AGY-5142 | Stores Supply Department (? 1908-1923) / Government Stores Department (1923-1983) / Government Supply Department (1983-1988)

Full description

A Stores Supply Department appears to have been established by 1908. (1)

In 1923 the Department was renamed the Government Stores Department. (2)

By the mid 1980’s the functions of the Department had expanded to include the following: the Clothing factory which was established in 1902 to manufacture a range of uniforms for the Police Force, and Health Department Hospital staff; the Drug Branch which was originally established as the State Drug Depot in 1917 for the bulk purchase of drugs to be distributed to Public Institutions, and also to overcome shortages which occurred during World War 1; the Schools Supplies Branch (transferred from the Department of Public Instruction) in 1936, and responsibility for the Governmental Cleaning Service in the same year; In 1953, the responsibility for the supervision of cleaners employed in schools was also transferred from the Education Department; in 1944, the Typewriter Branch was established, and in 1949 the Radio and Motion Picture Branch was also established to provide a repair service for sound projectors, film strips and slide projectors, radios, dictating machines and other equipment. These branches were amalgamated in 1978 to form the Technical Services Branch; In December 1953, the General Branch assumed responsibility for the General Section of the Police Stores; In May 1982, the Department also assumed the responsibility for the Government Courier Service. (3)

In 1983 the Department was renamed the Government Supply Department, (4) and became part of the Department of Administrative Services on 25 March 1988 (5). On 15 April 1988 the Government Supply Department was effectively abolished when it was renamed the Government Supply Office. (6) The Government Supply Office was considered an Administrative Office (rather than a Department) under Schedule 2 of the Public Sector Management Act 1988 (No. 33, 1988.).


Endnotes:
(1) Concise Guide to the State Archives (Courts of Requests - G): Government Stores.
(2) Loc. cit .
(3) Loc .cit.
(4) Loc. cit.
(5) Department of Administrative Services Annual Report 1988-1989, pp.3-15; NSW Government Gazette, 25 March 1988, p.2041.
(6) NSW Government Gazette, 15 April 1988, pp.2269-2270.