Woy Woy Shire Council operated from 1928 until 31 December 1946.
The end of the Council came about after political wrangling involving Councillors of Erina Shire Council and Gosford Municipal Council.
The antagonism that existed between the three local Councils was compounded by growing resentment of some of the people from Wyong and The Entrance, who felt they had been ignored by Erina Shire Council with regard to funding for essential works.
Brisbane Water Council Council was formed in 1942 to regionalise the area's electricity supply, and Erina Council wanted the County Council to also take over responsibility for water and sewerage in the area.
Gosford Municipality was against this notion, as they relied on water and sewerage rates for a large portion of their income.
A conference was held in June 1945 of members of all three Councils to try to resolve this argument, and to discuss the growing movement to rearrange the boundaries of the two Shires and the Municipality of Gosford.
The conference did not resolve anything, but some hundreds of people signed petitions which were sent to the Minister for Local Government, asking that the local government boundaries be changed.
All three Councils were against any boundary rearrangement, but the Minister insisted that an enquiry be held to hear evidence for and against a proposal to amalgamate all three Councils and then create two new Shires.
The enquiry was held in February 1946. Evidence given by the Shire Presidents of Erina and Woy Woy reveal the jealousy and resentment felt by each area about the others.
Woy Woy Shire President, Cr Hall, stated that if Gosford Municipality was to go, he was quite prepared to allow it to be absorbed into Woy Woy Shire, and he would give the Gosford people 'every assistance'.
Such a move would have created a much larger Woy Woy Shire, and the main town in the new Shire would have been Woy Woy, not Gosford.
However, the enquiry's findings were released in April 1946: 'the "territories" of Gosford Municipal Council and Woy Woy and Erina Shire Councils will be reconstituted to form two shires'.
Instructions came from the Department of Local Government that the two new Shires would be called 'Gosford' and 'Wyong', despite the fact that the local Councillors asked that they be called 'Erina' and 'Tuggerah Lakes'.
Staff from all three Councils were reallocated to the two new Councils as were the Councils' assets and debts.
The two new shires were reconstituted in October 1946, and began operation on 1 January 1947.
[Adapted from 'Gosford - From Shire to City - 1947-1997' by Joan Fenton and Kate Cathers, to be published later this year.]

WOY WOY SHIRE CHAMBERS
The Woy Woy Shire building has been used for many community purposes since 1947 - a bank branch was located within the building, and the main room was used as a Court Room for some years. It now houses the Woy Woy branch of Gosford City Library.
The Shire buildings on the site - the main building, the fire station, and the Council offices - were threatened in the 1970s when Gosford Council arranged to sell the property to a developer.
The buildings were going to be demolished, and the land incorporated into a site for a shopping centre.
Community action prevented the buildings from demolition, and they were placed under the protection of a Conservation Order.
The buildings were later formally recognised as Heritage items.
The new proposal by Gosford Council to rename the library in the former Woy Woy Shire Council chambers after Spike Milligan has already provoked local controversy.
It seems the buildings continue to be the focus of our community, one way or another.

Highlights of 1948/9
1948: On Christmas Day, Woy Woy Bowling Club moved on to its present site from the Wharf Site.
1948: Arthur Young’s photography business established at Woy Woy.
1948: A particularly heavy deposit of ocean foam covered much of Pearl Beach.
The foaming is a natural phenomenon; however, weather conditions were such that in this case, the foam was spread over a wide area and remained for more than a day.
1949: The Waterfront Road to Woy Woy opened.

FOR SALE - 1918
 
WOY WOY HEIGHTS ESTATE
The Hub of Woy Woy
To be sold on the Ground at 3 p.m., on
Easter Monday, 1st April, 1918.
SOMETHING FOR OUR BOYS AT THE FRONT.
The proceeds of the first block of land submitted, and one adjudged to be the best site on Woy Woy Heights Estate, will be handed over to the Woy Woy Branch of the Red Cross Society, without any deduction whatever.
CONCESSIONS FOR PURCHASERS.
Every purchaser of a lot at the Sale will be refunded his railway fare to and from any station between Sydney and Newcastle.
BAND.
The Gosford Brass Band will leave Woy Woy by the 1.45 p.m. Ferry for the Estate, and will play on the grounds during the afternoon.
REFRESHMENTS.
Light refreshments will be provided on the ground.