City of West Torrens

The City of West Torrens is a local government area in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Since the 1970s, the area was mainly home to many open spaces and parks, however after the mid-1990s (1993–1995) the LGA became more residential.

City of West Torrens South Australia
Population	61,699 (LGA 2021)[1]
• Density	1,689/km2 (4,370/sq mi)
Area	37.07 km2 (14.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Michael Coxon
Region	Western Adelaide[2]
State electorate(s)	Colton, Badcoe, West Torrens, Morphett
Federal division(s)	Adelaide, Hindmarsh
Website	City of West Torrens
LGAs around City of West Torrens: City of Charles Sturt City of Adelaide City of West Torrens City of Unley City of Holdfast Bay City of Marion City of Marion

History

It was established on 7 July 1853 as the District Council of West Torrens, which was one of the first local governments to be formed in South Australia following the passage of the District Councils Act 1852. It became smaller over time as a number of areas within the original boundaries split off to form new municipalities: the Holdfast Bay area became part of the new Corporate Town of Glenelg on 23 August 1855, the Thebarton area seceded as the Corporate Town of Thebarton on 8 February 1883, and the West Beach area seceded as part of the Corporate Town of Henley and Grange on 4 December 1915.^[3][4] It gained an area from the District Council of Marion on 15 January 1903, but subsequently lost the same area to the Glenelg council. Further areas of West Torrens were severed and added to Glenelg in 1928, 1932 and 1950.^[5][6]

It became a municipal corporation as the Corporate Town of West Torrens on 1 January 1944, and gained city status as the City of West Torrens on 1 July 1950. It absorbed the former Corporate Town of Thebarton on 1 March 1997, briefly being renamed the City of West Torrens Thebarton before reverting to its original name several months later.^[7][8]

Council

The current council as of November 2022^[update] is:^[9]

Ward	Party[10]		Councillor	Notes
Mayor		Independent	Michael Coxon	Elected 2018
Airport		Independent	Jassmine Wood	Elected 2018
		Independent	Sara Comrie	Elected 2022
Hilton		Independent	Cindy O'Rielley	Elected 2010
		Independent	George Vlahos	Re-elected 2024
Keswick		Independent	John Woodward	Elected 2014
		Independent	Elisabeth Papanikolaou	Elected 2018
Lockleys		Independent	Kym McKay	Elected 2003
		Independent	Daniel Huggett	Elected 2018
Morphett		Independent	Anne McKay	Elected 2018
		Independent	George Demetriou	Re-elected 2022
Plympton		Labor	Surender Pal	Elected 2018
		Liberal	Lana Gelonese	Elected 2022
Thebarton		Labor	Graham Nitschke	Elected 2014
		Labor	Zoi Papafilopoulos	Elected 2022

Suburbs

The City of West Torrens contains the following suburbs.^[11]

• Adelaide Airport^[12]
• Ashford
• Brooklyn Park
• Camden Park
• Cowandilla
• Fulham
• Glandore
• Glenelg North
• Hilton
• Keswick
• Keswick Terminal
• Kurralta Park
• Lockleys
• Marleston
• Mile End
• Mile End South
• Netley
• North Plympton
• Novar Gardens
• Plympton
• Richmond
• Thebarton
• Torrensville
• Underdale
• West Richmond
• West Beach

Mayors (formerly Chairmen) of West Torrens

• Alexander Ferris Scott (1935-1937) ^[5]
• Alfred Burt (1937-1939) ^[5]
• Arthur McLean (1939-1940) ^[5]
• Hurtle Henry Norman (1940-1941) ^[5]
• Howard Edward Comley (1941-1946) ^[5]
• Charles Richard John Veale (1946-1954) ^[5]
• Robert James Bartlett (1954-1961) ^[5]
• Stephen John (Steve) Hamra (1961-1976) ^[5]
• Reece Jennings (1976-1977) ^[5]
• Stephen John (Steve) Hamra (1976-1989) ^[5][13]
• George Robertson (1989-1998) ^[14]
• Reece Jennings (1999-2000) ^[15]
• John Trainer (2000-2018) ^[16]
• Michael Coxon (2018-present)

See also

• List of Adelaide parks and gardens