Department of Railways (1858–1871): Difference between revisions
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== History == |
== History == |
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Acts establishing the Board of Land and Works were passed by the Parliament of Victoria in 1857, and received [[royal assent]] that November. Among other things, they authorised the Board to begin the construction of major railways{{snd}}to [[Geelong]] and to the [[Murray River]] via [[Bendigo|Sandhurst]] (later named Bendigo){{snd}}and to oversee the construction and operating activities of the remaining private railway companies. The Board formed a Department of Railways to carry out its functional responsibilities, of which Joseph Wood was appointed the first secretary.<ref name="PROV department">{{cite web |title=Agency VA 2877: Department of Railways I |url=http://access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewAgency&entityId=2877 |publisher=Public Record Office Victoria |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="Annual report Mar 1859">{{cite book |title=Railway Department: First Report of the Proceedings of the Board of Land and Works |date=March 1859 |publisher=Parliament of Victoria |page=3 |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1859-60No26.pdf |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> Its creation was resisted by some parliamentarians, who felt that the department represented unnecessary expenditure on the part of the Board.<ref name="Age 3 Nov 1858">{{cite news |title=Management of the Board of Land and Works |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154875636 |accessdate=29 August 2019 |work=The Age |date=3 November 1858 |page=5}}</ref> |
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Richard Nash was appointed |
Richard Nash was appointed department secretary in November 1860.<ref name="Gazette 23 Nov 1860">{{cite journal |title=Secretary to the Department of Public Works and Railways |journal=Victoria Government Gazette |date=23 November 1860 |volume=1860 |issue=149 |page=2247 |url=http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1860&class=general&page_num=2247 |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> |
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By 1870, the department was responsible for the railway lines to [[Echuca railway line|Echuca]], [[Williamstown railway line|Williamstown]], [[Ballarat railway line|Ballarat]] and [[Geelong railway line|Geelong]], and had begun construction on several others. It had 77 locomotives, 143 passenger carriages and over 1,000 goods wagons in operation.<ref name="Annual report 1870">{{cite book |title=Report of the Board of Land and Works for the Year Ending 31st December 1870 |date=June 1871 |publisher=Parliament of Victoria |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1871No35.pdf |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> In around April 1871, a combined [[Department of Railways and Roads]] was created which assumed all the functions of the Department of Railways.<ref name="PROV department" /> |
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== Governance == |
== Governance == |
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The department was responsible to the Board of Land and Works, which controlled its budget and set policy and regulations. It was initially represented by the Commissioner of Public Works on the Board, but in 1862 a Commissioner of Railways and Roads was established to preside over transport matters.<ref name="PROV department" /> |
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Under the provisions of the Civil Service Act 1862, the Department of Railways was declared "temporary", meaning that the Act's regulations did not apply and the department functioned outside the newly formed civil service.<ref name="Gazette 10 Sep 1862">{{cite journal |title=Departments Declared Temporary |journal=Victoria Government Gazette |date=10 September 1862 |volume=1862 |issue=107 |page=1677 |url=http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1862&class=general&page_num=1677 |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="Act 1862">{{cite book |title=An Act to regulate the Civil Service |date=1862 |publisher=Parliament of Victoria |page=2 |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/aatrtcs302.pdf |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> |
Under the provisions of the Civil Service Act 1862, the Department of Railways was declared "temporary", meaning that the Act's regulations did not apply and the department functioned outside the newly formed civil service.<ref name="Gazette 10 Sep 1862">{{cite journal |title=Departments Declared Temporary |journal=Victoria Government Gazette |date=10 September 1862 |volume=1862 |issue=107 |page=1677 |url=http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1862&class=general&page_num=1677 |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="Act 1862">{{cite book |title=An Act to regulate the Civil Service |date=1862 |publisher=Parliament of Victoria |page=2 |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/aatrtcs302.pdf |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 02:15, 29 August 2019
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1858 |
| Preceding department |
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| Dissolved | April 1871 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Parent department | Board of Land and Works |
| Key documents |
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| Agency ID | PROV VA 2877 |
The Department of Railways, sometimes known as the Department of Victorian Railways was an subdepartment of the Victorian Government's Board of Land and Works that was the first government operator on the Victorian railway system.
History
Acts establishing the Board of Land and Works were passed by the Parliament of Victoria in 1857, and received royal assent that November. Among other things, they authorised the Board to begin the construction of major railways – to Geelong and to the Murray River via Sandhurst (later named Bendigo) – and to oversee the construction and operating activities of the remaining private railway companies. The Board formed a Department of Railways to carry out its functional responsibilities, of which Joseph Wood was appointed the first secretary.[1][2] Its creation was resisted by some parliamentarians, who felt that the department represented unnecessary expenditure on the part of the Board.[3]
Richard Nash was appointed department secretary in November 1860.[4]
By 1870, the department was responsible for the railway lines to Echuca, Williamstown, Ballarat and Geelong, and had begun construction on several others. It had 77 locomotives, 143 passenger carriages and over 1,000 goods wagons in operation.[5] In around April 1871, a combined Department of Railways and Roads was created which assumed all the functions of the Department of Railways.[1]
Governance
The department was responsible to the Board of Land and Works, which controlled its budget and set policy and regulations. It was initially represented by the Commissioner of Public Works on the Board, but in 1862 a Commissioner of Railways and Roads was established to preside over transport matters.[1]
Under the provisions of the Civil Service Act 1862, the Department of Railways was declared "temporary", meaning that the Act's regulations did not apply and the department functioned outside the newly formed civil service.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c "Agency VA 2877: Department of Railways I". Public Record Office Victoria. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ Railway Department: First Report of the Proceedings of the Board of Land and Works (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. March 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Management of the Board of Land and Works". The Age. 3 November 1858. p. 5. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Secretary to the Department of Public Works and Railways". Victoria Government Gazette. 1860 (149): 2247. 23 November 1860. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ Report of the Board of Land and Works for the Year Ending 31st December 1870 (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. June 1871. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Departments Declared Temporary". Victoria Government Gazette. 1862 (107): 1677. 10 September 1862. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ An Act to regulate the Civil Service (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. 1862. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2019.