Department of Works and Railways
{{Short description|Australian government department, 1916–1932}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Department of Works and Railways
|logo =
|logo_width = 200 px
|logo_caption =
|preceding1 = Department of Home Affairs
|superseding = Department of the Interior
|type = Department
|jurisdiction = Commonwealth of Australia
|employees =
|budget =
|minister1_name =
|minister1_pfo =
|minister2_name =
|minister2_pfo =
| chief1_name = David Miller
| chief1_position = Secretary (1916–1917)
| chief2_name = Walter Bingle
| chief2_position = Secretary (1917–1926)
| chief3_name = Henry Walters
| chief3_position = Secretary (1926–1929)
| chief4_name = Percival Gourgaud
| chief4_position = Secretary (1929–1932)
| headquarters = Melbourne
}}
The Department of Works and Railways was an Australian government department that existed between November 1916 and April 1932.
At its abolition, its functions were absorbed into the Department of the Interior.{{citation|url=http://nla.gov.au/anbd.aut-an35152028|title=Australia. Department of Works and Railways|via=National Library of Australia}}{{Citation | author1=Commonwealth National Library (Australia). Archives Division | author2=Gibbney, H. J. (Herbert James), 1922-1989 | title=Records of the Department of Works and Railways (including records transferred from the Department of Home Affairs) 1901-32 | publication-date=1950 | publisher=s.n | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/15115920 | access-date=5 July 2023}}
Scope
Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the department's annual reports.
At its creation, the department was responsible for the following:
- Public works
- Railways
- Rivers
The department was responsible for preparing the plans to build Old Parliament House.{{citation|title=Building the provisional Parliament House – Fact sheet 109|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012143724/http://naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs109.aspx|archivedate=12 October 2013|url=http://naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs109.aspx|publisher=National Archives of Australia}} It also prepared building plans for retail trading blocks in Manuka, Australian Capital Territory.{{citation|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-gmod8|title=Building plans for retail trading, Manuka centre, Canberra |date=1924}}
Structure
The department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Works and Railways. In order of appointment, the Department's Ministers were: Patrick Lynch, William Watt, Richard Foster, Percy Stewart, William Hill, William Gibson, Joseph Lyons, Albert Green and Charles Marr.