30 Years as a City

The 30th anniversary represents another milestone in Rockingham’s history, which began when the area was originally named after the ship Rockingham which ran aground in bad weather off the coast in 1830. 

Initially constituted as a Road Board on 21 May 1897, Rockingham officially became a Shire on 1 July 1961 before finally attaining City status on 12 November 1988.

Mayor Barry Sammels said the 30th anniversary was an important date in the City’s history. 

"The criteria for becoming a City in 1988 included having a population of more than 30,000 and a revenue of $200,000 sustained for three years," Mayor Sammels said.

"The district also had to be clearly distinguishable as a centre of population with sufficient residential, commercial and industrial centres.

"Since then the Rockingham community has grown to become a bustling strategic metropolitan centre that is home to nearly 140,000 residents.

The City’s first Mayor in 1988 was Councillor Richard Smith, while the first CEO of the City was Gary Holland, namesake of the community centre on Kent Street.

"It is important we acknowledge the progress which has been made over the last 30 years, which has laid the foundations for our continued growth into the future," Mayor Sammels said.

"Having become such a fantastic place to live and work, I’m excited to see how our City continues to develop in the years to come."