Australian Shipping Board
{{Short description|Australian government authority for shipping 1946 and 1961}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Australian Shipping Board
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|formed = 1 January 1946
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|dissolved = 17 November 1961
|superseding =
|type = board
|jurisdiction = Commonwealth of Australia
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The Australian Shipping Board was an Australian government authority over shipping between 1946 and 1961.{{cite web|url=http://www.eoas.info/biogs/A000894b.htm|title=Australian Shipping Board|publisher=Encyclopedia of Australian Science |accessdate=6 September 2011}}{{citation|title=CA 130: Australian Shipping Board|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+130|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131202215135/http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+130|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2013|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=3 December 2013}}
The board was established on 1 January 1946, based in Melbourne.{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48688108|title=New Shipping Board Members Named|publisher=The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Friday 25 January 1946, p.8.|accessdate=6 September 2011}} In 1956 the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission (trading as the Australian National Line) took over the responsibilities of the board, and took around forty ships previously operated by the Australian Shipping Board.{{cite web|url=http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/asaw/biogs/A000894b.htm#related|title=Corporate entry: Australian Shipping Board|work=Australian Science at Work|publisher=www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au|accessdate=2008-07-05|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815020046/http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/asaw/biogs/A000894b.htm| archivedate= 15 August 2008 | url-status= live}}
The Board continued to function until ceasing to exist on 17 November 1961. The Board membership as set out in the 1945 Regulations consisted of:
- the Secretary, Department of Supply and Shipping who was Chairman of the Board;
- the Director, who was Deputy Chairman of the Board;
- an officer of the Department of Supply and Shipping;
- an officer of the Department of the Treasury;
- an officer of the Department of Trade and Customs; and
- four other members.