Full description Background
The Marine Board of Victoria was established by the Marine Board Act 1887 and commenced operations on 20 December 1888, being the date of the first meeting of the Board as proclaimed in the Government Gazette. It assumed all functions previously exercised by the Pilot Board of Victoria.
The Marine Board of Victoria has been responsible for:
mercantile marine matters including standards of marine safety and shipping registration
certification of pilots, ships masters, mates and engineers
Port Phillip Pilot Service
instituting investigations by the Court of Marine Inquiry.
With the proclamation of certain sections of the Commonwealth Navigation Act on 1 October 1923, the Commonwealth became responsible for the control of foreign-going and interstate shipping and the Marine Board staff of engineers, surveyors, shipwrights, inspectors of shipping and clerical staff were transferred to the Federal Navigation Department.
For the period 1923 to 1926, the Commonwealth acted as an agent for the State and carried out the residual functions of the Board, namely:
control of the Port Phillip Pilot Service
control of intra-state shipping and
licensing of motor boats.
It had been intended that the Pilot Service would also come under Commonwealth control, but the relevant sections of the Navigation Act were never proclaimed.
In 1927 the Marine Board was effectively re-established under the control of the Minister for Public Works and the Commonwealth ceased to act as an agent for the State.
The Marine Board was reconstituted under the Marine Act 1988 although its functions remain relatively the same. Its objectives are to:
facilitate efficient and safe operation of vessels
facilitate navigation safety
improve community awareness of boating safety
improve and simplify vessel registration and operating requirements
be responsible for ensuring an effective response to oil pollution incidents.
Data time period: 1888 to 2013