City of Yarra

This article is about the inner city local government that contains the River. For the outer shire that contains the River and its Valley and is based in Lilydale, see Yarra Ranges Shire.

City of Yarra
Victoria
Map
Population91,543 (2021)[1]
 • Density4,695/km2 (12,159/sq mi)
Established22 June 1994
Area19.5 km2 (7.5 sq mi)[1]
MayorStephen Jolly
Council seatRichmond
RegionGreater Melbourne
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
WebsiteCity of Yarra
LGAs around City of Yarra:
Merri-bek Darebin Banyule
Melbourne City of Yarra Boroondara
Melbourne Stonnington Stonnington

The City of Yarra is a local government area (LGA) in Victoria, Australia in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It is the second smallest LGA in the state (after the Borough of Queenscliffe) with an area of 19.5 square kilometres (7.5 sq mi), and in June 2021 it had a population of 91,543,[1] making it the second most densely populated LGA (after the City of Port Phillip), with around 4,695 people per square kilometre.[1] The City of Yarra was formed in 1994 as a result of the amalgamation of the former Cities of Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy, and parts of Carlton North (previously part of the City of Melbourne) and parts of Alphington and Fairfield (previously part of the former City of Northcote).

The administrative centre of the City of Yarra is the old Richmond Town Hall in Bridge Road, Richmond. The Collingwood Town Hall in Hoddle Street, Abbotsford is also still used by the council as secondary offices and as a service centre, and the Fitzroy Town Hall in Napier Street, Fitzroy is used for the local library and for use as a community space. Some council committees also meet at the Fitzroy and Collingwood Town Halls.

The city is culturally and socially diverse. The 2016 Australian Census found that 38.8% of residents were born outside Australia, with the largest numbers being born in England, New Zealand, Vietnam, China and Greece.[2]

The suburbs of the City of Yarra were established in the mid-to-late 19th century and retain a Victorian appearance. The majority of housing in the city is made up of Victorian cottages or terraces or apartments built from the 1960s.

The City of Yarra has some of Melbourne's best shopping streets. These include Bridge Road and Swan and Victoria streets in Richmond, Brunswick and Gertrude streets in Fitzroy and Smith Street in Collingwood. In 2021, Smith Street was named the coolest street in the world.[3][4][5][6]

As of November 2023, the mayor is Greens councillor Edward Crossland, and the deputy mayor is Greens councillor Anab Mohamud.[7] The CEO since June 2022 is Sue Wilkinson.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d "Estimated resident population, Local Government Areas (ASGS2021), Australia, 2001 to 2021". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Kelly, Cait (11 June 2021). "Melbourne beats out Sydney, with this street named the coolest in the world". The New Daily. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  4. ^ Street, Francesca. "The world's 'coolest' street revealed by Time Out". CNN. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  5. ^ McMah, Lauren (10 June 2021). "Melbourne's Smith Street named coolest street in the world". News.com.au. News Corp. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  6. ^ Russo, Rebecca. "Smith Street has been named the coolest street in the world". Timeout. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Councillors". Yarra City Council. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  8. ^ Moore, Ian (15 March 2022). "Former Darebin CEO to take over at Yarra City". Inner East Review. Retrieved 9 February 2023.