City of Williamstown: 100 years

2019 marked 100 years since Williamstown became a city.

The city was proclaimed by His Excellency the State Governor, the Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley on 17 May 1919. At the same time he unveiled a collective photograph in memory of local servicemen killed during World War One and officially opened the new Town Hall. The Governor was presented with a leather bound proclamation and asked to sign the parchment. The official birth of the city was celebrated by 2000 residents.

The beginning of Williamstown was as a municipal borough, created in 1856 and incorporated Newport and Spotswood, although they were sparsely populated until the 1880s. The borough was proclaimed a town in 1886 before becoming a city in 1919.

The current photographic honour board was unveiled in 1924 and recently restored. More information can be found at www.sonsofwilliamstown.com.au