Organisation

AGY-5133 | Agent-General’s Office (1787-1932) / New South Wales Government Office, London (1932-1999) / NSW Government Trade and Investment Office, London (1999- )

NSW State Archives Collection
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Full description

The New South Wales Office in London was one of several overseas offices established to represent the state’s interests in foreign countries. The London Office appears to have been the location for the New South Wales’ Agent-General and was established some time after the appointment of the Agent-General on 1 May 1787. From 1932, the Agent-General’s Office was no longer used in the New South Wales Public Service Lists and was referred to as the New South Wales Government Offices, London.

The function of the London Office was to act on behalf of the New South Wales Government, and promote industrial development in New South Wales through providing information about the state's resources and investment potential. The Office also promoted trade and tourism in New South Wales, provided a service to official Government and private business visitors and missions, undertook engineering inspections on behalf of Government and semi-government authorities in the United Kingdom and Europe, and undertook research on behalf of Government authorities.(1)

The Engineering Section of the London Office acted in an advisory capacity and on behalf of corporate bodies and Government agencies such as the Government Stores Department and the Department of Works and Local Government, and corporate bodies in the inspection of materials purchased.(2) In 1939, the Engineering Section was so busy, part-time staff were replaced with full-time staff. The New South Wales Office in London undertook certain work on behalf of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. Additional engineers and clerical staff were appointed to the London Office in 1950-51 to assist in dealing with the increased orders from New South Wales, particularly for railway rolling stock and electrical equipment as part of the post-war reconstruction activity.(3)

In keeping with the Government’s increased emphasis on investment and trade, the Industrial Promotion Division of the London Office was disbanded in the 1978-79 financial year and in its stead an Investment and Trade Advisory Service was established to serve the United Kingdom and Europe.(4)

The number of staff attached to the London Office was reduced from fifty-two to thirty-two in 1982.(5) From November 1982, the position of Official Secretary was redesignated as Director as a result of the amalgamation of certain responsibilities.

From the beginning of 1984, the Trade Advisory Service located in the London Office oversaw investment and trade for Europe following the closure of the Counsellor (Investment and Trade) in West Germany on 31 December 1983.(6)

Mr M. Armitage commenced work as Secretary of the London Office on 22 October 1985 and on 1 March 1986, the Hon. K.J. Stewart was appointed New South Wales Agent-General in London.(7) In the 1988-89 financial year, the number of staff attached to the London Office was reduced from thirty-two to fourteen and those remaining were to concentrate on trade, investment and tourism. In January 1989, Norman Brunsdon and Peter Arnold took up the positions of Agent-General and Director respectively.(8)

The London Office had been the responsibility of the Premier’s Department since the Department was established in the 1908-09 financial year. Since then, other Offices had been established overseas and in 1983, the Overseas Offices were responsible to the Secretary of the Premier’s Department although the Department’s Management Division provided administrative support.(9) The Management Division provided a central liaison and co-ordinating role for the Offices as well as providing centralised communication links.(10)

Responsibility for the Overseas Offices was transferred from the Premier’s Department to its replacement, the Premier’s Office, when the Department was abolished in June 1988. In the same year, the Office of State Administration within the Premier’s Department became responsible for the Overseas Offices after the traditional administrative functions within the Premier’s portfolio were reorganised and regrouped into the Office of State Administration in December 1988.(11) On 8 July 1989, administration of the Overseas Offices was transferred to the Department of State Development.(12) In the 1991 financial year, the London Office was located within the International Business Development Group of the Department and in 1993 within the Investment Group.(13)

In February 1991, the London Office was relocated from the Strand area to the financial centre of London in accordance with the Government’s policy to concentrate the work of the overseas offices on investment generation.(14) In 1991, the Overseas Offices were part of the International Business Development Group of the Department of State Development and in 1993 they were part of the International Business Services, a subunit of the Department’s Investment Group.(15)

In September 1992, the position of Agent-General in London was abolished and semi-diplomatic activities of the London Office were discontinued. The focus of the London Office was now on investment and trade and it continued to have responsibility for both the United Kingdom and Europe.(16)

On 1 July 1993, responsibility for the Overseas Offices was transferred from the Department of State Development to the Office of Economic Development upon its establishment within the Premier’s Department.(17) In 1994, the Overseas Offices were part of the International Business Group within the Office of Economic Development.

On 6 April 1995, the Office of Economic Development, including the Overseas Offices, was transferred to the newly established Department of State Development.(18)

On 15 December 1995, the Department of State Development was amalgamated with the Department of Business and Regional Development and a new Department of State and Regional Development was formed. In 1996, the London and Tokyo Offices were located in the International Business Group of the Department of State and Regional Development.(19) In 1998, the Overseas Offices were located within the Trade and Business Services Division which was responsible for working with businesses to help them become more competitive and to expand at home and abroad.(20)

In 1999, the Overseas Office in London was known as the New South Wales Trade and Investment Office, London.(21) The former Trade and Business Services Division in which the Overseas Offices were located ceased to exist in 1999 and they were now part of the Small Business Development Division.(22) The New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development’s 2005 Annual Report shows the Overseas Offices continued to be located in the Small Business Development Division.(23)

ENDNOTES
1. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1982, p15.
2. NSW Public Service Board Annual Report 1939, p20.
3. NSW Public Service Board Annual Report 1951, p21.
4. NSW Public Service Board Annual Report 1978-79, p106.
5. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1982, p15.
6. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1983, p11.
7. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1985-1986, p38.
8. loc. cit.
9. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1983, p11.
10. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1984, p20.
11. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1988-89, p45.
12. NSW Premier’s Department Annual Report 1988-89, p33.
13. NSW Department of State Development Annual Report 1990-1991, p33 and 1993, p20.
14. NSW Department of State Development Annual Report 1990-1991, p33.
15. NSW Department of State Development Annual Report, 1993, p6.
16. ibid., p20.
17. NSW Government Gazette No.63, 24 June 1993, p3060.
18. NSW Government Gazette No.39, 5 April 1995, p1861.
19. NSW Department of State and Regional Development Annual Report 1996, p8.
20. NSW Department of State and Regional Development Annual Report 1998, pp3 and 13.
21. NSW Department of State and Regional Development Annual Report 1998/99, p17.
22. NSW Department of State and Regional Development Annual Report 1998/99, p8.
23. NSW Department of State and Regional Development Annual Report 2004-2005, p35.
 

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