City of Hobsons Bay
Local government area in Victoria, Australia
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The City of Hobsons Bay is a local government area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the south-western suburbs between 6 and 20 km from the Melbourne city centre.
City of Hobsons Bay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location within Melbourne metropolitan area | |||||||||||||
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| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | Greater Melbourne | ||||||||||||
| Established | June 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Altona | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Daria Kellander | ||||||||||||
| • State electorates | |||||||||||||
| • Federal divisions | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 64 km2 (25 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 96,470 (2018)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 1,507/km2 (3,904/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Website | City of Hobsons Bay | ||||||||||||
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It takes its name from Hobsons Bay, the water body off the east coast of the LGA, named after Captain William Hobson. The city has an area of 64 square kilometres, and in June 2018 had a population of 96,470.[1]
History
The City of Hobsons Bay was founded on 22 June 1994 from the amalgamation of the City of Williamstown, the City of Altona (including an industrial area that it had gained from the City of Sunshine less than 12 months earlier[2]), the suburb of South Kingsville from the City of Footscray,[3] and the suburbs of Laverton, Seabrook and the western part of Altona Meadows from the City of Werribee.
Council
Starting with the 2024 election, Hobsons Bay has been restructured into seven single-member wards, with each councillor elected through preferential voting. Previously, councillors were chosen from three multi-member wards.
The councillors currently serving as of the 2024 election are:[4][5]
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altona | Independent | Daria Kellander | Mayor 2024–2025 | |
| Altona Meadows | Independent | Diana Grima | Mayor 2025–present | |
| Altona North | Independent Labor | Rayane Hawli | Deputy Mayor 2024–2025 | |
| Laverton | Independent Labor | Paddy Keys-Macpherson | ||
| Spotswood | Independent | Kristin Bishop | ||
| Williamstown | Independent | Lisa Bentley | Deputy Mayor 2025–present | |
| Williamstown North | Independent | Michael Disbury | ||
Education
Libraries
The library, run by the council has five branches: Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Newport and Williamstown. Reflecting the multiculturalism of the community, the library service has a large amount of material in eight different languages.
The Environment Resource Centre is located in Altona library and provides the community access to resources concerning the environment, including initiatives and environmental groups in Hobsons Bay.
Transport
Suburban railway
Hobsons Bay has seven train stations on the Werribee railway line, in PTV Zones 1 and 2. These stations are Spotswood, Newport, Seaholme, Altona, Westona, Laverton and Aircraft. Previously on this line were the stations of Mobiltown, Paisley, and Galvin.
Williamstown railway line is another service which runs through Hobsons Bay. It departs the Werribee railway line at Newport and visits the stations of North Williamstown, Williamstown Beach, and Williamstown.
Freeways
The interchange between the West Gate Freeway, Western Ring Road and Princes Freeway lies in the north-west of Hobsons Bay.
From Hobsons Bay, the West Gate Freeway provides access to the Melbourne CBD and eastern suburbs (over the iconic West Gate Bridge), the Princes Freeway provides access to outer south-western suburbs and Geelong, while the Western Ring Road leads to the northern suburbs and Melbourne Airport.
Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the city had a population of 91,322 up from 88,778 in the 2016 census[6]
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Altona | 10,762 | 11,490 |
| Altona Meadows | 19,160 | 18,479 |
| Altona North | 12,152 | 12,962 |
| Brooklyn^ | 1,856 | 1,979 |
| Laverton^ | 4,915 | 4,760 |
| Newport | 12,916 | 13,658 |
| Seabrook | 5,124 | 4,952 |
| Seaholme | 1,928 | 2,067 |
| South Kingsville | 1,947 | 2,156 |
| Spotswood | 2,604 | 2,820 |
| Williamstown | 13,969 | 14,407 |
| Williamstown North | 1,593 | 1,622 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
Sister cities
Anjo, Aichi, Japan[7]
Shire of Buloke, Victoria, Australia (friendship alliance)
