, 2022–2023. |
| Michael Randall | | Serving Mosman | Deputy Mayor 2024–present |
| Phillipa (Pip) Friedrich | | Serving Mosman | Deputy Mayor 2023–2024 |
| Colleen Godsell AM | | Greens | |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Mosman :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Serving Mosman | 1. Ann Kimber 2. Carolyn Corrigan (elected 1) 3. Michael Randall (elected 4) 4. Pip Friedrich (elected 5) 5. Harley Van Der Pluijm | 7,062 | 43.1 | +0.7 |
| | Independent | 1. Simon Menzies (elected 2) 2. Libby Moline 3. Kata Kiss | 3,595 | 21.9 | +1.5 |
| | Mosman Better | 1. Roy Bendall (elected 3) 2. Jacqui Willoughby 3. Alessandro Marturano 4. Miranda Barclay 5. Kim Blackburne | 3,102 | 18.9 | +0.7 |
| | Greens | 1. Colleen Godsell (elected 6) 2. Oliver Godsell 3. Ruth Marshall | 1,659 | 10.1 | +10.1 |
| | Labor | 1. John Wakefield 2. Alyson Wills 3. Warren Yates | 971 | 5.9 | +5.9 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 16,389 | 95.3 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 807 | 4.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,196 | 81.4 | |

## History

Mosman was first incorporated in 1867 as the "Mossmans Ward" of the Municipality of St Leonards, which lasted until 1890 when the boroughs of Victoria, St Leonards and East St Leonards merged to form the Borough of North Sydney, with the Mosman ward renamed as the "Mossman Ward". Following a petition submitted by residents in 1892, on 11 April 1893 the ward's separation as the Borough of Mosman was proclaimed by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Frederick Darley. The first nine-member council was elected on 9 June 1893, with the first mayor, Richard Hayes Harnett Jr., elected on the same day. From 28 December 1906, following the passing of the Local Government Act, 1906, the council was renamed as the "Municipality of Mosman". With the passing of the Local Government Act, 1993, the Municipality of Mosman was legally renamed as Mosman Council and aldermen were renamed councillors.
A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Municipality of Mosman merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of Manly and Mosman Councils and parts of Warringah Council to form a new council with an area of 49 square kilometres (19 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 153,000. The alternative, proposed by Warringah Council on 23 February 2016, was for an amalgamation of the Pittwater, Manly and Warringah councils. As a consequence of Warringah's proposal, the New South Wales Minister for Local Government Paul Toole proposed that the North Sydney, Willoughby and Mosman Councils be merged. In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the North Sydney, Willoughby and Mosman local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers.

## Heritage listings

Mosman Council has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Balmoral, The Esplanade: Balmoral Bathers Pavilion
* Georges Head, Chowder Bay Road: Georges Head Fortifications
* Middle Head, Middle Head Road: Middle Head Fortifications
* Mosman, Avenue Road: Mosman Bay Sewage Aqueduct
* Mosman, 1 Avenue Road: Monterey
* Mosman, 3a Avenue Road: The Barn, Scout Hall
* Mosman, 114 Belmont Road: Alma House
* Mosman, Bradleys Head Road (within Sydney Harbour NP): Bradleys Head Fortification Complex
* Mosman, 34 Bullecourt Avenue: Woolley House
* Mosman, 42 Cowles Road: 42 Cowles Road, Mosman
* Mosman, 624-632 Military Road: Boronia House
* Mosman, 28 Mistral Avenue: 28 Mistral Avenue, Mosman
* Mosman, 65 Parriwi Road: Igloo House
* Port Jackson, Bradleys Head: Bradleys Head Light

## Sister city

Mosman has twin town status with Glen Innes.