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Public Works Department (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
History
The Public Works Department (P.W.D.) is a now defunct governmentGovernment
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
which was charged with providing and maintaining public infrastructure such as dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
, water supplies, schools, hospitals, harbours and other public buildings.
The department is no longer operational, having its responsibilities re assigned to numerous other departments and corporate entities.
The history of the department is difficult to accurately describe given the broad range of tasks performed by the department and also the evolutionary development of the organisation. The Department was instrumental in the success of Western Australia, aiding in transforming it from a colonial settlement to a prosperous state. Given the remoteness of Western Australia, the importance of the P.W.D. with its self sufficient design and construction skills will probably never be fully appreciated.
Pre P.W.D.
Construction of infrastructure in the Swan River colony was originally overseen by Henry Willey ReveleyHenry Willey Reveley
Henry Willey Reveley was a civil engineer responsible for the earliest public works at the Swan River Colony, the foundation of the state of Western Australia....
, an English civil engineer. Reveley arrived at the colony in 1829 and was initially employed without pay, however in 1830 the matter was raised and a salary awarded retrospectively. He continued in this position until 1839, completing structures such as the Round House
Round House
The Round House is the oldest building still standing in Western Australia. It is located at Arthur Head in Fremantle, and recent heritage assessments and appraisals of the precinct of the Round House incorporate Arthur Head....
in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
and the Old Perth Courthouse
Old Court House, Perth
Old Court House is located in the Supreme Court Gardens in Barrack Street, Perth, Western Australia, adjacent to the Supreme Court building. It is a single-storey cream rendered building, with a wooden shingle roof....
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
using convict and military labour, along with contract labour. He was also involved with building roads and bridges, jetties and tunnels.
Reveley's position was downgraded after his departure and his replacement, Henry Trigg
Henry Trigg
Henry Trigg was the Superintendent of Public Works in Western Australia from 1838 to 1851.Trigg Beach in the norther suburbs of Perth was named after him....
, was given the title of Superintendent of Public Works. He held this role from 1839 until 1851, with most of his early work focused on jetties, The Perth Causeway
The Causeway
The Causeway is the name of the traffic crossing of the Swan River in Western Australia at the eastern end of Perth Water. Made up of two bridges on either side of Heirisson Island, the crossing links the City of Perth and Victoria Park....
and the Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...
settlement.
Henry Trigg was succeeded as Superintendent of Public Works in 1851 by James Austin. Austin served for two years until 1853 when he resigned and was replaced by Richard Roach Jewell
Richard Roach Jewell
Richard Roach Jewell was an architect who designed many of the important public buildings in Perth during the latter half of the nineteenth century....
who was given the title Clerk of Works of the Colonial Works Office, where he served until he retired in 1884. James Manning was also made a Clerk of Works and worked in parallel with Jewell, who worked in Perth while Manning worked from Fremantle. Jewell had been promoted to Superintendent of Public Works before he retired and in 1880 the department was called the Works and Railways Department.
Recommendations made in 1884 were implemented in 1885 which resulted in John Arthur Wright being appointed as Director of Public Works and Engineer in Chief. George Temple-Poole
George Temple-Poole
George Thomas Temple-Poole was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1886....
was made the Superintendent of Works and Clayton T. Mason was made General Manager of Railways and Maintenance Engineer. Upon Wright's resignation in 1889 it was decided to split the Works and Railways with Mason becoming Acting Commissioner of Railways and Poole becoming Acting Director of Public Works. In 1891 C. Y. O'Connor
C. Y. O'Connor
Charles Yelverton O'Connor CMG was an Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in Australia, especially the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.-Early life:...
arrived in Perth to take up the role of Engineer in Chief.
Formation of the Department
Leaders
Engineer in Chief:- C. Y. O'ConnorC. Y. O'ConnorCharles Yelverton O'Connor CMG was an Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in Australia, especially the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.-Early life:...
1901-1902 - C.S.R. Palmer 1902-1904 1904-1925
Director of Public Works
- Sir Russell Dumas K.B.E., C.M.G.Russell DumasSir Russell John Dumas KBE, CMG was a public servant and engineer who led several large works projects in Western Australia.-Early life:Dumas was born in Mount Barker, South Australia to a family of five children...
1941-1951
Department Buildings
For a considerable time the department was housed in buildings adjacent to and extending west from The Barracks ArchThe Barracks Arch
The Barracks' Arch is located on the corner of Malcolm and Elder Streets, at the western end of St Georges Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. It effectively blocks a clear view from Parliament House down St George's Terrace.-The Barracks:...
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
In 1966 both the P.W.D. and Metropolitan Water Board moved into new office accommodation at Dumas House
Dumas House
Dumas House is a fourteen storey office building constructed in Perth, Western Australia during the 1960s. The building is located close to St Georges Terrace, Kings Park, and Parliament House....
, on Kings Park Road in West Perth.
Mechanical and Electrical workshops of the P.W.D. were located for a long time in the former Jewell St in East Perth
East Perth, Western Australia
East Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located next to the Perth CBD.Primarily an industrial area in the early twentieth century, it was the location of the East Perth gas works, East Perth Power Station , the East Perth railway yard, and East Perth engine sheds.A considerable...
. Another major workshop was in Welshpool
Welshpool, Western Australia
Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park....
. Most country towns had depots and offices designed to service staff based regionally, which were built to cater for the specific tasks of the workforce.
End of an Era
The Public Works Department became the Building Management Authority on 1 January 1985.Agriculture
The three supposed rabbit-proof fenceRabbit-proof fence
The State Barrier Fence of Western Australia, formerly known as the No. 1 Rabbit-proof Fence, the State Vermin Fence and the Emu Fence, is a pest-exclusion fence constructed between 1901 and 1907 to keep rabbits and other agricultural pests, from the east, out of Western Australian pastoral...
s were initially constructed by the Agriculture Department but after inspections of 465 miles (748.3 km) of completed fence a decision was made that it was generally substandard so the construction was handed over to the P.W.D. in 1904. The department needed to strengthen 145 miles (233.4 km) of the fence before resuming construction. The project was overseen by Richard John Anketell who set up a workforce comprising nine construction parties, 189 camels and 128 horses.
The P.W.D. was also responsible for providing mechanical and electrical services to numerous agricultural research stations based remotely around Western Australia. The department also built and maintained the Camballin Irrigation Scheme
Camballin Irrigation Scheme
The Camballin Irrigation Scheme consisted of the Fitzroy River Barrage, the Seventeen Mile Dam, Company Pump, numerous irrigation channels, a seventeen kilometre levee bank, silos for grain storage which were built at the Broome Jetty and other support infrastructure located at the Camballin...
which was constructed to grow rice in the Kimberley, as well as numerous other irrigation infrastructure around the state.
Responsibility for agricultural matters and the rabbit proof fence were handed on to:
- Agriculture Protection Board
- Department of Agriculture and Food (Then known as the Department of Agriculture)
- State Barrier Fence Advisory Committee
Energy
The P.W.D. began issuing electrical licences in 1925.These tasks were later handled by:
- State Energy Commission of Western AustraliaState Energy Commission of Western AustraliaThe State Energy Commission of Western Australia was an Australian energy provider. It was established on 1 January 1975 as an amalgamation of the State Electricity Commission of Western Australia plus the Fuel and Power Commission.On 1 January 1995 it was split up into separate gas and...
- S.E.C.W.A.
- Western PowerWestern PowerWestern Power Corporation , owned by the Government of Western Australia, was Western Australia's major electricity supplier from 1995 through 2006...
- Office of Energy
- EnergySafety (A division of the Department of CommerceDepartment of Commerce (Western Australia)The Department of Commerce is a department of the Government of Western Australia. It was formed on 1 January 2009 from the former Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and the Science and Innovation division of the former Department of Industry and Resources, with the functions of the...
)
Harbours and Rivers
The department was responsible for the construction of Fremantle HarbourFremantle Harbour
Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval visits, and operates 24 hours a day.The harbour is also...
and many other smaller regional jetties and wharves. Day labour from the department also ran the facilities of the harbours. The department was also responsible for conducting surveys of rivers and coastal features.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression in Australia
Australia suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. As in other nations, Australia suffered years of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging incomes, and...
, a number of works were undertaken on the basis of unemployment relief. On of these was the diversion of the Harvey River
Harvey River
The Harvey River is a river in Western Australia and is the southernmost of the three major waterways which drain into the Peel-Harvey Estuary, with its delta in the southern extreme of the Harvey Estuary. It is about 90 km in length, rising near Mount Keats...
between 1931 and 1934 and employed over 2500 men.
After the disbanding of the P.W.D. these tasks were taken on by:
- Department of Marine and Harbours
- Department for Planning and InfrastructureDepartment for Planning and InfrastructureThe Department for Planning and Infrastructure was a department of the Government of Western Australia that was responsible for implementing the state's planning, infrastructure and transport policies...
- Swan River Trust
- Department of Conservation and the Environment
Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Services
The department built electrical switchboards for installation on sites around the state. Many of the old P.W.D. switchboards can still be seen at ports and water and sewerage installations. These were generally constructed in the Jewell St workshops. The department was also the forefather of the State Engineering and Implement Works which later became the State Engineering Works with a workshop in North Fremantle.Public Buildings
The P.W.D. was responsible for the construction of various government buildings such as police stations, schools, hospitals, lighthouses, military buildings, agricultural research stations, courthouses and prisons. This was often undertaken on a contractual basis with design and maintenance also undertaken by the department. Some notable buildings were:- Claisebrook Abattoir
- Perth GPO
- Council Chambers, Perth
- Government House
- Perth Technical College
- Sunset Hospital
In the wake of the breakup of the P.W.D., these roles were assumed by:
- Building Management Authority: 1 January 1985 ~ 11 September 1995
- Western Australian Building Management Authority - 11 September 1995 ~ 11 September 1996
- Department of Contract and Management Services - 1 July 1996 ~ 1 July 2001
- Department of Housing and Works - 1 July 2001 ~ Present
Railways
See also List of railways constructed by the Public Works Department of Western AustraliaThe department built and maintained minor railways which serviced regional infrastructure (generally wharves). Other railways were built for specific tasks such as the construction of Mundaring Weir
Mundaring Weir
Mundaring Weir is the name of a dam which are located from Perth, Western Australia in the Darling Scarp. It is situated in the Mundaring locality...
and abandoned upon completion of the required task. Various major railways throughout the state were constructed by the P.W.D..
Prior to the formation of the P.W.D. railways were managed by:
- Department of Works and Railways: 31 December 1879 ~ 1 October 1890
- Department of Works and Buildings: 1 October 1890 ~ 31 December 1900
Since the P.W.D. these roles have been taken on by:
- Western Australian Government RailwaysWestern Australian Government RailwaysWestern Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
- WestrailWestrailWestrail was the name of Western Australia’s public rail service between 1975 and 2000.It had its origins in 1877 as the Department of Works and Railways. This became Western Australian Government Railways in 1890 — a name that persisted for almost a century...
- Public Transport Authority
Roads
The P.W.D. was responsible for the construction of roads and bridges around the state. This task was later relegated to:- Main Roads Board - 1 January 1926 ~ 1 January 1930
- Main Roads Department - 1 January 1930 ~
- Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA)
Vehicles and Mobile Plant
The country sections of the P.W.D. maintained a selection of hire cars for visiting government department officers. These along with other P.W.D. vehicles and plant were maintained by P.W.D. mechanics in P.W.D. workshops.Water and Sewerage
- For more detail of names and dates of various authorities - see Water CorporationWater Corporation-Overview:The Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia...
Public Works Department was responsible for water supplies, drainage, irrigation, sewerage and water resource management for many years after assuming this role from the Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department (1 January 1912 ~ 1 January 1921).
The P.W.D. was responsible for the construction of many dams, reservoirs and conveyancing systems throughout Western Australia. Water and sewerage services in Western Australia were split when the Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Board took over responsibility for the metropolitan region while the country areas remained serviced by the P.W.D. until disbandment.
These tasks were later assumed by:
- Water Authority of Western AustraliaWater Authority of Western AustraliaThe Water Authority of Western Australia was also known as WAWA from its establishment in 1985 under the Water Authority Act 1984 until it was corporatised and renamed Water Corporation in 1996.-Further reading:...
: 1 July 1985 ~ 1 January 1996 - Water CorporationWater Corporation-Overview:The Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia...
- 1 January 1996 ~ - Department of Water
Other
- Department of Local Government and Regional Devolpment 1 July 2001 ~ 1 July 2009
- Department of Local Government 1 July 2009 ~
- Department of Regional Development and Lands 1 July 2009 ~