the first purpose-built district council chambers in South Australia. In 1967 the Tea Tree Gully civic centre was opened, comprising a new council chamber and civic hall. The municipality was granted city status and proclaimed as the City of Tree Gully in 1968. A council-owned colonial building was converted into a community art gallery, and is now known as Gallery 1855. The gallery hosts regular contemporary art and craft exhibitions and artist-led workshops. From 1954 to 1971 the population of Tea Tree Gully council rose from just over 2,500 to almost 37,000, and in 1975 it had reached approximately 55,000 as urban residential development quickly expanded. By 2004 the population had exceeded 100,000. Chairmen and mayors of Tea Tree Gully William Henry Ind (1936–1943) Albert George Dearman (1943-1951) George Norman Lambert (1951-1954) Albert George Dearman (1954-1955) David Stanley Goodes (1955-1957) Basil David Mitchell (1957–1960) Viggo Ole Jacobsen (1960–1965) William Green (1967–1969) William Gilbert Brassington (1969–1972) John Charles Burford (1972–1974) John Garfield Tilley (1974–1981) Donald David Stuart (1981–1982) John Garfield Tilley (1982–1989) Thomas Edward Loveland Milton (1989-1991) Lesley Purdom (1991-1997) Bernie Keane (1997-2000) Lesley Purdom (2000-2006) Miriam Smith (2006-2014) Pat Trainor (2014) Kevin Knight (2014-2022) Marijka Ryan (2022-Current) Geography The gully to which the city name refers actually exists and is known to be sizable as it provided a gradient negotiable only by bullock wagons travelling through the Mt. Lofty Ranges. Additionally the gully had permanent freshwater springs which promoted the growth of tea trees in the area – thus the eventual name 'Tea Tree Gully'. The Anstey Hill Recreation Park is adjacent to the suburbs of Vista and Tea Tree Gully. Sister cities The City of Tea Tree Gully, has one sister city. it is the: Asakuchi, Japan (April 2006) See also List of Adelaide parks and gardens Notes and references Notes Reference External links City of Tea Tree Gully Library Gallery 1855 City of Tea Tree Gully community profile (I.D. Consulting Pty Ltd) Council boundaries at June 2004 (City of Tea Tree Gully) Local government areas of South Australia Local government areas in Adelaide