Hobsons Bay’s new mayor has made history a major theme of his year in office.
Peter Hemphill was elected to the role by councillors last Friday, with Cr Sandra Wilson his deputy.
Cr Hemphill, a long-time Newport resident who was first elected to the council in 1999 and previously served as mayor in 2008-09, outlined his interest in Hobsons Bay’s history.
“I particularly want to pursue recognising Hobsons Bay’s heritage through street signs –who the particular streets were named after,” he said. “Another area I want to pursue in the history theme relates to the original Anzacs.
“We have a project in Williamstown called the Sons of Williamstown and I want to make sure that’s taken to the next level.
“For those that don’t know this project, it’s an honour board with the photos of 265 World War I men who died in that war.”
The project involves researching the stories of these soldiers, among them a great uncle of Cr Hemphill who served in the 22nd Battalion.
Cr Hemphill said another focus would be better planning for sports clubs.
“Our city is expanding, but I’m not convinced we’re keeping pace with the requirements for sports facilities or their needs,” he said.
Cr Hemphill replaced former mayor Colleen Gates, who cited the economic development strategy as one of her mayoral year’s highlights.
“[This] led to the first business breakfast, held at The Substation, and then the business awards, which the
Star Weekly were fabulous in sponsoring,” Cr Gates said.
“And the disability forum, or the access and inclusion forum, was one of the key things I wanted to deliver and that was a really successful night. It followed on to raise more profile around disability access.”
