AGY-5953 | Harbours and Water Supply Branch (1909-1912) Harbours, National Works and Drainage Branch (1913) [Department of Public Works]

Full description

The work of the Rivers, Water Supply and Drainage Branch of the Department of Public Works was reorganised in April 1909. Harbours and water supply works 'were until recently under the control of the Chief Engineer for Rivers, Water Supply, and Drainage, but owing to the number of large and important undertakings connected principally with water conservation and irrigation ... it was felt that the urgent and necessary work of maintaining navigable channels at the entrances to the various river ports could not be given the close and constant attention by the head of the branch, so necessary to ensure successful results without seriously interfering with equally important works in other directions. A reorganisation of duties was therefore decided upon in April last, and the works connected with Harbours, Rivers and Country Towns Water Supply are now dealt with as a separate branch under control of the Chief Engineer for Harbours and Water Supply. (1) The work of the Harbours and Water Supply Branch included that of the Dredge Service, Country Towns Water Supply, public watering places in the Western Division and artesian bores. (2)

In 1907 'the whole of the roads, bridges, ferries, wharves, and public watering places in the Eastern and Central Divisions of the State were transferred to control of the respective councils, excepting, however, those whose importance or cost warranted their proclamation as National Works. These, together with roads, bridges, ferries, wharves, and public watering places, in the Western or unincorporated Division,' remained 'under the control of the Department.' (3)

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 (Act No.42, 1910) commenced on 28 December 1910 and constituted the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust to undertake the development work for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The work of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust was to be separated from the work of the Public Works Department. By the end of June 1912 staff of the Branch (who had worked in the Irrigation and Drainage Branch prior to 1 August 1911) who were connected with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area were transferred to the local office at Leeton, with the exception of the "buying officer in Sydney". From 1 July 1912 these former Public Works officers and those of the Trust worked as a separate unit responsible to the Minister for Public Works as Chairman of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust. (4)

By 1913 the Harbours and Water Supply Branch had been renamed the Harbours, National Works and Drainage Branch with Mr H.H. Dare, Chief Engineer for Harbours, National Works and Drainage. The Branch was again reorganised by the end of June 1913. Responsibility for National Works then passed to the National and Local Government Works Branch leaving a separate Harbours and Drainage Branch. (5)

References
Public Service List, 1909-1913.
Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June, 1909-1914.
Report of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust for the eighteen months ended 30th June, 1912.

Endnotes
1. Parliamentary Papers, 1909, Vol. 4, p.379. Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June 1909.
2. Ibid., pp.421, 438-439.
3. Parliamentary Papers, 1914-15, Vol. 5, p.312. Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June 1914.
4. Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1912, Vol.3, p.8. Report of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust for the eighteen months ended 30th June, 1912, p.3.
5. Public Service List, 1913, p.106; Parliamentary Papers, 1913, Vol. 2, pp.844-845. Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June 1913.