VPRS 12650 Outward Letter Book (Engineer in Charge of Reclamation Works)

Full description

The Public Works Department (VA 669) had wide-ranging responsibilities for all public works and buildings, including construction, maintenance and fitting out of these buildings. Other major responsibilities included roads and bridges, ports and harbours, local government and water supply. The Department also had involvement in land reclamation schemes.

The Koo-Wee-Rup scheme was described by the Public Works Department Engineer in charge of reclamation schemes as being part of a Village Settlement Scheme

"that was principally intended to help the unemployed of Melbourne to establish homes in the country and to become accustomed to country life" with the reclamation work able to "provide employment for a certain number of men" and an estimate that "66% of the men sent to the swamp from the city (to) remain permanently and are enabled to make a comfortable living." (VPRS 12650 Outwards Letter Book, Supervising Engineer Reclamation Works, Memo to the Inspector-General 15 May, 1897, page 165)

This series consists of the letter-press copies of the outwards correspondence of the Engineer in Charge of Reclamation Works. These works included the Koo-Wee-Rup Drainage Scheme and the Condah Drainage Scheme. Contents include memoranda and letters concerning the background and history of such schemes to the Inspector-General of Works, correspondence to the supervisors in the field with regard to the execution of the works.

VPRS 12650/P1 was previously registered as Unit 3 of VPRS 1054 Records of Drainage Work at Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp.