The Munitions Supply Board was established on 13 August 1921 under the Government Factory Regulations 1921 made under the Defence Act 1903-1918.1 Soon after the commencement of the First World War, the need for some form of organisation to co-ordinate the business activities of the Department of Defence was recognised. Sir R.M.McC. Anderson, when he investigated the business branches of the Department, suggested a scheme and the appointment of the Federal Munitions Committee was partial acknowledgement of the need. On the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Navy and Defence Administration (CA 2289), a Board of Business Administration (CA 183) was appointed. When the end of the war brought the cessation of businessmen's assistance to the Department, the administration of the Government Factories was delegated to a Board of Factory Administration [I] on 1 September 1920. This Board consisted of the General Manager of the Commonwealth Arsenal, the Finance Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Defence [I] (CA 6).

In the meantime as a result of experience in the British Ministry of Munitions, Mr A.E. Leighton prepared proposals for an organisation for the production of munitions. An Advisory Committee headed by the Hon. G. Swinburne, endorsed the proposals and a Committee of Senior Military Officers advised the establishment of a Munitions Supply Branch. This was carried into effect by the creation of the Munitions Supply Board on 13 August 1921 under regulations under the Defence Act (Commonwealth Statutory Rules No. 167 if 1921.
The new Munitions Supply Board consisted of the same personnel as the Board of Factory Administration [I] and the powers and functions were also transferred to the new Board.2 The Board appears to have also been referred to as the Munitions Supply Branch.

The functions and powers of the Munitions Supply Board were given in the Government Factory Regulations 1921 as:
(1) The Board shall have, hold, exercise and perform, subject to the
    control of the Minister, such powers and functions respecting 
    the administration of Government factories as may be vested in 
    or conferred upon it by these regulations.
(2) In addition to any other powers and functions vested in or
    conferred upon it as aforesaid, the Board shall be charged with -
 (a) the efficient and economical conduct of all Government
     factories;
 (a) the co-ordination of the work of the several Government
     factories;
 (c) any matter affecting the administration of Government factories
     not governed by regulation or by any instruction issued by the
     Minister.
(3) The Board shall have authority to incur expenditure upon - 
 (a) Purchase of raw materials, fuel, and maintenance stores of 
     all kinds within the limit of available funds;
 (b) Replacement of and repairs to existing Government factory works,
     buildings, plant, machinery, furniture and fittings within the
     limit of available funds:
 (c) New works, and buildings, machinery, plant, furniture and
     fittings not exceeding $2,000 in any one factory at any one
     time3

Other responsibilities were also placed on the new Board, amongst them being the administration of the Contract Board (CA 92) the Research Laboratories and Inspection of Stores and Equipment for the Military Service.

The personnel of the Munitions Supply Board as listed in its first Annual Report was:
Chairman: Mr A.E. Leighton, Controller-General of Munitions Supply Members : Col. T.J. Thomas Finance Secretary of the Department of
          Defence
          Mr M.M. Maguire Assistant Secretary of the Department of
          Defence
Secretary: Mr J.K. Jensen
The statutory functions of the Board were listed as being:
(a) Provision of such armament, arms, ammunition, equipment, supplies
    and stores of all kinds as may be demanded by the responsible
    authorities and approved by the Minister;
(b) Research and design;
(c) Inspection and examination of supplies obtained in Australia
    other than food, forage and fuel supplies, up to the point of
    issue to the service;
(d) Administration of manufacturing establishments established or to
    be established under section 63 of the Defence Act and placed
    under the control of the Minister of State for Defence4.
These functions were confirmed in the Munitions Supply Regulations made under the Defence Act 1903-1918 on 31 August 1922.5

During the Depression the Board gained some experience of commercial manufacture as well as production of government orders. The government factories undertook the manufacture of certain civilian goods to replace imports eg. automatic spare parts, gear blanks, golf irons, lipstick containers, talking cinema projectors, paints, lacquers and chemical. On 21 September 1939 Supply and Developments (Administration) Regulations were made and were deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 1939. Under these Regulations, the Munitions Supply Regulations under which the Munitions Supply Board was established were suspended. The Factory Board (CA 140) took over the functions of the Munitions Supply Board.

Note: Further research is required to determine when the Munitions Supply Regulations and thus the Munitions Supply Board were formally abolished. In 1949 when the Factory Board/Board of Factory
Administration [II] (CA 140) was abolished and replaced by three Boards of Management, for Munitions Factories (CA 184) for Aircraft Factories (CA 185), and for Research and Development (CA 186), under the Supply and Development Regulations (Statutory) Rules 1949, No. 59) these regulations again stated that the Munitions Supply Regulations would not have effect in relation to matters concerning the Supply and Development Regulations.

References:
1. Commonwealth Statutory Rules No. 167 of 1921
2. "Munitions Supply Board - First Report, 13 Aug. 1921-30 June 1922"
    p.3 in Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers, session 1923-24,
    vol.IV  p.235
3. Commonwealth Statutory Rules 1921, No. 167
4. Munitions Supply Board - First Report, 13 Aug. 1921-30 June 1922
   p.3 
5. Statutory Rules 1922, No. 119
6. E.R. Walker, The Australian Economy in War and Reconstruction, 
   p.140 
7. Commonwealth Statutory Rules 1939, No. 97
 

Historical agency address
Victoria Barracks, St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth Statutory Rules No. 167 of 1921, Government Factory Regulations 1921 Suspension: Commonwealth Statutory Rules 1939, No. 97, Supply and Development (Administration) Regulations

Previous agency unregistered

Board of Factory Administration [I], 1920-1921