Municipality of Eastwood

The Municipality of Eastwood was a local government area in the Northern region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Initially proclaimed as the southern part of the Municipal District of Ryde in 1870, following a petition of secession the municipality was proclaimed as the Municipal District of Marsfield on 2 June 1894. It included the modern suburbs of Marsfield, Eastwood, and Denistone. On 17 July 1907, the name of the council was changed to the "Municipality of Eastwood". From 1 January 1949, the council was re-amalgamated into the Municipality of Ryde, with the passing of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948.

Early years and development
The area comprising the future Eastwood municipality was first incorporated on 11 November 1870, when the Municipal District of Ryde was proclaimed in the lands north of Ryde. 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.

On 7 July 1893, a petition of 98 signatures was published in the NSW Government Gazette, requesting the division of the Marsfield and Eastwood areas and the establishment of a separate municipality. This petition was subsequently accepted and the area was proclaimed on 5 June 1894 as the "Municipal District of Marsfield". The first council, comprising six aldermen in two wards and two auditors, was elected on 9 August 1894.

The council first met on 15 August 1894 at the residence of Mr. J. Giuliani on the corner of Herring and Bridge Roads, Marsfield, with Alderman Arthur Fitzhardinge elected as the first mayor. On 5 September 1894, Sydney Small was appointed as the first Town Clerk.

With the review of local government regulations that would result in the Local Government Act, 1906 and would abolish to category of municipal districts, the council passed a resolution on 26 July 1906 requesting a change in the municipality to the "Municipality of Eastwood" in recognition of Eastwood as the main centre of the municipality. On 17 July 1907, the name change was officially proclaimed in the Government Gazette.

Later history
By the end of the Second World War, the NSW Government had realised that its ideas of infrastructure expansion could not be effected by the present system of the patchwork of small municipal councils across Sydney and the Minister for Local Government, Joseph Cahill, initiated the 1945–46 Clancy Royal Commission on Local Government Boundaries, to consider these changes. The NSW Government the passed a bill following the recommendations of the Royal Commission that abolished a significant number of Sydney metropolitan councils. Under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948 (effective 1 January 1949), the council merged back into the Municipality of Ryde. The last meeting of the council was held on 22 December 1948.

Council seat
The Council commissioned a purpose-built council chambers in 1911, with the foundation stone for the Eastwood Town Hall at 74 Agincourt Road, Marsfield, laid on 18 November 1911. The Town Hall was officially opened on 24 February 1912 by the Premier of New South Wales, James McGowen. The Town Hall was designed by architect Varney Parkes and was built by M. J. Geraghty. On 13 September 1937, the Town Hall was severely damaged by a fire, which destroyed a large number of Council records. It was later discovered that a former employee had set the fire. In March 1938, renovations to the Town Hall including to repair the fire damage were tendered by architect Louis P. Burns to builder D. E. Berecry of Chatswood. The hall was officially reopened on 30 July 1938. The Town Hall continues to be in the ownership of Ryde Council and is now a Heritage Item.