City of Playford South Australia |
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Population | 88,222 (2015 est.) | ||||||||||||
• Density | 255.0/km2 (660.4/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
Area | 346 km2 (133.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
Mayor | Glenn Docherty | ||||||||||||
Council seat | Elizabeth | ||||||||||||
Region | Metropolitan Adelaide | ||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Little Para, Kavel, Light, Napier, Taylor | ||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Wakefield | ||||||||||||
Website | City of Playford | ||||||||||||
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The City of Playford is a local government area of South Australia in Adelaide's northern suburbs. The name 'Playford' comes from the recognition of Sir Thomas Playford, who played a part in the development of the area, and was South Australia's premier from 1938-1965. The City covers an area of 346 km2, and is home to approximately 88,000 residents. Playford is the fastest growing local government area in South Australia. As of 2016[update] the city motto is: "a great place to live, work and play".
The current council as of June 2016[update] is:
The city was formed in 1997 through the merger of the City of Elizabeth and the City of Munno Para, which were formed in 1955 and 1988, respectively. Prior to the 1950s, most of the area surrounding the townships of Munno Para and Elizabeth were farming estates. After the end of the Second World War and the accompanying shortage of materials, the state government decided that South Australia needed to grow and become an industrialized state. A "satellite city" was planned for the Elizabeth area, and the South Australian Housing Trust initiated a housing development programme in the area, with a purchase of 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of land. The City of Elizabeth was formed on 16 November 1955, being named after Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the city in 1963.
The first mayor of the City of Playford was Marilyn Baker, who had been the last mayor of the City of Elizabeth. She continued to hold that role until the 2006 council elections, when she was narrowly defeated by Martin Lindsell, the last mayor of the City of Munno Para.