History of Moonee Valley (formerly City of Essendon)

The Borough of Essendon and Flemington was proclaimed on December 27th, 1861. The first public meeting was held at the Moonee Ponds Hotel at 3 p.m. on Saturday 25th January, 1862 under the Chairmanship of Mr. Edward Byam Wight of Kensington who was appointed by the Governor. The names of some of that first councillors are still in evidence in street names today - Smith, McCracken, Hoffman, Grant, Leake, Filson. On the 17th March, 1882, Flemington and Kensington left the borough of Essendon, Essendon was proclaimed a Town on January, 10th 1890 and in 1909 Essendon was proclaimed a City on April 16th.

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