Decision details

Moved by Councillor Arkins, seconded by Councillor Maxwell -

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         the Labor Electoral League of New South Wales was formed by the Sydney Trades and Labour Council in 1891, to give working people an electoral voice;

(ii)        the Glebe Electoral League, including a Glebe and an Annandale branch, was established that same year, on 14 April 1891, marking the beginning of democratically organised workers electing their own representatives in Inner Sydney;

(iii)       that same year, Glebe was one of 35 seats secured by Labor to represent the community at Macquarie Street, out of 141 available, an extraordinary achievement for a fledgling political party; and

(iv)       the progressive influence of our local Labor Leagues, now taking the form of local Labor Party branches, is historic and should be formally recognised; and

(B)       Council further note:

(i)         the Glebe and Annandale Branches of the Labor Party celebrated this anniversary on Sunday 19 April 2026;

(ii)        the event heard speeches from the Prime Minister and Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese, Federal Member for Sydney Tanya Plibersek, Duty MLC for Balmain Penny Sharpe, former President of the Legislative Council and City of Sydney Councillor Meredith Burgmann, former Senator for New South Wales John Faulkner, and Richard Archer, former Secretary of Annandale Branch of the Labor Party; and

(iii)       the fantastic work of the President of Glebe Branch Tamira Stevenson and the President of Annandale Branch, Ann Bartlett for pulling the event together.

Carried unanimously.

X113758