League of Historical Cities
The League of Historical Cities was founded in 1994 in Kyoto, Japan, to recognise the significant contribution that cities have made to culture and heritage throughout the world.
A key aim for the League's members is to "encourage opportunities for the exchange of ideas about how to preserve historical and cultural assets and integrate them into the fabric of modern societies".
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters holds the honour of being the birthplace of municipal government in Australia. This historical event took place on 7 July 1853 when the former City of Kensington and Norwood became the first suburban Municipal Town Council to be declared in Australia. In addition, the Mayor for the former City of Kensington and Norwood, Charles Bonney Esq. was elected by secret ballot at the second meeting of the Council held on 9 December 1853. This is believed to be the first documented example of voting undetaken by secret ballot in Australia. There are a number of other firsts for our City both in the South Australian and Australian context, including being the first electrified tram service to operate in Australia along the Kensington and Norwood line in 1909.
The Council's strong recognition and celebration of its Cultural Heritage is also well renowned. The City's 73 State Heritage Listed Buildings, 664 Local Heritage Places and nearly 1500 Contributory Items, evidence of how much the community values its built heritage.
Our City has some of the finest examples of intact housing stock and public buildings from the Victorian-era in South Australia, including workers cottages from the 1840s - built in the first decade after South Australia was proclaimed a colony.
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters is proud to be a member of the League of Historical Cities and all this membership encompasses for future generations who will call this City their home. The Council applied for membership to the League on behalf of the City's 34,000 residents in April 2007. We were advised that the application had been successful in July the same year.
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters was admitted along with the City of Norwich from the United Kingdom and the City of Riga from Latvia. We join Melbourne and Ballarat as the only other Australian member cities.
Other member cities around the world include Boston (USA); Montreal (Canada); Barcelona (Spain); Jerusalem (Israel); Rome (Italy); Paris (France), Prague (Czech Republic) and Zurich (Switzerland) to name a few. There are 71 cities from 50 countries who have been admitted to the League since its inception.
To find out more about the League of Historical Cities visit the League's website by clicking here.
To view a copy of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters Application to the League of Historical Cities click here.
(Please note: this may take a little time to load as the document is 123 pages long)
The application contains the following:
- Mayor's Message
- A City of Firsts (A chronological list of some of the City's significant historical achievements.)
- A Brief History (This content can also be viewed from this website by clicking here).
- The City's Cultural Heritage Program
- The City's Build Heritage Program
- Community Connections
- Working with Policy
- Showcasing Publications & Materials
To read the Media Release announcing the Council's successful admission click here.
