Board of Land and Works

The Board of Land and Works was a government authority in Victoria, Australia. It was established by an act of parliament in 1857, with the aim of consolidating and coordinating the administration of public lands and public works. Consequently, the two positions of Commissioner of Public Works and Surveyor General or Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey were abolished.

Board of Land and Works

Victorian coat of arms
Flag of Victoria
Statutory authority overview
Formed	29 April 1857
Dissolved	27 June 1964

Throughout its existence, the Board of Land and Works was responsible for matters involving public works and public lands. At various stages, it also had responsibility for railways from 1857 to 1884, for railway construction from 1892 to 1964, for main roads and bridges from 1858 until 1913, for sewage and water supply in Melbourne from 1859 to 1890, for rural water supply from c.1860 until 1910, for Aboriginal welfare from 1857 until 1860, and for local government from 1857 to 1958. Carrying out those functions was delegated to sub-departments of the board, many of which became departments of the state government after the abolition of the board in 1964.^[1]

In its first report to parliament in 1891, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways recommended that the construction of new railway lines be separated from the management of railway traffic and maintenance. As a result, the Railway Construction Branch of the Board of Land and Works was set up. The Minister for Railways (the Minister for Transport after 1934) was made, ex officio, one of the vice-presidents of the Board, which was a return to the situation which had existed prior to the transfer of the management of the railways to the Victorian Railways Commissioners in 1883-1884.^[2]

Presidents of the Board of Land and Works

Order	MP	Party affiliation		Term start	Term end	Time in office	Notes
	David Moore MP	Independent		29 April 1857	10 March 1858	315 days	[3]
	Charles Gavan Duffy MP			10 March 1858	22 March 1859	1 year, 12 days	[4]
	George Evans MP			22 March 1859	27 October 1859	219 days
	James Service MP			27 October 1859	3 September 1860	312 days	[5]
	Vincent Pyke MP			3 September 1860	24 September 1860	21 days
	Augustus Greeves MP			24 September 1860	26 November 1860	63 days
	John Henry Brooke MP			26 November 1860	14 November 1861	353 days	[6]
	Charles Gavan Duffy (Australian politician) MP			14 November 1861	27 June 1863	1 year, 225 days	[7]
	Richard Heales MP			27 June 1863	19 June 1864	358 days	[8]
	James M Grant MP			5 September 1864	6 May 1868	3 years, 244 days
	Duncan Gillies MP			6 May 1868	11 July 1868	66 days	[9]
	James M Grant MP			11 July 1868	20 September 1869	1 year, 71 days	[10]
	James McKean MP			20 September 1869	9 April 1870	201 days	[11]
	John A Macpherson MP			9 April 1870	19 June 1871	1 year, 71 days	[12]
	James M Grant MLC			19 June 1871	10 June 1872	357 days	[13]
	James Casey MP			19 June 1872	7 August 1875	3 years, 49 days	[14][15]
	Francis Longmore MP			7 August 1875	20 October 1875	74 days	[16]
	Duncan Gillies MP			20 October 1875	21 May 1877	1 year, 213 days	[17]
	Francis Longmore MP			21 May 1877	5 March 1880	2 years, 289 days	[18]
	John Gavan Duffy MP			5 March 1880	3 August 1880	151 days	[19]
	Richard Richardson MP			3 August 1880	9 July 1881	340 days	[20]
	David Gaunson MP			9 July 1881	2 August 1881	24 days	[21]
	Walter Madden MP			19 August 1881	8 March 1883	1 year, 201 days
	Albert Tucker MP			8 March 1883	18 February 1886	2 years, 347 days	[22]
	John Dow MP			18 February 1886	5 November 1890	4 years, 260 days	[23]
	Allan McLean MP			5 November 1890	23 January 1893	2 years, 79 days	[24][25]
	John McIntyre MP			23 January 1893	27 September 1894	1 year, 247 days	[26]
	Robert Best MP			27 September 1894	5 December 1899	5 years, 69 days	[27]
	James McColl MP			5 December 1899	19 November 1900	349 days	[28]
	Daniel Joseph Duggan MP			19 November 1900	10 June 1902	1 year, 203 days	[29][30]
	Malcolm McKenzie MP		Reform	10 June 1902	28 January 1903	232 days	[31]
	John William Taverner MP			6 February 1903	16 February 1904	1 year, 10 days
	John Murray MP			16 February 1904	15 August 1906	2 years, 180 days	[32]
	John Mackey MP			15 August 1906	31 October 1908	2 years, 77 days
	Thomas Hunt MP			31 October 1908	8 January 1909	69 days
	Hugh McKenzie MP		Commonwealth Liberal	8 January 1909	9 December 1913	4 years, 335 days	[33][34]
	William Plain MP		Labor	9 December 1913	22 December 1913	13 days	[35]
	Harry Lawson MP		Commonwealth Liberal	22 December 1913	9 November 1915	1 year, 322 days	[36][37]
	William Hutchinson MP			9 November 1915	29 November 1917	2 years, 20 days	[38]
	Frank Clarke MLC		Nationalist	29 November 1917	21 October 1919	1 year, 326 days	[39]
	Harry Lawson MP			21 October 1919	4 November 1920	1 year, 14 days	[40]
	David Oman MP			4 November 1920	7 September 1923	2 years, 307 days
	John Allan MP			7 September 1923	19 March 1924	194 days
	David Oman MP			19 March 1924	18 July 1924	121 days	[41][42]
	Henry Bailey MP		Labor	18 July 1924	18 November 1924	123 days	[43]
	Alfred Downward MP		Country	18 November 1924	20 May 1927	2 years, 183 days	[44]
	Henry Bailey MP		Labor	20 May 1927	22 November 1928	1 year, 186 days	[45]
	Henry Angus MP		Nationalist	22 November 1928	12 December 1929	1 year, 20 days	[46]
	Henry Bailey MP		Labor	12 December 1929	19 May 1932	2 years, 159 days	[47]
	Albert Dunstan MP		United Australia Party	19 May 1932	20 March 1935	2 years, 305 days	[48]
	Thomas Maltby MP			20 March 1935	2 April 1935	13 days
	Albert Lind MP		United Country	2 April 1935	1 January 1942	6 years, 274 days	[49]
	George Tuckett MLC			8 January 1942	14 September 1943	1 year, 249 days
	Daniel McNamara MLC		Labor	14 September 1943	18 September 1943	4 days	[50]
	Albert Lind MP		United Country	18 September 1943	2 October 1945	2 years, 14 days	[51]
	Bill Galvin MP		Labor	21 November 1945	20 November 1947	1 year, 364 days	[52]
	John McDonald MP		Country	20 November 1947	3 December 1948	1 year, 13 days	[53]
	Thomas Hollway MP		Liberal	3 December 1948	8 December 1948	5 days
	Rutherford Guthrie MP			8 December 1948	19 June 1950	1 year, 193 days
	William Leggatt MP			19 June 1950	27 June 1950	8 days
	Albert Lind MP		Country	27 June 1950	28 October 1952	2 years, 123 days	[54]
	John Hipworth MP		Electoral Reform League	28 October 1952	31 October 1952	3 days	[55]
	Albert Lind MP		Country	31 October 1952	17 December 1952	47 days	[56][57]
	Robert Holt MP		Labor	17 December 1952	15 December 1953	363 days	[58]
	Joseph Smith MP			22 December 1953	7 June 1955	1 year, 167 days
	Henry Bolte MP		Liberal Country Party	7 June 1955	8 June 1955	1 day	[59]
	Keith Turnbull MP			8 June 1955	27 June 1964	9 years, 19 days

Vice-Presidents of the Board of Land and Works

Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works of Victoria
Victorian coat of arms
Flag of Victoria
Member of	Parliament Executive council
Nominator	Premier
Appointer	Governor on the recommendation of the premier
Term length	At the governor's pleasure
Inaugural holder	John Charles King
Formation	27 October 1859
Final holder	Gilbert Chandler
Abolished	27 June 1964

Note: Position may be held concurrently with other MPs.

Order	MP	Party affiliation		Term start	Term end	Time in office	Notes
	John Charles King MP	Independent		27 October 1859	25 November 1859	29 days	[5][60][61]
	James Francis MP			25 November 1859	3 September 1860	283 days	[5]
	John Bailey MP			3 September 1860	2 October 1860	29 days
	Vincent Pyke MP			2 October 1860	26 November 1860	55 days
	James Johnston MP			26 November 1860	20 February 1861	86 days	[6]
	James M Grant MP			20 February 1861	14 November 1861	267 days
	James Johnston MP			14 November 1861	27 June 1863	1 year, 225 days	[7]
	Matthew Hervey MLC			27 June 1863	22 July 1865	2 years, 25 days	[8]
	James M Grant MP			27 June 1863	5 September 1864	1 year, 70 days
	Henry Miller MLC			18 July 1866	16 January 1867	182 days
	William Vale MP			18 July 1866	6 May 1868	1 year, 293 days
	John MacGregor MP			21 January 1867	4 March 1867	42 days
	James Sullivan MP			4 March 1867	6 May 1868	1 year, 63 days
	Michael O'Grady MP			6 May 1868	11 July 1868	66 days	[9]
	George Kerferd MP			8 May 1868	11 July 1868	64 days
	George Higinbotham MP			11 July 1868	25 May 1869	318 days	[10]
	Charles Jones MP			3 August 1868	9 March 1869	218 days
	James Sullivan MP			1 February 1869	20 September 1869	231 days
	William Bates MP			9 April 1870	12 April 1870	3 days	[12]
	Michael O'Grady MP			19 June 1871	10 June 1872	357 days	[13]
	Francis Longmore MP			19 June 1871	10 June 1872	357 days
	Duncan Gillies MP			10 June 1872	7 August 1875	3 years, 58 days	[14][62]
	Alexander Fraser MLC			14 June 1872	4 May 1874	1 year, 324 days	[14]
	Robert Stirling Hore Anderson MLC			4 May 1874	7 August 1875	1 year, 95 days	[14][62]
	John Woods MP			23 August 1875	20 October 1875	58 days	[16]
	James Patterson MP
	Joseph Jones MP			20 October 1875	21 May 1877	1 year, 213 days	[17]
	James Patterson MP			28 May 1877	5 March 1880	2 years, 282 days	[18]
	John Woods MP			11 June 1877	5 March 1880	2 years, 268 days
	Duncan Gillies MP			16 March 1880	3 August 1880	140 days	[19]
	Thomas Bent MP
	George D Langridge MP			12 August 1880	9 July 1881	331 days	[20]
	James Patterson MP
	Thomas Bent MP			9 July 1881	8 March 1883	1 year, 242 days	[21]
	Charles Young MP			19 August 1881	8 March 1883	1 year, 201 days
	Duncan Gillies MP			12 March 1883	18 February 1886	2 years, 343 days	[22]
	Alfred Deakin MP
	John Nimmo MP			23 February 1886	1 June 1889	3 years, 98 days	[23]
	David Davies MP			1 June 1889	17 June 1889	16 days
	James Patterson MP			17 June 1889	2 September 1890	1 year, 77 days
	William Anderson MP			2 September 1890	5 November 1890	64 days
	James Wheeler MP			26 March 1891	22 April 1891	27 days	[24]
	Alfred Richard Outtrim MP			28 April 1891	23 January 1893	1 year, 270 days	[24][63]
	George Graham MP			16 February 1892	23 January 1893	342 days	[63]
	Richard Baker MP			23 January 1893	27 September 1894	1 year, 247 days	[26]
	William Webb MP
	Frederick Thomas Sargood MLC			27 September 1894	20 December 1894	84 days	[27]
	John William Taverner MP			27 September 1894	5 December 1899	5 years, 69 days
	George Turner MP			20 December 1894	13 February 1895	55 days
	William McCulloch MLC			13 February 1895	5 December 1899	4 years, 295 days
	Alfred Richard Outtrim MP			5 December 1899	19 November 1900	349 days	[28]
	George Graham MP
	Donald Melville MLC
	William McCulloch MLC			19 November 1900	12 February 1901	85 days	[29]
	William Trenwith MP			19 November 1900	10 June 1902	1 year, 203 days	[29][64]
	William McCulloch MLC			12 February 1901	10 June 1902	1 year, 118 days	[64]
	Robert McGregor MP
	Thomas Bent MP		Reform	10 June 1902	21 July 1903	1 year, 41 days	[31]
	John William Taverner MP			10 June 1902	6 February 1903	241 days
	Arthur Sachse MLC			24 June 1902	16 February 1904	1 year, 237 days
	Thomas Bent MP			16 February 1904	8 January 1909	4 years, 327 days	[32]
	Arthur Sachse MLC			16 February 1904	31 October 1908	4 years, 258 days
	Ewen Hugh Cameron MP
	Donald McLeod MP			16 February 1904	8 January 1909	4 years, 327 days
	John Bowser MP			31 October 1908	8 January 1909	69 days
	Duncan McBryde MLC
	Peter McBride MP		Commonwealth Liberal	8 January 1909	31 May 1910	1 year, 143 days	[33]
	Alfred Billson MP			8 January 1909	18 May 1912	3 years, 131 days
	William Baillieu MLC			8 January 1909	15 June 1909	158 days
	James Cameron MP			15 June 1909	25 October 1909	132 days
	William Baillieu MLC			25 October 1909	14 February 1911	1 year, 112 days
	Peter McBride MP			31 May 1910	18 May 1912	1 year, 353 days
	William Watt MP			31 May 1910	30 November 1910	183 days
	William Edgar MLC			14 February 1911	18 May 1912	1 year, 94 days
	Alfred Billson MP			18 May 1912	9 December 1913	1 year, 205 days	[65]
	Peter McBride MP			18 May 1912	19 February 1913	277 days
	William Edgar MLC			18 May 1912	21 June 1913	1 year, 34 days
	Alexander Peacock MP			19 February 1913	9 December 1913	293 days
	Frederick Hagelthorn MLC			21 June 1913	9 December 1913	171 days
	Alfred Richard Outtrim MP		Labor	9 December 1913	22 December 1913	13 days	[35]
	John Billson MP
	Adam McLellan MLC
	Frederick Hagelthorn MLC		Commonwealth Liberal	22 December 1913	18 June 1914	178 days	[36]
	Donald Mackinnon MP
	James Drysdale Brown MLC
	Frederick Hagelthorn MLC			18 June 1914	29 November 1917	3 years, 164 days	[38]
	James Drysdale Brown MLC
	Donald Mackinnon MP			18 June 1914	9 November 1915	1 year, 144 days
	Thomas Livingston MP			9 November 1915	29 November 1917	2 years, 20 days
	Hugh McKenzie MP
	Agar Wynne MP		Nationalist	29 November 1917	21 March 1918	112 days	[39]
	Alfred Downward MP
	John McWhae MLC
	William Hutchinson MP			21 March 1918	1 November 1920	2 years, 225 days	[41]
	Samuel Barnes MP			21 March 1918	7 September 1923	5 years, 170 days
	Arthur Robinson MLC			21 March 1918	21 October 1919	1 year, 214 days
	Frank Clarke MLC			21 October 1919	7 September 1923	3 years, 321 days
	Alexander Peacock MP			4 November 1920	19 March 1924	3 years, 136 days
	Francis Old MP			7 September 1923	19 March 1924	194 days
	George Goudie MLC
	Alexander Peacock MP			19 March 1924	28 April 1924	40 days
	John Gordon MP			19 March 1924	18 July 1924	121 days	[41][66]
	Frederic Eggleston MP
	Henry Cohen MLC
	Richard Toutcher MP			28 April 1924	18 July 1924	81 days	[66]
	Edmond Hogan MP		Labor	18 July 1924	18 November 1924	123 days	[43]
	John Percy Jones MLC
	Daniel McNamara MLC
	Horace Richardson MLC		Country	18 November 1924	20 May 1927	2 years, 183 days	[44]
	Frederic Eggleston MP
	George Goudie MLC
	Thomas Tunnecliffe MP		Labor	20 May 1927	22 November 1928	1 year, 186 days	[45]
	John Percy Jones MLC
	William Beckett MLC
	Frank Groves MP		Nationalist	22 November 1928	10 December 1929	1 year, 18 days	[46]
	John Pennington MP			22 November 1928	12 December 1929	1 year, 20 days
	Alfred Chandler MLC
	Henry Beardmore MP			10 December 1929	12 December 1929	2 days
	John Cain MP		Labor	12 December 1929	19 May 1932	2 years, 159 days	[47]
	John Percy Jones MLC			12 December 1929	26 April 1932	2 years, 136 days
	William Beckett MLC			12 December 1929	24 June 1931	1 year, 194 days
	Robert Williams MLC			24 June 1931	19 May 1932	330 days
	George Goudie MLC		United Australia Party	19 May 1932	20 March 1935	2 years, 305 days	[48]
	John Allan MP
	John Percy Jones MLC
	Wilfrid Kent Hughes MP			25 July 1934	2 April 1935	251 days
	Clive Shields MP			20 March 1935	2 April 1935	13 days
	John Percy Jones MLC
	Edmond Hogan MP		United Country	2 April 1935	28 June 1943	8 years, 87 days	[49]
	George Goudie MLC			2 April 1935	14 September 1943	8 years, 165 days
	Herbert Hyland MP			27 April 1938	14 September 1943	5 years, 140 days
	Norman Martin MP			28 June 1943	14 September 1943	78 days
	Frank Field MP		Labor	14 September 1943	18 September 1943	4 days	[50]
	William McKenzie MP
	Bill Barry MP
	Norman Martin MP		United Country	18 September 1943	2 October 1945	2 years, 14 days	[51]
	John Lienhop MLC
	James Kennedy MLC		United Australia Party
	William Cumming MP		Liberal	2 October 1945	21 November 1945	50 days	[67]
	Likely McBrien MLC		Independent
	William Everard MP		Liberal
	James Disney MLC
	William McKenzie MP		Labor	21 November 1945	20 November 1947	1 year, 364 days	[52]
	Pat Kennelly MLC			21 November 1945	19 August 1947	1 year, 271 days
	Thomas Hayes MP			19 August 1947	20 November 1947	93 days
	James Kennedy MLC		Liberal	20 November 1947	8 December 1948	1 year, 18 days	[53]
	Wilfrid Kent Hughes MP			20 November 1947	29 October 1949	1 year, 343 days
	Alexander Dennett MP			20 November 1947	15 December 1949	2 years, 25 days
	Thomas Hollway MP			29 October 1949	15 December 1949	47 days
	Edward Guye MP			15 December 1949	27 June 1950	194 days
	John Hipworth MP
	Percy Byrnes MLC		Country	27 June 1950	28 October 1952	2 years, 123 days	[54]
	Herbert Hyland MP
	George Moss MP
	John Don MP		Electoral Reform League	28 October 1952	31 October 1952	3 days	[55]
	Charles Gartside MLC
	Hugh MacLeod MLC
	Percy Byrnes MLC		Country	31 October 1952	17 December 1952	47 days	[56][57]
	Herbert Hyland MP
	George Moss MP
	Clive Stoneham MP		Labor	17 December 1952	7 June 1955	2 years, 172 days	[58]
	Samuel Merrifield MP
	Les Coleman MLC			17 December 1952	31 March 1955	2 years, 104 days
	Don Ferguson MLC			31 March 1955	7 June 1955	68 days
	Thomas Maltby MP		Liberal Country Party	7 June 1955	26 July 1961	6 years, 49 days	[59]
	Arthur Warner MLC			7 June 1955	5 September 1962	7 years, 90 days
	Gilbert Chandler MLC			7 June 1955	27 June 1964	9 years, 20 days
	Edward Meagher MP			26 July 1961	5 September 1962	1 year, 41 days
	Horace Petty MP			26 July 1961	27 May 1964	2 years, 306 days