AGY-1136 | Irrigation and Drainage Branch [Department of Public Works]

Full description

In April 1909 the Rivers, Water Supply, and Drainage Branch of the Department of Public Works was divided into two new branches -

* Irrigation and Drainage
* Harbours and Water Supply

The Irrigation and Drainage Branch was responsible for artesian wells, irrigation, river discharge observations and records, sewerage construction, and water conservation works. The irrigation responsibility included all major works in connection with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme defined by the Barren Jack Dam and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act, 1906 (Act No.46, 1906) and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 (Act No.42, 1910). The site of the Barren Jack Dam was on the Murrumbidgee River 22 miles southwest of the town of Yass, on the main southern railway line". (1) The name "Barren Jack" was later changed to Burrinjuck.

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 commenced on 28 December 1910 and constituted the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust to undertake the development work for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The works under the Barren Jack Dam and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act had up to the time of the constitution of the Trust been carried out by the central administrative staff of the Irrigation and Drainage Branch of the Department of Public Works in Sydney. It was decided to establish a separate local office of engineers, draftsmen and clerks, in a central position on the irrigation area. This arrangement enabled the Public Works staff to be utilised for the purpose of the Trust thus the engineers of the Public Works Department were carrying out both engineering and agricultural duties. (2)

The functions of the Irrigation and Drainage Branch relating to sewerage construction, swamp drainage, water conservation and Artesian bores were relinquished  to the Water Conservation and Drainage Branch formed on 1 August 1911 with the remaining functions reverting to the Harbours and Water Supply Branch. (3)

FOOTNOTES
(1) Annual Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June 1907 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly Second Session 1907 Vol. 2 page 605.
(2) Report of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust for the eighteen months ended 30 June 1912 in the Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1912 Vol. 3 page 8.
(3) Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June, 1912, pp.5, 8, 42, 59 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1912 Vol.3, pp.265, 268, 302, 319.