With the passing of The Municipalities Act, 1858, on 14 February 1860 residents of the eastern section of the St Leonards district petitioned the Colonial Government for the incorporation of the area as a "St Leonards East Municipality".[1] This petition was subsequently accepted and the Governor of New South Wales, Sir William Denison, proclaimed the establishment of the "Municipality of East St Leonards" on 17 August 1860.[2]
Colonel George Barney, of Wotonga House, Kirribilli, was appointed as Returning Officer for the first election to be held at Dind's Hotel in Milsons Point on 13 September 1860.[3] However, owing to "dissatisfaction caused by the limited extent of the municipal boundaries" the electors at the meeting refused to nominate anyone for the Council.[4] As a result, while the Municipality de jure continued to exist, it was not until The Municipalities Act of 1867 came into effect in February 1868 that the Colonial Government tried again to elect a functioning council for the now-"Borough" of East St Leonards, with Frederic Lassetter appointed to conduct a new election.[5]
The first council, comprising six Aldermen and two auditors, was first elected on 4 February 1868, and the first Mayor, William Tucker, was elected on 10 February.[6][7] Dind's Hotel in Alfred Street, Milsons Point, acted as the Council Chambers until 1886 when the East St Leonards Town Hall, also on Alfred Street and designed by future mayor Walter Liberty Vernon, was completed.[8][9][10] The foundation of the Town Hall was laid by former mayor, George Matcham Pitt, on 24 October 1885, and opened on 13 May 1886 by Sir Henry Parkes.[11][12]
On 8 January 1889, Council was divided into four wards electing three Aldermen respectively: North, South, East and West Wards.[13]
The Borough lasted until 29 July 1890 when it merged with the Borough of St Leonards (1867) and the Borough of Victoria (1871) to form the "Borough of North Sydney".[14] The North Sydney Municipal Council first met in the 1885 East St Leonards Town Hall on Alfred Street, Milsons Point, using it until 1926.[15][16]
^"MUNICIPALITY OF EAST ST. LEONARD'S". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 153. New South Wales, Australia. 18 August 1860. p. 1560. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". Empire. No. 2, 795. New South Wales, Australia. 8 September 1860. p. 1. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"(For the week ended September 15.)". Empire. No. 2, 806. New South Wales, Australia. 21 September 1860. p. 3. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 9. New South Wales, Australia. 10 January 1868. p. 70. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Harbour Bridge". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 597. New South Wales, Australia. 17 June 1926. p. 12. Retrieved 19 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"East St Leonards Town Hall". The Daily Telegraph. No. 2110. New South Wales, Australia. 19 April 1886. p. 7. Retrieved 19 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"East St. Leonards Town Hall". Evening News. No. 5754. New South Wales, Australia. 26 October 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 19 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"EAST ST. LEONARDS TOWN-HALL". The Daily Telegraph. No. 2132. New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1886. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 18. New South Wales, Australia. 9 January 1889. p. 234. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 411. New South Wales, Australia. 31 July 1890. p. 6059. Retrieved 7 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^"THE OLD NORTH SYDNEY COUNCIL CHAMBERS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 601. New South Wales, Australia. 22 June 1926. p. 14. Retrieved 3 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"COUNCIL OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH SYDNEY". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 93. New South Wales, Australia. 9 July 1926. p. 3023. Retrieved 3 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 36. New South Wales, Australia. 16 February 1869. p. 431. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 29. New South Wales, Australia. 8 February 1870. p. 314. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 35. New South Wales, Australia. 14 February 1871. p. 356. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 51. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1872. p. 462. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Death of Mr Edward Lord". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 14, 555. New South Wales, Australia. 19 November 1884. p. 7. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Late Mr. Edward Lord". The Sydney Mail And New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 1273. New South Wales, Australia. 29 November 1884. p. 1094. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 37. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1873. p. 507. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 59. New South Wales, Australia. 13 March 1874. p. 795. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 31. New South Wales, Australia. 9 February 1875. p. 410. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 55. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1876. p. 727. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Late William Dind". Australian Town And Country Journal. Vol. L, no. 1305. New South Wales, Australia. 9 February 1895. p. 21. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Death of Mr W. Dind". The Australian Star. No. 2174. New South Wales, Australia. 24 January 1895. p. 3. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Late Mr W. Dind". The Australian Star. No. 2176. New South Wales, Australia. 26 January 1895. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 67. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1877. p. 764. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 60. New South Wales, Australia. 19 February 1878. p. 780. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Death of Mr R. P. Abbott". The Australian Star. No. 4279. New South Wales, Australia. 1 November 1901. p. 7. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 55. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1879. p. 780. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 69. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1880. p. 865. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
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^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 62. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1883. p. 965. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^Walsh, G. P. (1974). "Pitt, George Matcham (1814–1896)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
^"The Late George Matcham Pitt". The Sydney Mail And New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. LXII, no. 1895. New South Wales, Australia. 31 October 1896. p. 932. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 84. New South Wales, Australia. 22 February 1884. p. 1320. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 67. New South Wales, Australia. 17 February 1885. p. 1214. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 89. New South Wales, Australia. 12 February 1886. p. 1057. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^Denholm, David; Gibbney, H. J. (1976). "Ranken, George (1827–1895)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 91. New South Wales, Australia. 15 February 1887. p. 1120. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
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^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 82. New South Wales, Australia. 14 February 1890. p. 1361. Retrieved 10 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 9 May 1868. p. 9. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
^"Water Police Court—Wednesday". Empire. New South Wales, Australia. 14 December 1871. p. 3. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 12 June 1883. p. 3261. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
^"Borough of East St Leonards". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 4 January 1884. p. 112. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.