On the recommendation of the Commonwealth Transport Committee's report on the co-ordination of transport in Australia, (1) the Department of Markets and Transport (CA 23) was split into two departments on 21 April 1930, the Department of Transport [I] and the Department of Markets [II] (CA 25). At its creation the Department was responsible for the following functions:
- Assisted migration from Great Britain, comprising household
workers, boys for farms and re-union of families.
Functions include approval or otherwise of requisitions by States
for migrants; examination, selection and approval in Great
Britain; also transportation to Australia
- Australian Overseas Transport Association
- Commonwealth Railways
- Co-ordination of Australian transport services
- Collection and dissemination of information regarding
Australia's resources and production, including transport
and taxation
- Federal Transport Council
- Interstate railway freights
- Mechanical transport development, including
(a) the testing of various types of motor vehicles likely to
cheapen and improve Australian transport;
(b) use in motor vehicles of Australian fuel, such as producer gas
from charcoal;
(c) dissemination of information regarding the latest overseas
developments affecting motor transport.
- Overseas transport
- Unification of railway gauges
- War Service Homes (2)
and for administering the following Acts:
Commonwealth Railways Act 1917-25
Grafton to South Brisbane Railway Act 1924-26
Northern Territory Railway Extension Act 1923
Oodnadatta to Alice Springs Railway Act 1926
Railways (South Australia) Agreement Act 1926
Seamen's Compensation Act 1911
Seat of Government Railway Act 1928
Transport Workers Act 1928
War Service Homes Act 1918-1927 (2)
Although by Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 April 1930 the new Department of Transport [I] inherited the responsibility for the functions of navigation and shipping and lighthouses and for
administering the Lighthouses Act 1911-1919 and Navigation Act 1912-1926 from the Department of Markets and Transport, the responsibility was in fact taken over from the Department of Trade and Customs in August 1930. (4)
This arose because Section 8 of the Navigation Act and Section 4 of the Lighthouses Act stated that the respective Acts were to be administered by the Minister for Trade and Customs. Although the Administrative Arrangements Order of 11 December 1928, (3) re-allocated the responsibility to the Minister for Markets and Transport, legally the Acts are still administered by the Minister for Trade and Customs. This situation was rectified in 1930 when an amendment to the Acts Interpretation Act (No. 23 of 1930) was passed which provided (in Section 5) that a reference in an Act to a Minister shall be read as reference to the Minister specified in administrative arrangements made by order of the Governor-General.
The Acts Interpretation Act 1930 came into force when it received Royal Assent on 14 August 1930. On 27 August 1930, the functions of:
Navigation and shipping
Lighthouses, light ships, beacons and buoys
and the Lighthouses Act 1911-1919 and Navigation Act 1912-1926 were formally made the responsibility of the Minister for Transport by Administrative Arrangements Order. (4)
The Development and Migration Commission (CA 243) was abolished by the Development and Migration Act 1930 (No. 11 of 1930 on 1 July 1930. (5) Responsibility for matters affecting assisted migration was transferred from the Commission to the Department of Transport [I] as from 1 July 1930. (6)
The Department of Transport [I] was abolished by Executive Council Minute on 12 April 1932.(7) The functions of navigation and shipping, and lighthouses, light ships, beacons and buoys were transferred to the Department of Commerce (CA 28) as was the responsibility for administering the Lighthouses Act 1911-1919, Navigation Act 1912-1926 and the Seamen's Compensation Act 1911. All other functions and acts were transferred to the Department of the Interior [I] (CA 27).
There is very little of the Department of Transport's record-keeping system extant as such. It is thought that the Department maintained a series of correspondence files in single number order with a T prefix, although none of this series appears to be extant. Some files were top-numbered into the Department of the Interior[I]'s correspondence series (CRS A1) and some may have been top-numbered into a Department of Commerce series. (Refer to the inventory of series for further details concerning the records of the Department)
The Ministers of State for Transport [I] were:
21 Apr 1930 - 6 Jan 1932 : Hon Parker John Moloney (having also the
portfolio of Markets)
6 Jan 1932 - 12 Apr 1932 : Hon Robert Archdale Parkhill (having
also the portfolio of Home Affairs)
The Secretary to the Department of Transport [I] was Herbert Charles Brown.(8)
References
(1) Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers, session 1929-31, vol III, pp
339f.
(2) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 33 (1 May 1930), p 862.
(3) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 139 (15 December 1928), p
3505
(4) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 78 (4 September 1930), p
1795.
(5) The Development and Migration Act 1930 was proclaimed to
commence on 1 July 1930 (see Commonwealth of Australia Gazette,
No 53 (26 June 1930), p 1241.
(6) See also CRS A1 External Affairs [I] ; Home and Territories;
Home Affairs [II] ; Interior [I] Correspondence files, annual
single number series, item 34/8833, Staff matters, Department of
Transport ........1930-1933.
(7) Executive Council Meeting No 32 (Prime Minister's Department No
35), 12 April 1932.
(8) Brown was appointed Secretary by the Governor-General in
Council (see Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 33 (1 May
1930), p 862.
Historical agency address
Treasury Gardens, MelbourneLegislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Meeting No. 16 (Prime Minister's Minute No. 73), 21 Apr.1930
Abolition: Executive Council Meeting No. 32 (Prime Minister's Minute No. 35), 12 Apr.1932