Organisation

AGY-47 | Colonial Architect (1832 - 1833) / Architectural Branch (1833 - 1834) / Colonial Architect (1834 - 1890) / Architectural Division (1890 - 1992) / Architectural Services Division (1999 - )

NSW State Archives Collection
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In 1832 the Colonial Architect’s Department was established (1). It was responsible for the planning and supervision of the construction and repair of public buildings. Individuals, notably Francis Greenway and Standish Harris, had previously performed these functions in varying degrees. In general the Colonial Architect’s Department had charge of public buildings and their furniture, the duty of preparing plans and specifications for construction and repair and superintending all works executed by contracts.

On 1 April 1833 the Department became the Architectural Branch of the Department of the Surveyor General although the latter’s control over the branch appeared to be only nominal. From 1834 the Colonial Architect corresponded directly with the Colonial Secretary and the Branch was referred to as the Colonial Architect’s Department (2). Two years later the Colonial Architect’s Department was again separately established (3).

In 1835 the Colonial Architect was instructed to perform the following duties (4):

· To prepare plans and estimates for the construction and repair of buildings at the charge of the Colonial Treasury;
· to superintend the construction and repair of colonial buildings;
· to inspect and report quarterly upon the condition of all colonial buildings;
· buildings and premises to be considered colonial, that is, charged for construction repair to the Colonial Treasury, including Government House and Domains, offices used by Civil Servants and houses occupied by them, court houses, churches and parsonages;
· to keep in his office plans and estimates of all colonial buildings, and inventories of all furniture paid for out of the Colonial Treasury; and
· Public Works under the Colonial Architect’s charge were to be chiefly executed by contract.

In 1844 the duties of the Colonial Engineer of superintendence of roads, bridges wharves and quays were added to those of the Colonial Architect and in October 1848 military buildings and works were placed under his charge (5). From 1856 the Colonial Architect’s Department came under the control of the Secretary for Lands and Public Works and from 1860, with the separation of Public Works from Lands, under the Secretary for Public Works.

Between 1856-1890 the office was the repository for many miscellaneous duties, including letting and supervising of contracts for cleaning windows and buildings, winding the clocks of the public buildings, chimney sweeping, emptying of latrines of the military barracks, providing coffins for pauper funerals, furniture repairs and building of ballot boxes (6).

On 1 August 1890 the Colonial Architect’s Branch became the Government Architect’s Branch of the Department of Public Works (7). Its central responsibility has always been the design and construction of public buildings.

In 1904 the Architect’s Branch of the Department of Public Instruction was transferred to the Government Architect. Prior to this the Department of Public Instruction, and the Council of Education and Board of National Education before it, had the responsibility for erection and maintenance of public schools, employing their own architects and acting independently of the Colonial Architect’s Department. Also transferred in 1904 were building matters relating to lighthouses and pilot stations from Point Danger to Green Cape; prior to 1890 these services were provided by the Colonial Architect and in that year were transferred to the Harbours and Rivers Branch, Department of Public Work. (8)

In 1968 the functions of the Government Architect’s Branch were described as the following (9):

· Preliminary investigation, design and preparation of plans and specifications for the construction and equipment of all new State Government Public Buildings and extensions, including mechanical and engineering services;
· the supervision of the works referred to above; and
· the research on behalf of and technical advice and assistance on architectural matters to other departments and instrumentalities.

In 1987 the Public Works Department was reorganised into six divisions one of which was the Architectural Division. This new structure meant that architectural and engineering functions fell under the overall responsibility of the Assistant Director of Public Works ensuring coordinated management of major operations. The Government Architect remained responsible for all architectural matters and client responsibilities and also had responsibility for building maintenance for clients. (10)

The Theatre and Public Halls group of the Architectural Division was officially transferred to the Department of Local Government in June 1987. (11)

The restructure of the Public Works Department, effective from January 1992, signified a shift away from the traditional discipline-based departmental structures. As a consequence of this organisational change the agency of the Government Architect effectively ceased to exist. (12)

It appears that from 1992 - 1994 the function of architectural design was distributed across several divisions. The State Projects division seems to have had the major responsibility for Architectural and Engineering design of public buildings, although the office of Government Architect was based in the division of Client Services. (13)

In 1995 the Department of Public Works and Services was established and the number of business units inherited from the Department of Public Works were expanded. (14) Consequently, until 1998 the State Projects - Buildings division within the Commercial Business Division was responsible for the function of construction and maintenance of public buildings. (15)

From 1999 onwards it appears that the office of Government Architect and the function of Architectural design and public building maintenance were again combined. The agency is therefore considered to have been re established. The Government Architect was manager of Building Design Services. (16)

The main functions of Building Design Services were to provide a range of services including the design, development and construction of Public Buildings. Preparation of tender documents and the subsequent management of building contracts were also part of the public building maintenance program. (17)

The division of Building Design Services was made up of Architectural Services, Engineering Services, and Specialist Design services. (18) Each of these services combined to form a multidisplinary consultancy service to clients. Architectural services divided the work between specialised design groups. Each group designed specific types of buildings, such as hospital, and schools. (19)

FOOTNOTES
(1) HRA Series I vol. XVI pp.591-592.
(2) Colonial Secretary to T.L. Mitchell, 3/12/1834, 4/3916.
(3) HRA Series I vol. XVIII p.692.
(4) Colonial Secretary to Engineering and Public Works Officers, January 1835, 4/3883.
(5) Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council, 1855 Vol III, p.301.
(6) ibid., 1887 vol II p.323.
(7) Public Service Lists, 1889-1890.
(8) Parliamentary Papers, 1905 Vol II p. 579.
(9) ibid., 1968 Vol IV p.685.
(10) Public Works Department Annual Report, 1986/7 p.7
(11) Ibid p.8
(12) Public Works Department Annual Report, 1992 p. 11
(13) Public Works Department Annual Report 1994 p.11 (See also organisational chart p.10 of 1992 Annual Report, and p.13 of 1993 Annual Report)
(14) Department of Works and Services Annual Report 1995 p. 7 and p.15
(15) NSW Government Directory 1998 p. 313 (See also entry for State Projects- Buildings in Department of Public Works and Services, Government Directory 1996 - 1997)
(16) NSW Government Directory 1999 p. 268
(17) Ibid p.268
(18) Department of Public Works and Services Annual Report 2000/2001 p.20- 21 from http://www.dpws.nsw.gov.au/ (Website accessed 1/08/2002)
(19) Products and Services - Architectural Services - Health Design and Education Design from http://www.dpws.nsw.gov.au/ (Website accessed 30/07/2002)

REFERENCES
Archives Authority of New South Wales. Government (Colonial) Architect 1837 - 1970. Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, No. 19. Sydney, The Authority, 1979.
(1) "Concise Guide" 2nd Edition "D - G", "Government Architect". p.21.
(2) NSW Government Directory, 1977/8 - 1992..
(3) Australian Encyclopaedia. Vol 1 p.233-239.

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