Cockburn is named after
Cockburn Sound, which was named in 1827 by Captain
James Stirling after Admiral
Sir George Cockburn. Sir George was born in London in 1772 and was a renowned British naval officer, eventually becoming
Admiral of the Fleet and
First Sea Lord. He served under
Horatio Nelson during the war with France, but came to public attention and was granted his knighthood for his service in the
War of 1812, in particular for the
burning of Washington in 1814. It was he who took
Napoleon to exile on the island of
Saint Helena after the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1871, the Fremantle Road District was created under the
District Roads Act 1871 to cover the area to the south and east of
Fremantle, and the Fremantle Road Board was created to manage it. The original District was bounded on the north by the
Swan River from
Fremantle to the mouth of the
Canning River; on the east by a line from
Bull Creek to the junction of what is now the intersection of the
Albany and
South Western Highways in
Armadale; on the south by a line from Armadale to, and including the
Rockingham townsite; and to the west by the Indian Ocean. In the first five years of the Board's existence most of its members served on the
Fremantle Town Council. The function of the Board was simply to provide the roads that linked Fremantle to other parts of the Colony. By 1913 the District was divided into Wards, each electing representatives to the Board. In 1922 the Board constructed new offices at the corner of Forrest and Rockingham Roads. In July 1923, the District received a large amount of land (gaining the localities of
Atwell and
Banjup and 75% of the
Jandakot locality) from Jandakot Road District when that entity was abolished. On 21 January 1955, it was renamed Cockburn, after a successful referendum underlined the desire for recognition of the District's independence from Fremantle. On 1 July 1961, Cockburn Road District became a shire following the enactment of the
Local Government Act 1960, and on 24 January 1971, almost exactly 100 years after the formation of the Fremantle Road District, it became a Town in recognition of its increasingly urban nature. On 26 October 1979 the town attained City status. In May 1966,
Rottnest Island and
Carnac Island were included in the boundaries of the Shire of Cockburn. However, the council has "no involvement in or responsibility for any functions relating to the control and management of the islands", which are administered directly by state government agencies. A public inquiry into corruption in the City of Cockburn was held in 1999. The Council was suspended in April 1999 and dismissed on 30 June 2000, with administrators running the council until an election held on 6 December 2000. In 2007 the City of Cockburn was again embroiled in controversy as alleged evidence of corruption arose at the Corruption and Crime Commission.
Protests in the City of Cockburn The population has come together as a community to protest for and against many developments within the areas that are now emcompassed with the cities boundaries. From early arrival of Europeans settlers as part of the
Swan River Colony to saving the last of the wetlands in the area. == Wards ==