Mohamed Semra, a 27-year-old Sudanese-Australian councillor, has made history as the first Australian mayor of Sub-Saharan African descent.
On 24 November 2025, he announced that he was elected the Mayor of the City of Maribyrnong on 19 November 2025. “It’s hard to put into words what this moment means. Growing up in public housing in this very community, I never imagined I’d one day have the privilege of serving it in this way. To become the first Mayor of Sub-Saharan African heritage in Australian history is not just a personal milestone, it’s a testament to how far our communities have come, and how far we can still go,” he said on Instagram.
Born in Sudan and arriving in Australia as a refugee in the early 2000s, Semra becomes the first Sudanese-born mayor in Victoria. The first term councillor defeated councillor Pradeep Tiwari by four votes to one. Councillors Bernadette Thomas, Samanatha Meredith, Elena Pereyra and Susan Yengi voted in support of Semra, while Councillor Cuc Lam voted for Tiwari. Councillor Samantha Meredith will serve as deputy mayor.
The City of Maribyrnong is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 8 km north-west of the Melbourne central business district and forming part of the City of Maribyrnong local government area. According to the 2021 census, Maribyrnong recorded a population of 12,573.
As mayor, Semra has many plans for the cuty of Maribyrong and its people. “Over the coming term, we’ll keep pushing forward on what our community has said matters most, a thriving and future-ready Footscray, better mental health and wellbeing supports, cleaner air and stronger environmental outcomes, safer streets, improved transport, and the community infrastructure our growing population deserves. We’ll continue shaping Creative West into a bold, once-in-a-generation investment in our cultural and economic future.
And above all, I’m committed to strengthening community safety and building a city where every person, every child, every family, every elder, feels welcome, supported and safe,” he said.
Before becoming mayor, Semra served as a Maribyrnong City Councillor. In this role, he was recognised as the 2025 Young Victorian of the Year by the Victoria Day Council and received the Spotlight Award at the Amari Gala.
In addition, Semra is a key figure at Endeavour Youth Australia (EYA), a youth organisation dedicated to identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders across Australia’s diverse communities. EYA focuses on addressing the underrepresentation of cultural diversity in leadership roles by delivering programmes centred on capacity building, leadership development, and mentoring. Their initiatives include the large-scale Multicultural Youth Leadership Conferences (MYLC), held in cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, where Semra has delivered motivational leadership talks. In 2023, as a representative of EYA, he was invited to a Business Leaders Lunch with former US President Barack Obama.
Proud of his Sudanese roots, Semra has been an active member of the Sudanese community in Australia, attending and leading several anti-war Sudanese protests, where he has also delivered speeches.
Many took to social media to celebrate this milestone, with widespread praise pouring in from across Australia — particularly from the African diaspora, who embraced the achievement as a moment of collective pride.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRSlu3WiFj3
History made in City of Maribyrnong! 🚀🇦🇺 Mohamed Semra Becomes Australia’s First Sudanese Australian Mayor
— The Australia Today (@TheAusToday) November 19, 2025
Read here: https://t.co/5cla7D4IbD
A proud and defining moment for African and Sudanese communities across the country.
Mayor Semra, elected in 2024, says he will lead… pic.twitter.com/QHvqZXbvTO
