AGY-1138 | Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation

Full description

The Irrigation Act, 1912 (Act No. 73 1912) repealed the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 (Act No.42 1910) and replaced the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust with a Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation. Mr L.A.B Wade, formerly Chief Engineer for Irrigation, Department of Public Works, was appointed as Commissioner from 1 January 1913. Mr H.H Dare, formerly Chief Engineer for National Works and Drainage of the Public Works Department, was appointed as Chief Engineer of the Commission. Forty other officers of the Department of Public Works were also transferred to the staff of the Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation. (1)

Work was undertaken at a head office in Sydney and a field office at Leeton on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas. The first blocks in Leeton were offered at auction, on 2 April 1913. (2) Responsibility for the Hay Irrigation Area and the Wentworth Irrigation Area were transferred to the Commissioner from the Department of Agriculture on 1 July 1913. (3) This included all Artesian Bore Water Trusts, Artesian Well Districts, and Water Trusts within these areas.

The Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation and his staff promoted settlement within the State's irrigation areas through the allotment of lands, experimental research and subsequent support for mixed farming, dairy herds, bacon production, butter production, fruit and berry growing, tobacco plantations, and tobacco curing. Farms were made available with irrigation work complete with "Commission Instructors" providing further advice. Settlers were then encouraged to make capital improvements themselves through an equipment hire service.

The Irrigation (Amendment) Act, 1916 (Act No.22 1916) assented to on 20 April 1916 replaced the Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation with the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission. (4)

FOOTNOTES

(1) Annual Report of the Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation for the year ended 30 June 1913 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1914 Vol. 1 page 769.
(2) Ibid. page 772.
(3) Annual Report of the Acting Commissioner for Water Conservation and Irrigation for the year ended 30 June 1915 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1915-16 Vol. 8 pages 12 & 14.
(4) Annual Report of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission for the year ended 30 June 1916 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1916 Vol. 6 page 7.