City of Fitzroy

The City of Fitzroy was a local government area located about 2 kilometres (1 mi) northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of 3.73 square kilometres (1.44 sq mi), making it the smallest municipality by land area in Victoria, and existed from 1858 until 1994.

History

In 1850 the area was made the Fitzroy Ward of the City of Melbourne, and on 10 September 1858, the ward was severed and Fitzroy was incorporated as a municipality. It became a borough on 1 October 1865, a town on 3 December 1870, and a city on 1 February 1878. Many public buildings were erected at this time, with the free public library, one of the first in Melbourne, being erected in 1877, and a courthouse in 1888.

During the mid-1920s there was a strong move to have the Fitzroy municipality amalgamate with the City of Melbourne. Three referenda on the matter were held in the space of 18 months: on 24 June and 20 August 1926, and 24 November 1927. In each case, ratepayers voted in favour of amalgamation, but a determined rearguard action by councillors opposed to the merger meant that no change occurred.