List of Mayors and Lord Mayors of Brisbane
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the Mayor
s and Lord Mayor
s of the City of Brisbane
, a Local Government Area of Queensland
, Australia
. The current Lord Mayor of Brisbane is Graham Quirk
.
was gazetted on 25 May 1859 and proclaimed by the Governor of New South Wales on 7 September 1859. The first local government area in Queensland, Brisbane was the only one incorporated prior to the establishment of Queensland
as a separate colony.
On 31 March 1903 the Local Authorities Act 1902 came into effect, and Part 2, Section 10 of the Act proclaimed Brisbane a city. The city's boundaries at this point only covered Brisbane's centre and the immediate surrounding suburbs.
On 1 October 1925 the City of Brisbane Act 1924 established a new City of Brisbane
and its governing council, the Brisbane City Council. The new boundaries included 18 former local-government areas and parts of two others; it covered what was at that time the extent of Brisbane's metropolitan area.
(1859–1903) appears below.
The Brisbane Municipal Council generally followed the practice of rotating the role of mayor among the aldermen
, thus many mayors served for only one year and some served multiple times some years apart. The council "year" commenced and ended in about February to avoid a change-over during the summer holidays, so the mayor for 1890 would, strictly speaking, be the mayor into early 1891.
Most of the early aldermen and mayors of the Municipality of Brisbane were prominent local men rather than representatives of political parties.
) and parts of two others were amalgamated to form the City of Brisbane, governed by the Brisbane City Council.
The United Party, and its successor the Nationalist Citizens Party were created as the vehicle for conservative candidates to campaign against Labor candidates in the newly formed Brisbane City Council. The Nationalist Citizens Party was doomed when the very conservative Civic Reform League was created on 12 December 1930. This saw most of the conservative councilors from the Nationalist Citizens Party led by Acting Mayor Watson defect to the Civic Reform League, which failed to win the subsequent elections. The Progress Party was created at the same time and for the 1931 election saw only 3 of its candidates win, including John Greene, who was made Lord Mayor as a compromise candidate amongst the 20 alderman.
The Citizens' Municipal Organization (CMO) was ostensibly a non-political grouping, but was seen to be aligned with firstly the United Australian Party, then the Liberal Party (after 1944). The CMO was formed on 23 June 1936 and was the platform for the election campaigns of Sir John Chandler and Sir Reg Groom. The organization then became the Liberal Civic Party after the 1970 election due to the abysmal results against popular incumbent, Clem Jones. Finally in the 1976 election, the Liberal Party began to contest the elections directly.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
s and Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
s of the City of Brisbane
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is the Local Government Area that has jurisdiction over the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
, a Local Government Area of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The current Lord Mayor of Brisbane is Graham Quirk
Graham Quirk
Graham Quirk is an Australian politician and was the councillor for the ward of MacGregor, and is currently the Lord Mayor of the City of Brisbane, succeding former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman....
.
History of governance of Brisbane
The Municipality of BrisbaneBrisbane Municipal Council
-History:On 7 September 1859, Brisbane was proclaimed a municipality. Thus after the passing of the Municipal Institutions Act 1864 the area could establish a municipal council to administer the district - with powers relating to by-laws, to rating, to borrowings, to the control or regulation of...
was gazetted on 25 May 1859 and proclaimed by the Governor of New South Wales on 7 September 1859. The first local government area in Queensland, Brisbane was the only one incorporated prior to the establishment of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
as a separate colony.
On 31 March 1903 the Local Authorities Act 1902 came into effect, and Part 2, Section 10 of the Act proclaimed Brisbane a city. The city's boundaries at this point only covered Brisbane's centre and the immediate surrounding suburbs.
On 1 October 1925 the City of Brisbane Act 1924 established a new City of Brisbane
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is the Local Government Area that has jurisdiction over the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
and its governing council, the Brisbane City Council. The new boundaries included 18 former local-government areas and parts of two others; it covered what was at that time the extent of Brisbane's metropolitan area.
Mayors of the Brisbane Municipal Council (1859-1902)
The list of mayors of the Brisbane Municipal CouncilBrisbane Municipal Council
-History:On 7 September 1859, Brisbane was proclaimed a municipality. Thus after the passing of the Municipal Institutions Act 1864 the area could establish a municipal council to administer the district - with powers relating to by-laws, to rating, to borrowings, to the control or regulation of...
(1859–1903) appears below.
Mayor | Term |
---|---|
John Petrie John Petrie John "Jocky" Petrie was a Scottish football player who played for Arbroath F.C..He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals. This occurred during Arbroath's famous 36–0 victory over Bon Accord F.C... |
1859–1862 |
Thomas Blacket Stephens Thomas Blacket Stephens Thomas Blacket Stephens was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane. His middle name is often written as Blackett.-Personal life:Thomas Blacket Stephens was born on 5 Jan 1819 at Rochdale, Lancashire, England, the son of Rev. William Stephens and his wife Elizabeth Blacket... |
1862 |
George Edmondstone George Edmondstone George Edmondstone was an alderman and mayor in the Brisbane Municipal Council. .-Personal life:George Edmondstone was born on 4 May 1809 in... |
1863 |
Joshua Jeays Joshua Jeays -Personal life:Joshua Jeays was born in 1812 in Leicestershire, England.He married Sarah Edwyn in 1838 in Marylebone, Middlesex, England with whom he had a number of children including:* Sarah Jane* Joseph Joshua * Charles Edwyn... |
1864 |
Albert John Hockings Albert John Hockings Albert John Hockings was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:Albert John Hockings was the son of Thomas Hockings and Jane Thorton... (1st term) |
1865 |
Richard Symes Warry Richard Symes Warry Richard Symes Warry was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:Richard Symes Warry was born about 1829 in England, son of Thomas Warry and Maria Symes.... |
1866 |
Albert John Hockings Albert John Hockings Albert John Hockings was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:Albert John Hockings was the son of Thomas Hockings and Jane Thorton... (2nd term) |
1867 |
John Hardgrave John Hardgrave John Hardgrave was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:John Hardgrave was born in Ardee, County Louth, Ireland on 14 April 1826, the son of William Hardgrave and Elizabeth Smith.... |
1868–1869 |
William Pettigrew William Pettigrew William Pettigrew was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland, Australia.- Personal life :... |
1870 |
Francis Murray Francis Murray (mayor of Brisbane) Francis Murray was an alderman and mayor of the Brisbane Municipal Council.- Personal life :Francis Murray was born in Sydney, 30th April 1838, son of Cornelius Murray and Mary Ann Freeman.... |
1871 |
Edward Joseph Baines Edward Joseph Baines Edward Joseph Baines was an alderman and mayor of the Brisbane Municipal Council.- Personal life :Edward Joseph Baines was born about 1815 .... |
1872 |
James Swan James Swan (mayor of Brisbane) James Swan was an alderman and mayor of the Brisbane Municipal Council and a member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.- Personal life :... |
1873–1875 |
Richard Ash Kingsford Richard Ash Kingsford Richard Ash Kingsford was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Australia, and a mayor of Cairns, Queensland.-Personal life:... |
1876 |
Alfred Hubbard Alfred Hubbard (mayor) Alfred Hubbard was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council.-Personal life:Alfred Hubbard was born in England about 1812-1813, the son of Nathaniel and Rebecca Hubbard.Alfred arrived in Brisbane in about 1860.... |
1877–1878 |
John Daniel Heal John Daniel Heal John Daniel Heal was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Australia.- Private life :John Daniel Heal was born in Turleigh near Bradford-on-Avon, England on 18 January 1825, he was baptised in St Nicholas' Winsley on 17 April 1825.Toowong Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions - Queensland Family History... |
1879 |
John Sinclair John Sinclair (mayor) John Sinclair was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane.-Personal life:John Sinclair was born at Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 8 December 1827, the son of John Sinclair and Jane Smith.... |
1880–1881 |
Robert Porter Robert Porter (mayor) Robert Porter was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:Robert Porter was born about 1825-1826 in London, England.... |
1882 |
Abram Robertson Byram Abram Robertson Byram Abram Robertson Bryam was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, Queensland, Australia.-Personal life:Abram Robertson Bryam was born about 1825, the son of James Cooper Byram and Mary Robertson.... |
1883 |
John McMaster John McMaster (mayor) John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:... (1st term) |
1884 |
Benjamin Harris Babbidge | 1885 |
James Hipwood James Hipwood James Hipwood was an Australia politician. Born in Sydney in 1842, he arrived in Brisbane in 1870. He was an alderman on the Brisbane City Council in 1884, and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland from 1886 to 1887.-References:... |
1886–1887 |
Richard Southall | 1888 |
William McNaughton Galloway | 1889 |
John McMaster John McMaster (mayor) John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:... (2nd term) |
1890 |
John Allworth Clark | 1891 |
George Watson, Junior | 1892 |
John McMaster John McMaster (mayor) John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:... (3rd term) |
1893 |
Robert Fraser (politician) | 1894–1895 |
Robert Woods Thurlow | 1896 |
John McMaster John McMaster (mayor) John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:... (4th term) |
1897 |
William Thorne | 1898 |
William Andrew Seal | 1899 |
James Nicol Robinson | 1900 |
Thomas Proe (1st term) | 1901 |
Leslie Corrie Leslie Corrie Leslie Gordon Corrie was an architect and the mayor of Brisbane, Queensland from 1902 to 1903.-Biography:Leslie Gordon Corrie was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1859, the son of James Afleck Corrie of Kirkcudbright and Mary Campbell of Edinburgh. He worked as an architect, first in Hobart and then... |
1902–1903 |
The Brisbane Municipal Council generally followed the practice of rotating the role of mayor among the aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, thus many mayors served for only one year and some served multiple times some years apart. The council "year" commenced and ended in about February to avoid a change-over during the summer holidays, so the mayor for 1890 would, strictly speaking, be the mayor into early 1891.
Most of the early aldermen and mayors of the Municipality of Brisbane were prominent local men rather than representatives of political parties.
Mayors of the Brisbane City Council (1903-1925)
Brisbane became a city on 31 March 1903. The list of mayors of the Brisbane City Council (1903–1925) appears below.Mayor | Term |
---|---|
Leslie Corrie Leslie Corrie Leslie Gordon Corrie was an architect and the mayor of Brisbane, Queensland from 1902 to 1903.-Biography:Leslie Gordon Corrie was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1859, the son of James Afleck Corrie of Kirkcudbright and Mary Campbell of Edinburgh. He worked as an architect, first in Hobart and then... |
1902–1903 |
Thomas Rees | 1904 |
Thomas Proe (2nd term) | 1905 |
John Crase | 1906 |
William Murray Thompson | 1907 |
Charles Packenham Buchanan Charles Packenham Buchanan Alderman Charles Pakenham Buchanan was Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1909 for 2 terms.... (1st term) |
1908 |
Thomas Wilson | 1909 |
John Hetherington (1st term) | 1910 |
Harry Diddams (1st term) | 1911 |
Alfred John Raymond Alfred John Raymond Alfred John Raymond was mayor of Brisbane in 1912.- Early life :Alfred was born in Clifton, Bristol, England to parents Henry George Raymond and Mary Ann , the fifth of eight children. The family lived at 16 Camden Terrace, Clifton.Alfred like his father was a carpenter and builder by trade and... |
1912 |
Harry Doggett | 1913 |
Charles Jenkinson Charles Moffatt Jenkinson Charles Moffatt Jenkinson was a Queensland politician.He served as Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Wide Bay from 1898–1902, and from 1903 - 1909.... |
1914 |
George Down | 1915 |
John Hetherington (2nd term) | 1916–1917 |
John McMaster John McMaster (mayor) John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:... (5th term) |
1918–1919 |
Charles Packenham Buchanan Charles Packenham Buchanan Alderman Charles Pakenham Buchanan was Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1909 for 2 terms.... (2nd term) |
1919–1919 |
James Francis Maxwell | 1920–1921 |
Harry Diddams (2nd term) | 1921–1924 |
Maurice Barry | 1924–1925 |
Lord Mayors of Brisbane City Council
On 1 October 1925, the City of Brisbane Act 1924 came into force, and 18 local government areas (including the Municipality of BrisbaneBrisbane Municipal Council
-History:On 7 September 1859, Brisbane was proclaimed a municipality. Thus after the passing of the Municipal Institutions Act 1864 the area could establish a municipal council to administer the district - with powers relating to by-laws, to rating, to borrowings, to the control or regulation of...
) and parts of two others were amalgamated to form the City of Brisbane, governed by the Brisbane City Council.
Mayoral Elections
The City of Brisbane Act was amended several times over the years by successive State Governments, which changed the way in which the Lord Mayor was elected, and also the number of wards in the city. The two main ways in which the Lord Mayor are elected are direct election and election by majority vote of councilors (originally called aldermen).List of Lord Mayors
Mayor | Party | Term | No Of Terms | Election Details | Departure Details | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Alfred Jolly William Jolly William Alfred Jolly CMG was the Mayor of Windsor Town Council from 1918 to 1923, and the first Lord Mayor of the Greater Brisbane City Council from 1925 to 1931.-Public life:... |
United Party (later renamed Nationalist Civic Party | 1925—1931 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Retired just prior to the end of his term. | |
Archibald Watson Archibald Watson (mayor) Archibald Watson was briefly the Lord Mayor of Brisbane in 1931. Watson had previously been Mayor of Toowong before the 1925 merger of the Brisbane councils.-Personal life:... |
Nationalist Civic Party | 1931 | N/A | Elected Mayor by Majority Vote of Aldermen for remainder of term (24/2/1931 to 11/5/1931) | Lost election of 2 May 1931 | |
John William (Billy) Greene John William Greene John William Greene was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1931 to 1934.He was a builder by trade, and built Moreton Bay College for his sister Alice Jane Alison Greene... |
Progress Party/Independent | 1931—1934 | 1 | Elected as Alderman of Wynnum and then elected Mayor by Majority Vote of Aldermen (as a Compromise Candidate) | Lost 1934 Election for Lord Mayor | |
Alfred James Jones Alfred James Jones He was born at Gayndah, Queensland in 1871, and after a basic education became a stockman and miner. He spent a short time teaching, was a Cobb & Co driver and spent six years mining. He married Martha Elizabeth Leggett in Gayndah in 1895.... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1934—1940 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Lost election in 1940. | |
Sir John Beals Chandler John Beals Chandler Sir John Beals Chandler was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1940 to 1952, and the Member for the Queensland Legislative Assembly district of Hamilton from 1943 to 1947.-Personal life:... |
Citizens' Municipal Organisation | 1940—1952 | 4 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Lost election in 1952. | |
Frank Edward Roberts Frank Roberts (mayor) Frank Roberts was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane for a single term from 1952 to 1955.He also held the seat of Nundah in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1947 to 1956 .... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1952—1955 | 1 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Lost election as an Independent in 1955. | |
Sir Thomas Reginald (Reg) Groom Reg Groom Sir Thomas Reginald Groom was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1955 to 1961.Groom was born at Teneriffe, Queensland on 30 December 1906, and educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland... |
Citizens' Municipal Organisation | 1955—1961 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Retired in 1961 and did not re-contest. | |
Clem Jones Clem Jones Clem Jones AO a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of the city of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975.-Public life:... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1961—1975 | 5 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Retired in 1975 before the end of his 5th term. | |
Bryan Vincent Walsh | Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1975—1976 | N/A | Elected Mayor by Majority Vote of Alderman | Lost his seat of Chermside in 1976 election, despite Labor Victory. | |
Frank Northey Sleeman Frank Sleeman Frank Northey Sleeman was Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1976 to 1982.-Early life and education:Sleeman grew up in Redfern, Sydney. He attended Canterbury Boys' High School.-Military Service and Prisoner of War:... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1976—1982 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Majority Vote of Alderman | Did not recontest the 1982 election. | |
William Charles (Roy) Harvey | Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1982—1985 | 1 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Lost 1985 election. | |
Sallyanne Atkinson Sallyanne Atkinson Sallyanne Atkinson AO is an Australian politician, former Lord Mayor of Brisbane and former chair of ABC Learning, a bankrupted Australian childcare operator.She is Special Representative for the Queensland Government in South-East Asia.... |
Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
1985—1991 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Lost 1991 election. | |
James Gerald (Jim) Soorley Jim Soorley James Gerard Soorley is a former Australian politician. He served as Australian Labor Party Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1991 to 2003. Soorley is a former Roman Catholic Priest and continues to be a strong human rights advocate... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1991—2003 | 4 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Retired midway through last term. | |
Kieran Owen Timothy (Tim) Quinn Tim Quinn Kieron Owen Timothy Quinn is an Australian politician.Tim Quinn entered local politics in 1985, becoming Brisbane's Lord Mayor after a factional deal by party officials following Lord Mayor Jim Soorley's retirement from politics in 2003... |
Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
2003—2004 | 1 | Elected Mayor by Majority Vote of Councillors | Lost 2004 election. | |
Campbell Newman Campbell Newman Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman is the leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He was the 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 2004 to 2011.... |
Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
2004—2008 | 2 | Elected Mayor by Popular Vote | Retired from Mayoralty to contest State Election. | |
Liberal National | 2008—2011 | |||||
Graham Quirk Graham Quirk Graham Quirk is an Australian politician and was the councillor for the ward of MacGregor, and is currently the Lord Mayor of the City of Brisbane, succeding former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.... |
Liberal National | 2011—present | 1 | Current Mayor | N/A |
Historical Party Names
Prior to the creation of the Liberal Party in 1944, the conservative councilors were represented on a variety of different platforms: The Unity Party, Nationalist Citizens Party, Civic Reform League, the Citizens Municipal Organization and the Liberal Civic Party.The United Party, and its successor the Nationalist Citizens Party were created as the vehicle for conservative candidates to campaign against Labor candidates in the newly formed Brisbane City Council. The Nationalist Citizens Party was doomed when the very conservative Civic Reform League was created on 12 December 1930. This saw most of the conservative councilors from the Nationalist Citizens Party led by Acting Mayor Watson defect to the Civic Reform League, which failed to win the subsequent elections. The Progress Party was created at the same time and for the 1931 election saw only 3 of its candidates win, including John Greene, who was made Lord Mayor as a compromise candidate amongst the 20 alderman.
The Citizens' Municipal Organization (CMO) was ostensibly a non-political grouping, but was seen to be aligned with firstly the United Australian Party, then the Liberal Party (after 1944). The CMO was formed on 23 June 1936 and was the platform for the election campaigns of Sir John Chandler and Sir Reg Groom. The organization then became the Liberal Civic Party after the 1970 election due to the abysmal results against popular incumbent, Clem Jones. Finally in the 1976 election, the Liberal Party began to contest the elections directly.