Learn about the early history of the Shire and view the honour roll of its most important historical figures.
Council history
In May 1830, Governor Stirling led a party of settlers on board the ship “Emily Taylor” to the mouth of a river and inlet that sealers had reported. Upon exploring the river, Stirling named it the Blackwood, after Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood, under whom he had served.
Stirling also decided to declare a townsite at the mouth of the river, naming it Augusta in honour of Princess Augusta Sophia, the second daughter of King George IV and Queen Charlotte (1768-1840).
The townsite of Margaret River is located on the watercourse of Margaret River, from which it derives its name. The Margaret River watercourse was named in 1831 by John Garrett Bussell on one of his early explorations. The name is first shown on a map of the region published in 1839.
Margaret River was declared a townsite in 1910 and gazetted on 7 February 1913. In 1910, the Margaret River Progress Association wrote to the Minister for Lands requesting a townsite be declared at “the Upper Margaret Bridge”. The reasoning behind the request was that “the district is likely to be dotted with public buildings several miles apart in the near future if a townsite is not made available shortly”.
The District Surveyor who inspected the area preferred the land near the lower bridge on Caves Road, but it was not available. Lots were surveyed in 1912, and the Townsite of Margaret River was gazetted in 1913. In 1918, the name of the townsite was changed to “Margaret.” However, it was officially changed back to “Margaret River” in 1927 as the locals had continued to call it by that name.
The first local government in Australia was established in Adelaide in 1840. In 1891, the Augusta Road Board was gazetted and renamed Augusta-Margaret River Road Board in 1926. On 1 July 1961, the Augusta-Margaret River Board became the Shire Council following changes to the Local Government Act.
Although local government has been in existence for more than 160 years, it is not yet recognised in the Australian Constitution.
Augusta Road Board 1891 – 1924
- 1916 – 1918 J. Cross
- 1918 – 1921 N. McLeod
- 1921 – 1923 D. Terry
- 1923 – 1924 E. Willmott
- 1909 E. Dyer
- 1909 – 1924 J. Trinder
- 1891 – 1894 M. Davies
- 1891 – 1894 J. Brennan
- 1891 – 1894 A. Bussell
- 1891 H. Davies
- 1891 W. Ellis
- 1891 – 1902 H. Scott
- 1891 – 1894 T. Waterhouse
- 1894 – 1896 W. Dawson
- 1896 W. Ellis
- 1896 – 1898 L. Davies
- 1896 – 1902 A. Davies
- 1896 – 1898 W. Gepp
- 1896 – 1904 J. Rodgers
- 1898 J. Ellis
- 1900 – 1904 H. Davies
- 1901 R. Gale
- 1901 C. Allnutt
- 1901 G. McGreggor
- 1902 W. Ellis
- 1902 R. Harris
- 1904 – 1905 R. Harris
- 1904 L. McDaniell
- 1904 L. O’Flaharty
- 1904 – 1905 W. Payne
- 1905 G. McGregor
- 1909 – 1910 J. Cross
- 1909 – 1910 E. Kearney
- 1909 – 1910 L. McLeod
- 1909 – 1910 S. Smith
- 1909 – 1910 J. Brennan
- 1909 – 1910 A. Loaring
- 1910 – 1911 C. Howes
- 1911 F. Allnut
- 1911 – 1913 E. Andrews
- 1913 J. Cross
- 1914 – 1916 J.Mouchemore
- 1914 J. Waterhouse
- 1915 – 1918 J. Cross
- 1916 – 1918 H. Ellis
- 1917 – 1918 J. Blanton
- 1916 – 1918 J. Ellis
- 1917 – 1918 E. Donovan
- 1917 H. Eatt
- 1918 – 1920 N. McLeod
- 1918 – 1924 E. Willmott
- 1919 – 1922 N. Terry
- 1919 – 1925 R. Keenan
- 1919 – 1922 J. Betts
- 1919 T. Higgins
- 1921 – 1922 D. Terry
- 1921 W. Ellis
- 1922 – 1925 T. Connelly
- 1923 – 1925 F. Allnutt
- 1923 – 1925 A. Mann
- 1923 – 1924 J. Ellis
- 1923 – 1924 W. Ellis
Augusta – Margaret River Road Board 1924 – 1961
- 1924 – 1952 E. Willmott
- 1952 – 1957 B. Darnell
- 1957 – 1960 G. Shervington
- 1960 – 1962 C. Smith
- 1924 – 1930 J. Trinder
- 1931 – 1937 N. Terry
- 1937 F. Rees
- 1938 – 1940 A. Allsop
- 1941 – 1942 J. Burston
- 1942 G. Cusack
- 1942 A. King
- 1942 R. Vincent
- 1942 – 1944 H. Hitch
- 1944 – 1951 K. Shepherdson
- 1951 – 1957 C. Harland
- 1958 – 1961 C. West
- 1924 – 1937 W. Ellis
- 1924 – 1952 E. Willmott
- 1925 – 1930 W. Rigby
- 1926 – 1928 R. Rusden
- 1926 – 1927 N. Terry
- 1926 F. Bussell
- 1927 – 1930 A. Wilson
- 1928 I. McNabb
- 1928 W. Curtis
- 1929 – 1934 A. Mann
- 1929 – 1931 R. Wise
- 1930 – 1938 A. Armstrong
- 1931 – 1933 G. Baskerville
- 1931 J. Ellis
- 1932 – 1947 W. Hillier
- 1932 A. Millar
- 1932 – 1934 F. Dyke
- 1932 J. Gallagher
- 1933 – 1937 N. Ranson
- 1933 – 1935 J. Fitzgerald
- 1934 – 1935 E. Le Souef
- 1935 – 1939 W. Key
- 1935 A. Millar
- 1936 R. Leiper
- 1936 – 1942 R. Clarke
- 1937 – 1942 W. Auger
- 1937 – 1938 S. Frohawk
- 1937 – 1941 H. Staines
- 1937 – 1939 K. Shepherdson
- 1938 – 1939 W. Blaikie
- 1938 – 1944 J. Bushby
- 1939 – 1951 G Shervington
- 1939 – 1945 W. Patmore
- 1939 – 1942 R. Leiper
- 1940 – 1946 W. Duggan
- 1942 – 1945 S. Frohawk
- 1942 – 1946 F. Allnut
- 1942 – 1943 E. Shepherdson
- 1942 G. Baskerville
- 1943 – 1976 W. Darnell
- 1945 – 1946 Milne-Robertson
- 1946 – 1955 J. Bushbuy
- 1946 – 1951 W. Smith
- 1946 – 1950 R. Leiper
- 1946 – 1947 J. Arbothnot
- 1947 R. Chamberlain
- 1947 – 1948 R Earl
- 1948 – 1949 H. Challis
- 1948 – 1953 W. Ellis
- 1948 – 1952 R. Robinson
- 1948 J. McDonald
- 1949 – 1955 R. Ferguson
- 1950 – 1954 F. O’Connor
- 1951 – 1956 S. Frohawk
- 1952 – 1961 G. Kniveton
- 1952 – 1953 T. McCoy
- 1953 – 1959 C. Shervington
- 1953 – 1955 N. McLeod
- 1954 – 1960 D. McKenzie
- 1954 – 1958 C. Marsh
- 1955 – 1958 H. McDonald
- 1956 – 1961 C. Smith
- 1956 – 1958 J. Franklin
- 1956 A. Hunter
- 1957 -1961 H. Challis
- 1957 -1961 A. Dempster
- 1958 – 1961 W. Patmore
- 1959 – 1961 E. Lilly
- 1959 A. Hunter
- 1961 J. Oldfield
- 1961 B. Holman
- 1961 N. McLeod
- 1961 H. Noakes
Augusta – Margaret River Shire Council From 1961
- 1962 – 1968 C. Smith
- 1968 – 1973 R. Nixon
- 1973 – 1976 R. Vansittart
- 1976 – 1979 C. Smith
- 1979 – 1987 A. Hillier
- 1987 – 1988 M. Yates
- 1988 – 1990 D. Patmore
- 1990 – 1991 K. Thomson
- 1991 – 1995 L. Shepherdson
- 1995 – 1997 R. Knapp
- 1997 – 1999 B. Godley
- 1999 – 2000 R. Watt
- 2000 – 2001 E. Kelly (Commissioner)
- 2001 – 2004 N. Dornan
- 2004 – 2004 J. McCall
- 2005 – 2009 S. Harrison
- 2009 – 2013 R. Colyer
- 2013 – 2015 M Smart
- 2015 – 2017 I. Earl
- 2017 – 2019 P. Townshend
- 2019 – 2021 I. Earl
- 2021- current P. Cristoffanini
- 1961 – 1966 C. West
- 1967 – 1970 R. Scott
- 1971 – 1977 J. Riedy – Crofts
- 1977 – 1988 K. Preston
- 1988 – 1996 L. Calneggia
- 1996 R. Smith
- 1997 – 2001 M. Eastcott
- 2001 – 2004 I. Bodill
- 2004 – 2008 J. Trail
- 2008 – 2019 G. Evershed
- 2019 – current S. Addison-Brown
- 1961 – 1976 W. Darnell
- 1961 – 1978 G Kniveton
- 1961 – 1979 C. Smith
- 1961 – 1986 H. Challis
- 1961 – 1966 A Dempster
- 1961 – 1963 W. Patmore
- 1961 – 1964 N. McLeod
- 1961 – 1976 J. Oldfield
- 1962 – 1963 E. Gale
- 1962 – 1968 C. Ironmonger
- 1962 – 1966 M. Wankey
- 1963 – 1969 V. Roberts
- 1963 – 1966 H. Smith
- 1964 – 1973 R. Nixon
- 1965 – 1970 R. Sunderland
- 1966 – 1971 B. Blaikie
- 1966 – 1983 G. Kevill
- 1961 – 1976 J. Oldfield
- 1968 – 1977 R. Vansittart
- 1969 – 1971 A. Nielson-Beck
- 1970 – 1983 E. Stephenson
- 1971 – 1978 C. Mann
- 1971 – 1986 S. Melville
- 1973 – 1987 A. Hillier
- 1976 – 1981 M. Hohnen
- 1976 – 1988 R. Arthur
- 1977 – 1978 M. Dekkers
- 1978 – 1981 W. Cooper
- 1978 – 1983 J. Wilson
- 1978 – 1986 E. Noakes
- 1979 – 1983 N. Earl
- 1981 – 1990 D. Patmore
- 1981 – 1988 M. Yates
- 1983 – 1988 J. Sutherland
- 1983 – 1989 T. Merchant
- 1983 – 1989 F. Togno
- 1983 – 1995 A. Colyer
- 1983 – 1984 D. Stolp
- 1985 – 1992 E. Stephenson
- 1986 – 1995 L Shepherdson
- 1987 – 1993 I. Englert
- 1988 – 1991 K. Thomson
- 1997 – 1994 A. Jaworak
- 1988 – 1991 C. Willcox
- 1988 – 1992 A. West
- 1989 – 1993 S. Hohnen
- 1989 – 2000 R. Watt
- 1991 – 1996 E. Noakes
- 1990 – 1993 L. Serventy
- 1991 – 1994 G. Dempster
- 1992 – 1999 R. Knapp
- 1993 – 1994 P. Lane
- 1993 – 1995 P. McFarlane
- 1993 – 1999 T. Merchant
- 1993 – 1998 R. Down
- 1994 – 1997 J. Gaglia
- 1994 – 1997 D. Beere
- 1994 – 1997 R.Shenston
- 1995 – 1997 B. Doig
- 1995 – 1997 J. Boow
- 1995 – 1997 R. Plater
- 1996 – 1998 S. Prater
- 1997 – 1999 B. Godley
- 1997 – 2000 W. Shephard
- 1997 – 2000 P. Gherardi
- 1997 – 2000 M. Ashton
- 1997 – 2000 R. Martin
- 1998 – 1999 F. Temby
- 1998 – 1999 A. Lindsay
- 1999 – 2000 L. Hodson
- 1999 – 2000 R. Simpson
- 1999 – 2000 E. Coulter
- 1999 – 2000 R. Wyburn
- 1999 – 2000 B. Bussau
- 1999 – 2000 K. Preston
- 2000 – 2001 E. Kelly (Commissioner)
- 2000 – 2001 E. Tait (Commissioner)
- 2000 – 2001 H. Morgan (Commissioner)
- 2001 – 2003 W. Shephard
- 2001 – 2003 C. Lagan
- 2001 – 2003 M. Watt
- 2001 – 2005 D. Chappelow
- 2001 – 2005 J. McCall
- 2001 – 2004 N. Dornan
- 2001 - 2007 R. Wyburn
- 2003 – 2005 L. Hodson
- 2003 – 2007 M. Denton
- 2003 – 2005 B. Thornton
- 2005 – 2009 R. Taylor
- 2005 – 2009 S. Harrison
- 2005 – 2011 B. Middleton
- 2005 – 2013 R. Colyer
- 2005 – 2013 J. McGregor
- 2007 – 2015 L. Serventy
- 2007 – 2019 M. Smart
- 2009 – current I. Earl
- 2009 – 2013 J.Bell
- 2011 – 2015 N. Veitch
- 2013 – 2017 K. Hastie
- 2013 – 2017 F. Haynes
- 2013 – 2017 K. Kennaugh
- 2015 – 2019 P. Townshend
- 2015 – 2019 P. Lane
- 2017 – 2021 N. Godden
- 2017 – current J. Meldrum
- 2017 – 2021 P. McLeod
- 2019 – current P. Cristoffanini
- 2019 – current B. Daniel
- 2019 – current K. Kennaugh
- 2019 – current T. Muir
- 2019 – current D. Binks