Launching the book 1906-2006 One Hundred Years of Local Government: Stroud Shire Council - Great Lakes Council by Sandra Finn, mayor John Chadban said not only did the work outline the facts and events of the past century, but also the people behind them.

"The history of the Great Lakes Council is another chapter in the rich history and development of our area which began back in 1824 when the Australian Agriculture company was established and formed its first settlement at Carrington (and Tahlee) on Port Stephens," Cr Chadban said.

"The company later expanded its activities to Stroud and the rest of the area until 1906 when the council was created.

"The headquarters of the new shire could easily have been at Bulahdelah, but instead were centred at Stroud for the first 74 years before being relocated to Forster in 1980."

The shift in focus from an agricultural town to a coast community is just one of many topics covered by Sandra Finn in the book.

A former records officer at Great Lakes Council, Mrs Finn spent two years researching and writing the publication.

"The change when Forster came into Stroud Shire in 1930 was certainly a major influence," she said.

"The council basically took on a new town and it virtually took over the council.

"Forster seemed to always be at the forefront and the catalyst of many changes.

"If Forster wanted an aerodrome, suddenly Tea Gardens would have to be looked at as an alternative.

"When Tuncurry came into the fold that was also another big thing.

"In May 1937, Stroud Shire Council received a communication from Manning Shire regarding a proposed survey of a site 'for the proposed bridge between Forster and Tuncurry'.

"But it was not until June 1957 that the contract for the bridge was finally let and on July 18, 1959 the twin towns were united, although at the time Tuncurry was still part of Manning Shire."

In fact Tuncurry did not become part of Great Lakes Shire until 1981 after years of boundary debate had seen not only the council relocate its headquarters to Forster, but also a name change in 1971 in an attempt to appease those pushing for a new shire.

The book also reveals the political division which almost saw an administrator appointed to council in September last year is not without precedent.

In March 1949 the entire council was dismissed following a lengthy impasse over a proposal to build a community hotel in Forster, the profits of which were to be used to fund libraries, schools of art, recreation grounds, baby health centres and the like.