[1][2] It was first proclaimed on 30 September 1859 as the Municipality of Hotham, reflecting the original name of the suburb of North Melbourne, separating what had been the Hotham Ward of the City of Melbourne as its own municipality.
The council petitioned the state government to change the name to North Melbourne at this time, but were refused.
[1][2][4][5] The now heritage-listed North Melbourne Town Hall opened in 1876 as the new municipal headquarters.
It ceased to exist on 30 October 1905, when both the Town of North Melbourne and the adjacent Borough of Flemington and Kensington were again amalgamated into the City of Melbourne as the new Hopetoun Ward.
[2] The town's final mayor was Stephen Barker of the Australian Labor Party, who was elected in September 1905 but failed to win election to the Melbourne City Council after amalgamation.