Image right: Strathfield Council Chambers and Town Hall 5 March 1964. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies
On Monday 2 June 2025 Strathfield Council will celebrate 140 years of local government! On Thursday 5 June we mark the occasion with the official opening of the exhibition Celebrating Strathfield: 140 Years in the Ironbark Gallery of Strathfield Library at 6pm.
This 1964 image of the Council Chambers is completely recognisable 61 years later. Observant residents will notice that the red pillar mailbox has been relocated around the corner, beyond the town hall on Redmyre Road. The war memorial is just visible on the right. The colourful garden plantings have been replaced with a larger paved footpath.
Strathfield Council Chambers c1915. Note the pillar letterbox on the left. Courtesy Strathfield-Homebush District Historical Society
The Council Chambers was built in 1887, designed by local resident, John Sulman, and has been extended several times over the years, including the addition of the first floor. The Town Hall was opened in 1923. Strathfield Council has also grown, merging with both Homebush Council and the West Ward of Enfield Council during the late 1940s.
A postman collects the mail from the pillar letterbox outside Strathfield Council on the corner of Homebush and Redmyre Roads, 1959. Courtesy National Archives of Australia
Visit our historical exhibition until 27 July to learn more about Strathfield's history.
To register for the exhibition opening, please visit: https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/Play/Events-Calendar/Celebrating-Strathfield-140-Years-Exhibition-Opening
A Seniors' Morning Tea will be held at Strathfield Library with a talk about Strathfield's history on 13 June. To register, please visit:
https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/Play/Events-Calendar/Celebrating-Strathfield-140-Years-Seniors-Morning-Tea
By J.J. MacRitchie
Local Studies Advisor