Lord Mayor of Brisbane
Flag of the City of Brisbane
Incumbent
Adrian Schrinner
since 8 April 2019
StyleThe Right Honourable
Member ofCivic Cabinet
SeatBrisbane City Hall
Term length4 years
Inaugural holderWilliam Jolly
Formation1 October 1925; 98 years ago (1 October 1925)
SalaryA$377,394 (not including allowance)[1]
Websitewww.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is the chief executive of the City of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and the head of the Brisbane City Council. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner of the Liberal National Party was sworn in on 8 April 2019, following the resignation of Graham Quirk.[2]

The Lord Mayor serves a four-year term running concurrently with that of the City Council, and is elected by optional preferential voting. As Brisbane is by far the largest local government area in Australia, the Lord Mayor is elected by the largest single-member electorate in the Commonwealth.

Like all mayors in Queensland, the Lord Mayor has broad executive powers and additional civic and ceremonial duties.[3][4] The Lord Mayor is responsible for policy development, implementing policies enacted by the council, leading and controlling the business of council, preparing the budget and directing the chief executive and senior managers.[4][5][6] The Lord Mayor also chairs the council's Civic Cabinet and is an ex officio member of all council committees.[2]

In August 2023, Greens mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan proposed that the word "Lord" should be removed from the title of the city's chief executive.[7]

Mayors of the Brisbane Municipal Council (1859–1903)

The Town of Brisbane, established in 1859, was led by a mayor.[8][9][10]

Mayor Term
John Petrie 1859–1862
Thomas Blacket Stephens[11] 1862
George Edmondstone 1863
Joshua Jeays 1864
Albert John Hockings (1st term) 1865
Richard Symes Warry 1866
Albert John Hockings (2nd term) 1867
John Hardgrave 1868–1869
William Pettigrew 1870
Francis Murray 1871
Edward Joseph Baines 1872
James Swan 1873–1875
Richard Ash Kingsford 1876
Alfred Hubbard 1877–1878
John Daniel Heal 1879
John Sinclair 1880–1881
Robert Porter 1882
Abram Robertson Byram 1883
John McMaster (1st term) 1884
Benjamin Harris Babbidge 1885
James Hipwood 1886–1887
Richard Southall 1888
William McNaughton Galloway 1889
John McMaster (2nd term) 1890
John Allworth Clark 1891
George Watson 1892
John McMaster (3rd term) 1893
Robert Fraser 1894–1895
Robert Woods Thurlow 1896
John McMaster (4th term) 1897
William Thorne 1898
William Andrew Seal 1899
James Nicol Robinson 1900
Thomas Proe (1st term) 1901
Leslie Corrie 1902–1903

Mayors of the Brisbane City Council (1903–1925)

The City of Brisbane, established in 1903, replaced the Town of Brisbane and was led by a mayor.[12]

Mayor Term Party
Leslie Corrie 1903
Thomas Rees 1904
Thomas Proe (2nd term) 1905
John Crase 1906
William Murray Thompson 1907
Charles Packenham Buchanan (1st term) 1908
Thomas Wilson 1909
John Hetherington (1st term) 1910
Harry Diddams (1st term) 1911
Alfred John Raymond 1912
Harry Doggett 1913
Charles Moffatt Jenkinson 1914
George Down 1915
John Hetherington (2nd term) 1916–1917
John McMaster (5th term) 1918–1919
Charles Packenham Buchanan (2nd term) 1919–1919
James Francis Maxwell 1920–1921   National
Harry Diddams (2nd term) 1921–1924
Maurice Barry 1924–1925 Labor
Thomas Wilson (2nd term)[13] 1925

Lord Mayors of the Brisbane City Council

The new City of Brisbane, established in 1925, replaced the former City of Brisbane and is led by the Lord Mayor.

1925–present

No. Portrait Mayor Party Term start Term end Council control
(term)
1 William Jolly
(1881−1955) 		United 1925 24 February 1931
2 Archibald Watson
(1874−1941) 		Nationalist Civic 24 February 1931 11 May 1931
3 John William Greene
(1876−1959) 		Progressive 11 May 1931 1934
4 Alfred James Jones
(1871−1945) 		Labor 1934 1940
5 John Beals Chandler
(1887−1962) 		Citizens' Municipal Organisation 1940 1952
6 Frank Roberts
(1913−1992) 		Labor 1952 1955
7 Reg Groom
(1906−1987) 		Citizens' Municipal Organisation 1955 1961
8 Clem Jones
(1918−2007) 		Labor 1961 1975
9 Bryan Walsh
Labor 1975 1976
10 Frank Sleeman
(1915−2000) 		Labor 1976 1982
11 Roy Harvey
(1921−2006) 		Labor 1982 1985
12 Sallyanne Atkinson
(b. 1942) 		Liberal 1985 1991
13 Jim Soorley
(b. 1951) 		Labor 1991 2003
14 Tim Quinn
(b. 1949) 		Labor 2003 27 March 2004
15 Campbell Newman
(b. 1963) 		Liberal 27 March 2004 15 March 2008 Labor majority
(2004–2008)
15 March 2008 26 July 2008 Liberal majority
(2008)
(15) Liberal National 26 July 2008 3 April 2011 LNP majority
(2008–present)
16 Graham Quirk
(b. c. 1958) 		Liberal National 3 April 2011 8 April 2019
17 Adrian Schrinner
(b. 1977) 		Liberal National 8 April 2019 incumbent

Historical party names

Prior to 1976, conservative councillors stood on a variety of different platforms: the United Party, Nationalist Citizens Party, Civic Reform League, the Citizens' Municipal Organisation, the Liberal Civic Party and the Brisbane Civic Party.[14]

The United Party and its successor the Nationalist Citizens Party were created as the vehicle for conservative candidates to campaign against Labor candidates in the newly formed Brisbane City Council. The Nationalist Citizens Party was doomed when the very conservative Civic Reform League was created on 12 December 1930. This saw most of the conservative councillors from the Nationalist Citizens Party - led by Acting Mayor Watson - defect to the Civic Reform League, which failed to win the subsequent elections.[15] The Progress Party was created at the same time and for the 1931 election saw only three of its candidates win, including John Greene, who became Lord Mayor as a compromise candidate amongst the 20 alderman.[16]

The Citizens' Municipal Organisation (CMO) was ostensibly a nonpartisan grouping, but was informally aligned with firstly the United Australian Party, then the Liberal Party (after 1944). The CMO was formed on 23 June 1936 and was the platform for the election campaigns of Sir John Chandler and Sir Reg Groom. Finally in the 1976 election, the Liberal Party began to contest the elections directly.[17]

Electoral results

2024

2024 Queensland mayoral elections: Brisbane[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Adrian Schrinner 303,702 48.33 +0.59
Labor Tracey Price 166,051 26.42 −4.52
Greens Jonathan Sriranganathan 123,380 19.63 +4.23
Legalise Cannabis Clive Brazier 20,596 3.28 +3.28
Independent Bruce Tanti 9,122 1.45 +1.45
Independent Gilbert Holmes 5,555 0.88 +0.88
Total formal votes 628,406 97.81 +0.50
Informal votes 14,051 2.19 -0.50
Turnout 642,457
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal National Adrian Schrinner 257,253 55.2 −1.2
Labor Tracey Price 209,087 44.8 +1.2
Liberal National hold Swing −1.2

2020

2020 Queensland mayoral elections: Brisbane[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Adrian Schrinner 292,895 47.7 -5.7
Labor Pat Condren 189,832 30.9 -1.1
Greens Kath Angus 94,481 15.4 +5.0
Animal Justice Karagh-Mae Kelly 19,022 3.1 +3.1
Civil Liberties & Motorists Jeff Hodges 5,502 0.9 -1.2
Independent Frank Jordan 4,008 0.7 +0.7
Independent John Dobinson 3,461 0.6 +0.6
Independent Ben Gorringe 2,270 0.4 +0.4
Independent Jarrod Wirth 2,065 0.3 -0.2
Total formal votes 613,536
Informal votes 16,425
Turnout 629,961
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal National Adrian Schrinner 306,905 56.3 -3.0
Labor Pat Condren 237,988 43.7 +3.0
Liberal National hold Swing

2016

2016 Queensland mayoral elections: Brisbane[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Graham Quirk 325,714 53.4 -8.6
Labor Rod Harding 195,055 32.0 +6.8
Greens Ben Pennings 63,483 10.4 -0.3
Consumer Rights Jeffrey Hodges 12,960 2.1 +2.1
People Decide Karel Boele 5,195 0.9 +0.9
Independent Jim Eldridge 4,764 0.8 +0.8
Independent Jarrod Wirth 3,063 0.5 +0.5
Total formal votes 610,234
Informal votes 15,287
Turnout 625,521
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal National Graham Quirk 336,450 59.3 -9.2
Labor Rod Harding 230,841 40.7 +9.2
Liberal National hold Swing

2012

2012 Queensland mayoral elections: Brisbane[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Graham Quirk 333,637 61.9 +1.9
Labor Ray Smith 135,534 25.2 −3.9
Greens Andrew Bartlett 57,641 10.7 +2.3
Sex Party Rory Killen 7,125 1.3 +1.3
Independent Chris Carson 4,733 0.9 +0.9
Total formal votes 538,670
Informal votes 11,778
Turnout 550,448
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal National Graham Quirk 340,464 68.5
Labor Ray Smith 156,357 31.5
Liberal National hold Swing +2.4

2008

2008 Queensland mayoral elections: Brisbane[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Campbell Newman 335,076 60.1 +12.9
Labor Greg Rowell 161,845 29.0 -11.6
Greens Jo-Anne Bragg 46,733 8.4 -1.8
Independent Robert Campbell 8,439 1.5 +1.5
Independent Louise Day 1,801 0.3 +0.3
Independent Bryan Crawford 1,331 0.2 +0.2
Independent David Alan Couper 952 0.2 +0.2
Independent James Patrick Sinnamon 856 0.2 +0.2
Independent Derek Rosborough 773 0.1 +0.1
Total formal votes 557,806
Informal votes 9,618
Turnout 567,424
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Campbell Newman 66.1 +13.7
Labor Greg Rowell 33.9 -13.7
Liberal hold Swing +13.7

References

  1. ^ O'Malley, Brendan (31 May 2022). "Wages revealed: Councillors, Lord Mayor get pay rise". The Courier-Mail.
  2. ^ a b Yamashita, Kate (12 March 2014). "Lord Mayor Graham Quirk". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  3. ^ Sweeting, David (15 March 2017). Directly Elected Mayors in Urban Governance: Impact and Practice. Policy Press. ISBN 9781447327011. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Sansom, Graham (September 2012). "Australian Mayors: What Can and Should They Do?" (PDF). University of Technology, Sydney. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  5. ^ Sansom, Graham; McKinlay, Peter (30 September 2013). New Century Local Government: Commonwealth Perspectives. Commonwealth Secretariat. ISBN 9781849290937. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  6. ^ "City of Brisbane Act 2010" (PDF). Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Council. 1 March 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Why does Brisbane have a 'lord' mayor?". ABC News. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  8. ^ Larcombe, F.A. (Frederick) (1973). The Origin of Local Government in New South Wales 1831–58. Sydney University Press. p. 274. ISBN 0-424-06610-6.
  9. ^ Brisbane City Council Archives
  10. ^ The Mayors of Brisbane, The Queenslander, Saturday 6 February 1892, page 278
  11. ^ Australian History Publishing Co (1936), Queensland and Queenslanders : incorporating 'Prominent Queenslanders', Australian History Publishing Co, p. 270, archived from the original on 2 October 2015, retrieved 1 October 2015 — available online Archived 16 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Agency Details – Brisbane City Council I". 2009. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  13. ^ "MR. T. WILSON DEAD". The Brisbane Courier. No. 23, 495. Queensland, Australia. 20 May 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 2 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ Shaping A City – Making Greater Brisbane Work (1925–1985), John Cole (1985), Published by William Brooks Queensland
  15. ^ John Cole (1985). Shaping A City – Making Greater Brisbane Work (1925–1985). William Brooks Queensland. pp. 49–52, 73–78.
  16. ^ John Cole (1985). Shaping A City – Making Greater Brisbane Work (1925–1985). William Brooks Queensland. p. 74.
  17. ^ John Cole (1985). Shaping A City – Making Greater Brisbane Work (1925–1985). William Brooks Queensland. pp. 98, 107–108.
  18. ^ "Lord Mayor - BCC Electorate, Candidates, Results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Electoral Commission of Queensland". July 2019.
  20. ^ "Lord Mayor - Brisbane City Council 2020 Election Results | ECQ (Electoral Commission of Queensland)". ECQ (Electoral Commission of Queensland). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Lord Mayor Election - ABC News". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  22. ^ "2012 Brisbane City - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission Queensland. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  23. ^ "BCC2012_Results". Electoral Commission Queensland. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Mayoral Election - ABC News". ABC News. ABC Corporation. Retrieved 4 March 2017.

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