the Belmore to Chapel Road Railway Act in 1906, the line was extended further to Lakemba, Punchbowl and Bankstown by 1909. The railway formed an important part of the development of Bankstown, with rapid development following its construction – so much so that the commercial centre of Bankstown moved from its former position in Irish Town (Now Yagoona) on Liverpool Road to the vicinity of Bankstown railway station. Establishment of Bankstown Council In March 1895 a petition was submitted to the NSW Colonial Government by 109 residents of the Bankstown area, requesting the establishment of the "Municipal District of Bankstown" under the Municipalities Act, 1867. The petition was subsequently accepted and the Municipal District of Bankstown was proclaimed by Lieutenant Governor Sir Frederick Darley on 7 September 1895. The first six-member council, standing in one at-large constituency, was elected on 4 November 1895. With the passing of the Local Government Act 1906, the council area became known as the Municipality of Bankstown. Administration On 13 December 1933, the Minister for Local Government Eric Spooner dismissed Bankstown council for the first time, which was also the first time the minister's power to dismiss a council was exercised under the Local Government Act, 1919. Spooner dismissed the council as a result of an inquiry into the council's awarding of a sanitary contract, which had recommended that the council seek further tenders for the contract as a result of an irregular and deficient original tender process, and that there was aclear implication that there had been undue influence involved in the awarding of the contract. After the council refused to accept these findings, and resolved to award the contract as originally intended, Spooner dismissed the council the next day and appointed the inquiry commissioner, William Robert Wylie, Inspector of Local Government Accounts, as administrator until fresh elections could be held in December 1934. On 3 March 1954, the Minister for Local Government Jack Renshaw dismissed Bankstown council and appointed the Chief Inspector of Local Government, Henry William Dane, as administrator. Renshaw announced that the dismissal was due to the council being "not competent to discharge its responsibilities" after failing to act upon a report by the Department of Local Government that identified serious allegations of corruption and inappropriate acquisition methods for council materials by Council's assistant electrical engineer, who was later dismissed in July 1954 following an official inquiry. On 8 November 1963,