The City of Cockburn (/ˈkoʊbərn/KOH-bərn)[3][4] is a local government area in the southern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth about 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Fremantle and about 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Perth's central business district. The City covers an area of 167.5 square kilometres (64.7 sq mi) and had a population of over 104,000 as at the 2016 Census.
In 1871, the Fremantle Road District was created under the District Roads Act 1871 to cover the area to the south and east of Fremantle, and the Fremantle Road Board was created to manage it. The original District was bounded on the north by the Swan River from Fremantle to the mouth of the Canning River; on the east by a line from Bull Creek to the junction of what is now the intersection of the Albany and South Western Highways in Armadale; on the south by a line from Armadale to, and including the Rockingham townsite; and to the west by the Indian Ocean.
In the first five years of the Board's existence most of its members served on the Fremantle Town Council. The function of the Board was simply to provide the roads that linked Fremantle to other parts of the Colony. By 1913 the District was divided into Wards, each electing representatives to the Board. In 1922 the Board constructed new offices at the corner of Forrest and Rockingham Roads.
In July 1923, the District received a large amount of land (gaining the localities of Atwell and Banjup and 75% of the Jandakot locality) from Jandakot Road District when that entity was abolished. On 21 January 1955, it was renamed Cockburn,[6] after a successful referendum underlined the desire for recognition of the District's independence from Fremantle.
On 1 July 1961, Cockburn Road District became a shire following the enactment of the Local Government Act 1960, and on 24 January 1971, almost exactly 100 years after the formation of the Fremantle Road District, it became a Town[7] in recognition of its increasingly urban nature. On 26 October 1979 the town attained City status.[8][9]
In May 1966, Rottnest Island and Carnac Island were included in the boundaries of the Shire of Cockburn. However, the council has "no involvement in or responsibility for any functions relating to the control and management of the islands", which are administered directly by state government agencies.[10]
City of Cockburn Administrative Offices in Spearwood
A public inquiry into corruption in the City of Cockburn was held in 1999.[11] The Council was suspended in April 1999 and dismissed on 30 June 2000, with administrators running the council until an election held on 6 December 2000.[12][13] In 2007 the City of Cockburn was again embroiled in controversy as alleged evidence of corruption arose at the Corruption and Crime Commission.
Wards
The city is divided into three wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is directly elected.
^Morriss, Roger (1997), Cockburn and the British Navy in Transition, University of Exeter Press, ISBN0-85989-526-2
^"Road Districts Act, 1919–1951. Fremantle Road District. Alteration of Name. (per L.G. 481/52)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 21 January 1955. p. 1955:132.
^"Local Government Act, 1960–1970. Shire of Cockburn. Change of Status. (per L.G. 39/66)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 24 December 1970. p. 1970:3842. Specifies 24 January 1971 as effective date.
^"Local Government Act, 1960–1978. Order in Council (per CC-1-10)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 31 August 1979. p. 1979:2607. Specifies 26 October 1979 as effective date.
^"Gradovi prijatelji Splita" [Split Twin Towns]. Grad Split [Split Official City Website] (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
^* This LGA holds city status under the Local Government Act 1995, ^† This LGA holds town status under the Local Government Act 1995, ^# Western Australian law applies to the Indian Ocean Territories under the Territories Law Reform Act 1992
