Resources

To discover more about the aldermen and councillors who served on the City of Sydney Council, we have provided a number of resources below. Note that the level of biographical information for each alderman or councillor on this website varies enormously. This is due to the level of information available at the time of writing, and is not a reflection on an individual’s importance. Genealogical information and occupations are particularly difficult to determine and some connections remain speculative.

Websites

References

This list of references includes sources used in the compilation of the biographies of former Sydney aldermen and councillors, as well as general resources which might be useful for further research into the history of local government in Sydney.

Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal, 1939-2012.
Australian Men of Mark 1889. Charles F Maxwell, Sydney.

Beasley, Margo 1997, Sydney Town Hall: a social history, City of Sydney and Hale & Iremonger.
Bersten, Helen 1995, Jewish Sydney: the first hundred years 1788-1888, AJHS.
Bertie, Charles H 1969, The Early History of the Sydney Municipal Council, with an account of the town halls, Council of the City of Sydney.
Broxam, G & Nicholson, Ian 1988, Shipping Arrivals and Departures Sydney, Vol 3 1841-44, Roebuck.
Burton, Graig A 1979, Housing the Glebe: Architects, Builders and Styles 1828-1915, M.A.Thesis, University of Sydney.

Connolly, C N 1983, Biographical Register of the New South Wales Parliament 1856-1901, ANU.
Cramp, K R & Mackaness, G 1938, A history of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of New South Wales, Angus & Robertson, Sydney.
Crisp, L F & Bennett, S P 1954, Australian Labour Party Federal Personnel: corrections and additions, Canberra. Cumpston, J S 1963, Shipping Arrival and Departures: 1788-1825, Canberra.
Curby, Pauline 2001, Seven Miles from Sydney: a history of Manly, Manly Council.
Cyclopedia of NSW 1907, McCarron Stewart & Co, Sydney.

Fitzgerald, Shirley 1992, Sydney 1842-1992, Hale & Iremonger.
Fitzgerald, Shirley & Golder, Hilary 1994, Pyrmont & Ultimo: Under Seige, Hale & Iremonger.
Fitzgerald, Shirley & Keating, Christopher 1991, Miller’s Point: the urban village, Hale & Iremonger.
Ford’s Commercial Directory 1851.
Forde, J M 1903, Sydney Old and New: “The Block” corner, King and George Streets; a century’s history, W T Waters & Co, Sydney.

Geeves, Philip & Emanuel, Cedric 1981, Philip Geeves’ Sydney, Angus & Robertson.
Gibbney, H J & Smith, Ann G 1987, A Biographical Register 1788-1939, ANU.
Golder, Hilary 2004, Sacked: removing and remaking the Sydney City Council 1853-1988, City of Sydney.
Golder, Hilary: A Short Electoral History of Sydney City Council 1842-1992, City of Sydney.

Hogan, Michael 2004, Local labor: a history of the Labor Party in Glebe, 1891-2003, Federation Press, Annandale, NSW
Hughes, Joy (ed) 1999, Demolished Houses of Sydney, Historic Houses Trust of NSW, Glebe.

James, Michael, 1988, North Sydney 1788-1988, Allen & Unwin.
Jervis, J J 1960, The History of Woollahra: a record of events from 1788 to 1960 and a centenary of local government, Municipal Council of Woollahra, Sydney.

Karskens, Grace 1999,  Inside The Rocks : the archaeology of a neighbourhood, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney
Kass, Terry et al 1996, Parramatta: a past revealed, Parramatta City Council.
Keating, Christopher 1991, Surry Hills: the city’s backyard, Hale & Iremonger.

Leichhardt Historical Journal, 1971-2007.
Larcombe, Frederick A 1963, A History of Botany 1788-1970, Botany Council.
Lofthouse, Andrea & Smith, Vivienne 1982, Who’s Who of Australian Women, Methuen.
Low, Francis 1845, The City of Sydney Directory for 1844-45, Sydney.

Martin, A W & Wardle, P 1959, Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, ANU.
Matthews, Michael R 1982, Pyrmont & Ultimo history, Pyrmont Ultimo History Project, Ultimo, NSW.
Morrison, W. Frederic 1888, The Aldine centennial history of New South Wales illustrated, The Aldine Publishing Company, Sydney.

Nicholson, Ian: Log of Logs (Roebuck Books; three volumes) NSW Census 1828.
Norman, L G 1968, History of Municipal Government.

Perdon, Renato 1995,  Sydney’s aldermen: a biographical register of Sydney City aldermen, 1842-1992, Sydney City Council, Sydney

Radi, Heather et al 1979, Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-70, ANU.
Russell, Eric 1980, Woollahra: a history in pictures, John Ferguson and Woollahra Municipal Council.
Rydon, Joan 1975, Biographical Register of the Commonwealth Parliament 1901-72, ANU.

Sherry, Beverley & Baglin, Douglas 1989, Hunter’s Hill: Australia’s First Garden Suburb, David Ell Press.
Solling, Max 2007, Grandeur & grit: a history of Glebe, Halstead Press, Ultimo, NSW.
Solling, Max & Reynolds, Peter 1997, Leichhardt: on the margins of the city, Allen & Unwin.

Tyrrell, James R 1952, Old Books, Old Friends, Old Sydney, Angus & Robertson.

Who’s Who in Australia, 1906-2012.

Abbreviations

ADB
Australian Dictionary of Biography
AF
Aldermen’s Files (City of Sydney Archives)
AGCI
Australasian Genealogical Computer Index
BDM
Births, Deaths & Marriages
Bertie
The Early History of the Sydney Municipal Council
Col Sec
Colonial Secretary’s Records, State Records of NSW
CRS
Council Record Series
CSA
City of Sydney Archives
MHR
Member of the House of Representatives
ML
Mitchell Library
MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
MLC
Member of the Legislative Council
PICMAN
Pictures & Manuscripts Catalogue, Mitchell Library
SAG
Society of Australian Genealogists
SMH
Sydney Morning Herald
SPF
Small Pictures File, Mitchell Library
SRO
State Records Office of NSW
THC
Town Hall Collection

Acknowledgments

Biographical information has been drawn from the Biographical Register of Sydney City Aldermen 1842-1992 compiled by archivist Renato Perdon and published in 1997 as part of the City’s Sesquicentenary History Project. Additional research for this project was undertaken by historian Terri McCormack in 2005.

In 2013, historian Max Solling wrote and researched the biographies of the Glebe aldermen.

  • Renato Perdon, former City of Sydney archivist
  • Terri McCormack, historian who provided additional research on all the City of Sydney Council aldermen
  • Catie Gilchrist, historian who edited the biographies
  • Max Solling, historian who researched wrote the biographies of the Glebe, Camperdown and Cook aldermen
  • Rodney Hammett, who assisted Max Solling with research and writing for the biographies of the Camperdown and Cook aldermen
  • Linda Brainwood, pictures researcher
  • Mark Stevens, City Archivist and the team of archivists at the City of Sydney
  • Staff (former and current) at the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, especially Jennifer Broomhead, Helen Harrison and Scott Wajon
  • Staff at the NSW Parliamentary Archives
  • Staff at the State Records Office of NSW
  • Reverend Syd Clay, St Thomas’ Church, Enfield
  • Trish Lane
  • Robert G Eldridge
  • Ryde District Historical Society
  • Angela Phippen, Local Studies Librarian, City of Ryde
  • Cathy Jones, Strathfield & District Historical Society
  • Margaret Roberts, Local Studies Librarian, Strathfield Library
  • Helen Bersten and Dennis Bluth, Australian Jewish Historical Society