Former Elected Members and Commissioners

The 1850s saw not only the introduction of responsible government in Tasmania, but also the establishment of municipal administration, in the form of general purpose locally elected institutions. A court of fifteen commissioners was created by the Hobart Town Commissioners Act 1846, with the commissioners responsible for paving, lighting etc. throughout the city.

The first meeting of the Commissioners was held on 29 September 1846, but disputes soon began to arise between the colonial and civic authorities on the apportioning of revenues and within a year the body of Commissioners was dissolved. Municipal government was established by the Hobart Town and Launceston Municipal Council Act 1852. During this year the first elections for a seven member council were held. The new council took office from the beginning of 1853, with William Carter as Mayor.

In 1857 the Municipal Council was incorporated (Hobart Town Corporation Act 1857), and its constitution and powers redefined. Between 1853 and 1934 the Council was led by various Mayors, elected annually.

The title was raised to "Lord Mayor" by Letters Patent issued by King George V in January 1934. Further details of the history of Hobart, including its past Aldermen, can be sourced from the Hobart City Council's historical reference Growing with Strength - a History of the Hobart City Council 1846-2000.

Aldermen and Commissioners of Hobart City Council (alphabetical order)

Surname Names Occupation Aldermanic Period of Office Mayor/Lord Mayor Deputy Mayor/Deputy Lord Mayor (from 1932-)

Abbott

Dr. Nigel D.

Medical Practitioner

1962-1964

Addison

John Elliott

Builder Contractor

1875-1880

Allen

T. Charles

Registrar

1966-1974

1970- 1974

Allom

Jamieson S.

Architect

1999-2002

Alty

Dee

Scientist

1982-1996

Amott

Thomas

Butcher

1886-1891, 1908-1918, 1918-1928

1911

Anderson

Iliffe Gordon

Architect

1950-1954

Andrews

Frank Tasman

Grocer

1901

Archer

Elise N.

Barrister Solicitor

2007-2010

Archer

Geoffrey Lyndon

Company Director

1986-2007

Atkins

Charles J.

Stock & Share Broker

1907-1912

1910

Atkins

Dr. Susanne

Medical Practitioner

1974-1978

Baily

John

General Merchant

1890-1892

Barrett

Hugh Sunderland

Baker, Grocer

1858-1860, 1864-1866

Beck

Arthur James

Importer

1939-1946

Behrakis

Simon

Researcher

2018-2023

Belbin

William

Timber Merchant, Shipowner

1867-1875, 1881-1886

1883-1884

Bell

Robert

Teacher

1988-1992

Benjamin

Samuel

Boot Manufacturer

1897-1902

Bennett

Thomas

Builder

1920

Bennison

Thomas

Accountant

1901-1906

1903-1904

Bloomfield

Louise

Accountant

2022-

Bonham

Pru I.

Marine Biologist

1990-2002

1994-2002

Bonney

James

1853-1854

Bottrill

William Evans

Barrister

1917-1919

Boxall

JP

Grocer

1885-1887

Bradley

John

Sharebroker

1893-1901

Breen

Joseph James

Company Manager

1922-1926, 1939-1944

Briscoe

Jeff R.

Teacher

1994-2022

Broadby

Brian T.A.

Law Clerk

1972-1986

1984-1986

1976-1982

Broadby

E. Margot

Secretary

1974-1978

Broadby

Rod

Self-employed

1978-1982

Brownell

Alan B.

Bank Officer

1959-1970

Brownell

William Freeman

Draper

1874-1876, 1881-1883

Burgess

William Henry Jnr

Grocer & Merchant

1876-1881

1879-1880

Burnet

Helen C.

Podiatrist

2005-

2009-2011, 2018-

Butler

Walter

Innkeeper

1858-1861

Cane

Frank B.

Company Manager

1933-1934

Carter

William

Storekeeper, Merchant

1846-1847, 1853-1854

1853-1854

Chesterman

Maxwell Foster

Timber Merchant

1955-1966

1960-1964

Cheyne

Alexander

Engineer

1857-1860

Christie

Ronald G,

Radio Celebrity

1999-2000, 2002-2018

2018

2011-2018

Clark

Donald Jack

Accountant

1959-1966

Cleburne

Richard

Storekeeper, Factory Owner

1846-1847

Clemente

Dr. John

Medical Practitioner

1968-1976

Coats

Will

Business Analyst

2020-2022, 2023-

Cocker

Philip S.

Public Servant

2005-2018

Connor

William Henry

Secretary

1927-1932

Cook

Henry

Tailor

1858, 1860-1862, 1867-1869, 1872-1874

1860-1861, 1869

Cooper

Suzy

Communications Consultant

2014-2016

Cooper

Sydney Ernest

1951

Cooper

William

Builder Contractor

1911-1914

Copley

William Edward

Manager

1962-1970

Crisp

Alfred

Timber Merchant

1885-1894, 1905-1913

1888-1889, 1906, 1912-1913

Crisp

George

Timber Merchant

1860-1868, 1870-1875

1873-1875

Crisp

Samuel

Gentleman

1933-1951

1938-1940

Crouch

George Stanton

Auctioneer

1884-1893, 1902-1904

1893

Cuthbertson

J. Eric

Footwear Retailer

1943-1949

1944-1946

Cuthbertson

James Alexander

Footwear Retailer

1917-1919, 1923-1928

Daly

Michael Francis

Shopkeeper

1878-1880

Davies

John George

Newspaper Proprietor

1883-1887, 1890-1892, 1895-1897, 1899-1901

1885-1886, 1897, 1899-1901

Davis

Arthur C.

Company Manager

1917-1921

Denison

Tanya M.

Engineer

2014-2020

Dillon

Thomas

Builder Contractor

1887-1889, 1891, 1895-1897

Duff

John

Builder

1893-1898

Duncan

William

Builder

1906-1908

Dunn

James

Builder Contractor

1913-1914

Dutta

Michael Surendra Chandra

Businessman

2018-

Elliot

Louise

Human Resources Manager, Advocate and Mother

2022-

Elliston

William Gore

Teacher, Printer, Auctioneer

1846-1847, 1853-1856

1855-1856

Espie

Edward

Property Manager

1877-1882

Evans

Hubert Beard

Ship Owner, Merchant, Sawmiller

1875-1876

Excell

Ronald B.

Clerk

1968-1988

Facy

Hedley Hastings

Accountant

1924-1927, 1929

Fisher

Barry D.H.

Architect

1976-2000

Fisher

Edward Michael

Ship Owner, Sawmiller

1883

Foley

Leo D.

Occupational Health & Safety Consultant

2011-2014

Fox
(formerly Ewin)

Jax
(formerly Holly)

Small Business Owner

2018-2022

Fraser

Alexander

Coachmaker, businessman

1846-1847

Freeman

Daniel

Builder

1903-1914

1908

Freeman

Dr. John W.

Medical Practitioner

1988-1999, 2000-2009, 2012-2014

1996-1999

1990-1994

Freeman

Richard W.

Bank Manager

1960-1964

Fysh

Phillip Oakley

Merchant

1868

Gilles

Osmond Horne

Shipowner

1858

1858

Gilmore

George Crosby

Barrister

1931-1937

Gould

Henry T.

Chemist

1901-1903, 1907-1909

Grant

Peter M.

Manager

1923-1930

Gray

George Herbert

Road Transport Operator

1949-1958

Gray

William Harold

Secretary

1929-1932

1950-1952

Green

William Patrick

Miller

1863-1868, 1872-1878

1878

Gregory

James

Builder

1881-1885

Haigh

Anthony D.

Computer Systems Analyst

1974-1986

1982-1984

Haigh

Darlene A.

Secretary

1988-2011

Haller-Griffits

Alexander E.

Engineer

1966-1972

Harbottle

Charles

Painter & Paperhanger

1885-1887

1887

Harcourt

James

Ironmonger

1877-1882

1881-1882

Harris

Sir Richard Oliver

Hardware Merchant

1945-1956

1948-1950, 1952-1954

1946-1948

Harvey

(Bill) W.F.

Teacher

2007-2014, 2016-

Harvey

Robert J.

Accountant

1933-1938, 1943-1946

Hawker

Ellison O.

Company Director

1976-1980

Hayes

Eric J.

Businessman

1998-2007, 2010-2011

Haywood

Charles Duncan

Biscuit Manufacturer, Baker

1905-1910

1907

Henry

Robert

Public Servant

1898-1900

Hickey

Sue L.

Business Woman and Board Member

2011-2018

2014-2018

Hines

Matthew J.

Student

2002-2005

Hoggins

John William

Confectioner

1904-1912

1909

Howard

Thomas

Businessman

1889-1891

Hughes

Percy

Director of Education

1955-1961

1958-1960

Hurburgh

Andrew D.

Barrister

1982-1999

Hurst

Henry Stevenson

Merchant

1857

Jackson

Ralph Norman

Businessman

1955-1958

Johnson

James William

Grocery Trade

1892-1894, 1898-1900

Jones

Patsy C.

Librarian

2000-2005

Kelly

John

Self-employed

2022-

Kennedy

John

Company Manager

1970-1982

Kennedy

Lorna Doone

Housewife

1982-1999

1986-1996

Kennerley

Alfred

Farmer

1861-1865, 1870-1872

1862-1863, 1871-1872

Kerr

George

Draper

1897-1914

1902, 1905

Kilburn

Douglas Thomas

Photographer

1862

Lamprill

Charles H.

Draper

1919-1921, 1925-1927

Layton

Thomas

Secretarial College Owner

1949-1951

Lewis

Davis

Warehouseman, Merchant

1858-1871

1858-1859

Lewis

Richard

Auctioneer, Merchant

1846-1847

Lighton

Samual R.

Architect

1960-1964, 1966-1970

Lipscombe

Frederick

Nurseryman

1855-1856, 1858-1861

Lipscombe

Thomas Meredith

Builder

1955-1961

Loftus-Hills

Clive

Geologist

1950-1954

Lohberger

Ben

Charity Worker

2022-

Lohrey

Anne I.

Student Teacher

1970-1974

Long

Vincent Reginald

Director of Education

1966-1974

Lord

Raymond Harry

Retired

1937-1944

Lord

Richard David

Pastoralist

1915-1922

1917

MacLeod

Loudoun H.

Accountant

1808-1910, 1914-1919

1916

Maher

Edward

Plumber

1874-1884

Malcolm

Ian C.

Accountant

1992-1998

Male

G.E.

Bank Officer

1947-1950

Marsh

H.J.

Ironmonger & Importer

1882-1884

Martin

Richard Robert

Secretary

1922-1924, 1927-1928

McCann

Bernard Aloysius

Music Retailer

1943-1956

McHugo

William

Secretary

1928-1936

McKenzie

James A.

Builder

1921-1923, 1927-1932

1922-1923

Meagher

Richard J.

Public Servant

1910-1914

1914

Medhurst

Edney E.

1962-1966

Meikle

Robert

Mechanic

1857

Miller

Mabel Flora

Lawyer

1952-1972

1954-1956, 1964-1970

Mitchell

Percival Harris

Headmaster

1947-1957

1952-1954

Moir

Joseph James

Businessman, Manufacturer of Shot

1846-1847, 1871-1873

Moore

George Edward

Civil Engineer, Farmer

1902-1904

Morrison

Askin

Merchant, Businessman

1846-1847

Murdoch

John

Produce Merchant

1858-1864

Murray

William

Merchant

1846-1847

Neave

Thomas G.

Builder

1956-1960

Nettlefold

Alfred John

Estate Agent

1923

Nettlefold

Thomas S.

Tailor

1914

Nicol

Alexander Mackenzie

Builder

1871-1872

O'Connor

David

Busker

1980-1982

O'Conor

Bruce

Company Director

1964-1992

1984-1990

Officer

Dr. Robert

Medical Practitioner

1846-1847

Oldham

Nathan

Bookseller

1920-1921, 1925-1926

Oldham

Peter

Merchant

1853

O'Reilly

Philip

Draper, Clothier

1854-1856

Osborne

Sir Basil

Hardware Salesman

1952-1976

1959-1970

1956-1958

Osborne

Wilfred W.

Secretary

1935-1949

1946-1948

Palfreyman

Douglas H.

Company Director

1960-1966

Park

Sir Archibald R.

Cartage Contractor

1933-1940, 1945-1959

1950-1952, 1954-1959

1948-1950

Paton

James Craig

Builder

1901-1906

Pearce

Henry

Merchant

1861-1867, 1869-1874

Peck

Douglas G.

Electrical Contractor

1972-1976, 1978-1986

Peck

James

Draper

1866

Perkins

John Jnr

Draper

1875-1877

1876-1877

Philp

Colin E.

Architect

1956-1958

Pike

Francis J.

Shopkeeper

1876-1881

Plaister

Douglas R.

Swimming Instructor

1970-1990

1976-1984

1974-1976

Posselt

Ryan

Paramedic

2022-

Propsting

Henry

Butcher

1857-1860

Rait

John

Architect

1887-1889

Reeves

Isaac Godfrey

Tanner

1853

Rennie

William

Investor

1935-1947

1940-1942

Reynolds

Anna M.

2014-

2018-

Reynolds

Thomas Augustus

Builder Contractor

1887-1896, 1905-1907

1892

Rheuben

Abraham

Wood, Coal & Corn Merchant

1855-1860, 1869-1873, 1876

Riddoch

Alexander

Farmer

1883-1885

Risby

Joseph Edward

Timber & Coal Merchant

1862-1867, 1869-1874

Robertson

James Thomas

Lawyer, Brewer

1865-1867, 1874-1876

Rogers

Edwin J.

Estate Agent

1921-1932

1926-1927

Ruzicka

Eva R.

Legal Secretary

1999-2018

2002-2009

Saunders

Branwell Ewart

Manager

1941-1958

Saunders

Leonard Hector

Manufacturer

1928-1938

1932-1938

Seabrook

George Smith

Builder Contractor

1879-1888, 1890-1900

Seabrook

Henry William

Carpenter, Builder, Architect

1856-1857, 1859-1863

Seal

Charles

Merchant, Pastoralist, Whaler

1846-1847

Sexton

Dr. Peter T.

Medical Practitioner

1999-2022

Shield

John George

Architect & builder

1915-1923

1918-1919

Sherlock

Dr. Zelinda Eunice

Education Officer

2018-

Shoobridge

D.M.

Farmer

1946-1947

Shoobridge

Louis Manton

Pastoralist

1924-1938

Shoobridge

Vincent William

Farmer

1938-1942

Sims

Ebenezer William

Builder

1854-1857

Sly

James

Bootmaker, Publican

1855-1856

Smart

Dr. Thomas Christie

Medical Practitioner

1868-1870

1870

Smith

George

Hatmaker

1909-1914

Smith

Ray

Timber Agent

1941-1946

Smith

Willilam

Importer, Commission Agent

1888-1905

Snowden

Robert

Draper, Clothier

1899-1904

Snowden

Robert Eccles

Soldier, Investor

1919-1922

1920-1922

Sorell

Ernest

Retired

1938-1942

Soundy

Sir John

Draper

1918-1934, 1939-1949

1924, 1929-1932, 1938-1946

Soundy

Ronald G,

Managing Director

1966-1982

1970-1976

Sprott

Dr. Gregory

Medical Practitioner

1935-1938

Stabb

R.H.

1911, 1914-1916

Stewart

John Leslie

Brewer

1856-1861

1857

Stopp

Eric J.

Sharebroker

1922

Strickland

W.

Gentleman

1889

Tallboys

Richard Gilbert

Accountant

1959-1962

Tate

Joseph W.

Builder

1964-1968

Taylor

D.

Auctioneer

1846-1847

Thomas

Damon

2009-2022

2011-2014

Thomson

Dora K.B.

Housewife

1976-1988

Thomson

James A.

Surveyor, Architect

1853-1857

Turnbull

John Arthur

1950-1954

Turnor

Ron E.

Retailer

1988-1990

Valentine

Francis D.

Builder

1920-1932

1925-1926

Valentine

Robert H. F.

Computer Analyst

1992-2012

1999-2011

Verrell

Edward

Photographer

1930

Walch

James Henry Brett

Merchant & Importer

1873-1875

Walker

John

Miller, Brewer, Business

1846-1847

1846-1847

Walker

Robert

Brewer, Miller

1861-1869

1864-1867

Walters

Dr. David J.

Medical Practitioner

1990-1994

Warwick

Anne K.

Theatre Manager

1996-1998

Watchorn

John

Publican, Wine Merchant

1876-1896

1890, 1894-1896

Watchorn

W.

Shopkeeper

1846-1847, 1853-1854

Waterhouse

J.T.

Merchant

1846-1847

Watkins

Benjamin

Hotel Manager

1933-1942

Webster

Edwin Herbert

Businessman, Woolseller

1920-1921

Wignall

Joshua J.

Butcher

1922-1940

1927-1929, 1932-1938

Williams

William Micah

Draper

1913-1923

1915

Willing

Charles

Butcher

1911-1918, 1932-1934

Willis

David D.

Accountant

1959-1967

Wilmot

Charles J.

Company Manager

1929-1932

Wilson

James Milne

Engineer, Farmer, Brewer

1868-1870

1868-1869

Worley

Robert

Auctioneer

1853-1854

Yeoland

Graeme A.

Public Servant

1982-1992

Young

Thomas

Lawyer

1846-1853

Zucco

Marti

Restaurant Owner

1992-