AGY-1840 | Surveyor of Roads and Bridges

Full description

The first Inspector of Roads and Bridges with charge over a separate office was appointed on 6 January 1826 (1).

The creation of a separate office for Roads and Bridges followed on the recommendations of a committee set up by Governor Darling which enquired into re-organising the Engineer's Department in order to promote efficiency (2).

From the 1 April 1827 the title of Surveyor of Roads and Bridges was used (3).

On the 1 January 1830 the Department of Roads and Bridges was abolished and it became a branch of the Surveyor General's Department (4).

This administration of roads and bridges by the Surveyor General began to falter when Sir Thomas Mitchell questioned the purpose for roads and bridges being with the Surveyor General. His intention for the agency had been for marking out lines and directions of the great roads, and not their formation or repair (5).

A change was again made in December 1836 when the responsibility for constructing and repairing roads and bridges was transferred from the Surveyor General to the Royal Engineer (6).

In 1856 the Department of Lands and Public Works became responsible for roads and bridges (7).

Endnotes:
(1) Concise Guide to the NSW State archives, p.40
(2) Loc Cit
(3) Loc Cit
(4) Historical Records of Australia, series 1, volume 15, p.326-329
(5) Ibid, volume 12, p.627-628
(6) Loc Cit
(7) Public Service List 1856