AGY-3626 | Department of Sport and Recreation [II]

Full description

On 30 January 1985, the tourism functions of the Department of Leisure, Sport and Tourism were removed and the Department was renamed the Department of Sport and Recreation [II]. The decision to transfer the tourism functions to the Tourism Commission were due to the specialised nature and growing community interest in the tourism industry.(1) In 1985, the Department of Sport and Recreation’s main functions were: promotion of physical and mental health and wellbeing through the provision of facilities and programs suitable for all sections of the community; assist, advise and support sporting and recreational organisations to develop the widest possible community participation in leisure activities; liaise with community sporting bodies on developing sport and recreation policies, facilities, and programs; act as a channel for State Government financial assistance for the development of sporting and recreational services and facilities; maintain a network of Regional Offices and Sport and Recreation Centres; organise and administer school outdoor education programs and field study programs.(2) The Department’s functions also included: control and regulation of professional boxing and issuing permits for boxing and wrestling contests; the control and regulation of horseracing, trotting, greyhound, and speedway racing and the licensing of race courses and speedways.(3) The Department’s eleven Regional Offices covered the following regions: Metropolitan West, Central Metropolitan, South East Metropolitan, South West Metropolitan, Western, Hunter, Mount Druitt, Riverina, South Coast, North Coast, and North West.(4) The Department’s Sport and Recreation Centres provided facilities for school children during the school term and for the community at weekends and during school holidays. Field study centres provided secondary and tertiary institution curricula relating to sporting, recreational, and outdoor environmental studies. In 1987, the Department was responsible for the following Sport and Recreational Centres: Borambola, Broken Bay, Lake Burrendong, Lake Jindabyne, Lake Ainsworth, Lake Keepit, Little Wobby, Milson Island, Myuna Bay, Narrabeen Lakes, Point Wolstoncraft.(5) In 1987, the Department was responsible for the following legislation: Bookmakers Act, Gaming and Betting Act, Professional Boxing Control Act, Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Act, Totalizator Act, Trotting Authority Act.(6) On 20 April 1988, the Department of Sport and Recreation was given the added responsibility of racing and the Department was renamed the Department of Sport, Recreation and Racing to more accurately reflect its full range of functions.(7) ENDNOTES
1. The transfer of the tourism functions and the Department’s renaming was gazetted on 29 January 1985 (NSW Government Gazette No.31, 1 February 1985, p483) but the gazettal date was later changed to 30 January 1985 (NSW Government Gazette No.38, 8 February 1985, p591). 2. NSW Government Directory 1985, pp315-316.
3. ibid., p316.
4. ibid., p318.
5. ibid., pp316-317.
6. NSW Government Directory 1987, p529.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.77, 22 April 1988, p2298; Department of Sport, Recreation and Racing Annual Report for 1989-90, p7.