Commissioner of Public Works (South Australia)

The Commissioner of Public Works was a member of Cabinet of the Government of South Australia.

Commissioner of Public Works
StyleThe Honourable
Member ofCabinet
Reports toParliament
AppointerGovernor of South Australia
Term lengthAt Her Majesty's pleasure
Formation24 October 1856 (1856-10-24)
First holderArthur Freeling
Final holderKym Mayes
Abolished1 October 1992 (1992-10-01)

Originally created for the Finniss Ministry on 24 October 1856, there were 63 holders of the public works portfolio. It was known as Commissioner for Public Works for most of its existence, however since the Playford Government in the 1960s, it was known as Minister for Works or Public Works.

The longest holder was Malcolm McIntosh, a member of the Liberal Federation/Liberal and Country League and a minister in the Butler and Playford governments, who held the portfolio on two separate occasions for a total of 23 years and 45 days. The last holder was Kym Mayes, a member of the Labor Party and a minister in Lynn Arnold's government. The title was abolished on 1 October 1992 (1992-10-01) and superseded by portfolio's for Infrastructure and Transport.

List of Commissioner of Public Works of South Australia

OrderMinisterPartyPremierTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1Arthur Freeling No PartyFinnissCommissioner of
Public Works
24 October 1856 (1856-10-24)20 March 1857 (1857-03-20)147 days
2Samuel Davenport20 March 1857 (1857-03-20)21 August 1857 (1857-08-21)154 days
3Arthur BlythBaker21 August 1857 (1857-08-21)1 September 1857 (1857-09-01)11 days
n/aSamuel DavenportTorrens1 September 1857 (1857-09-01)30 September 1857 (1857-09-30)29 days
4Thomas ReynoldsHanson30 September 1857 (1857-09-30)12 June 1858 (1858-06-12)255 days
n/aArthur Blyth12 June 1858 (1858-06-12)9 May 1860 (1860-05-09)1 year, 332 days
5Alexander HayReynolds9 May 1860 (1860-05-09)8 October 1861 (1861-10-08)1 year, 152 days
6Philip SantoWaterhouse8 October 1861 (1861-10-08)17 October 1861 (1861-10-17)9 days
7John Lindsay17 October 1861 (1861-10-17)19 February 1862 (1862-02-19)125 days
8William Milne19 February 1862 (1862-02-19)4 July 1863 (1863-07-04)1 year, 135 days
9William TownsendDutton4 July 1863 (1863-07-04)15 July 1863 (1863-07-15)11 days
n/aPhilip SantoAyers15 July 1863 (1863-07-15)4 August 1864 (1864-08-04)1 year, 20 days
n/aWilliam MilneBlyth4 August 1864 (1864-08-04)22 March 1865 (1865-03-22)230 days
10Francis DuttonDutton22 March 1865 (1865-03-22)20 September 1865 (1865-09-20)182 days
n/aPhilip SantoAyers20 September 1865 (1865-09-20)23 October 1865 (1865-10-23)33 days
11Thomas EnglishHart23 October 1865 (1865-10-23)28 March 1866 (1866-03-28)1 year, 192 days
Boucaut28 March 1866 (1866-03-28)3 May 1867 (1867-05-03)
n/aPhilip SantoAyers3 May 1867 (1867-05-03)24 September 1868 (1868-09-24)1 year, 144 days
12William EverardHart24 September 1868 (1868-09-24)12 October 1868 (1868-10-12)18 days
n/aPhilip SantoAyers13 October 1868 (1868-10-13)3 November 1868 (1868-11-03)21 days
13John ColtonStrangways3 November 1868 (1868-11-03)12 May 1870 (1870-05-12)1 year, 190 days
14Friedrich Krichauff12 May 1870 (1870-05-12)30 May 1870 (1870-05-30)18 days
15John CarrHart30 May 1870 (1870-05-30)10 November 1871 (1871-11-10)1 year, 237 days
Blyth10 November 1871 (1871-11-10)22 January 1872 (1872-01-22)
16James RamsayAyers22 January 1872 (1872-01-22)4 March 1872 (1872-03-04)42 days
17Wentworth Cavenagh4 March 1872 (1872-03-04)22 July 1873 (1873-07-22)1 year, 140 days
18Henry BrightBlyth22 July 1873 (1873-07-22)3 June 1875 (1875-06-03)1 year, 316 days
19William West-ErskineBoucaut3 June 1875 (1875-06-03)2 February 1876 (1876-02-02)244 days
20James Boucaut2 February 1876 (1876-02-02)6 June 1876 (1876-06-06)125 days
21John ColtonColton6 June 1876 (1876-06-06)26 October 1877 (1877-10-26)1 year, 142 days
22George HawkerBoucaut26 October 1877 (1877-10-26)27 September 1878 (1878-09-27)3 years, 241 days
Morgan27 September 1878 (1878-09-27)24 June 1881 (1881-06-24)
n/aJames RamsayBray24 June 1881 (1881-06-24)23 April 1884 (1884-04-23)2 years, 304 days
23David Bower23 April 1884 (1884-04-23)16 June 1884 (1884-06-16)54 days
24Thomas Playford IIColton16 June 1884 (1884-06-16)4 February 1885 (1885-02-04)233 days
25Jenkin Coles4 February 1885 (1885-02-04)16 June 1885 (1885-06-16)132 days
26John DarlingDowner16 June 1885 (1885-06-16)14 October 1885 (1885-10-14)120 days
27John Spence14 October 1885 (1885-10-14)8 June 1886 (1886-06-08)237 days
28Luke Furner8 June 1886 (1886-06-08)11 June 1887 (1887-06-11)1 year, 3 days
29Alfred CattPlayford II11 June 1887 (1887-06-11)27 June 1889 (1889-06-27)2 years, 16 days
30James HoweCockburn27 June 1889 (1889-06-27)2 May 1890 (1890-05-02)309 days
31Thomas Burgoyne2 May 1890 (1890-05-02)19 August 1890 (1890-08-19)109 days
32William RounsevellPlayford II19 August 1890 (1890-08-19)6 January 1892 (1892-01-06)1 year, 140 days
33John Jenkins6 January 1892 (1892-01-06)21 June 1892 (1892-06-21)167 days
34Andrew HandysideHolder21 June 1892 (1892-06-21)15 October 1892 (1892-10-15)116 days
35Lawrence GraysonDowner15 October 1892 (1892-10-15)12 May 1893 (1893-05-12)209 days
No Holder12 May 1893 (1893-05-12)16 June 1893 (1893-06-16)35 days
36Frederick HolderLiberalismKingston16 June 1893 (1893-06-16)17 April 1894 (1894-04-17)305 days
37John Jenkins17 April 1894 (1894-04-17)1 December 1899 (1899-12-01)5 years, 228 days
n/aAndrew Handyside No PartySolomon1 December 1899 (1899-12-01)8 December 1899 (1899-12-08)7 days
38Richard FosterHolder8 December 1899 (1899-12-08)15 May 1901 (1901-05-15)4 years, 209 days
Jenkins15 May 1901 (1901-05-15)4 July 1904 (1904-07-04)
No Holder4 July 1904 (1904-07-04)1 March 1905 (1905-03-01)240 days
n/aRichard Foster No PartyButler1 March 1905 (1905-03-01)26 July 1905 (1905-07-26)147 days
39Thomas Price LaborPrice26 July 1905 (1905-07-26)5 June 1909 (1909-06-05)3 years, 314 days
40Laurence O'Loughlin Farmers &
Producers Union
Peake5 June 1909 (1909-06-05)3 June 1910 (1910-06-03)363 days
41John Verran LaborVerran3 June 1910 (1910-06-03)17 February 1912 (1912-02-17)1 year, 259 days
42Richard ButlerLiberal UnionPeake17 February 1912 (1912-02-17)19 November 1914 (1914-11-19)2 years, 275 days
43George Ritchie19 November 1914 (1914-11-19)3 April 1915 (1915-04-03)135 days
44Harry Jackson LaborVaughan3 April 1915 (1915-04-03)14 July 1917 (1917-07-14)2 years, 102 days
45John BiceLiberal UnionPeake14 July 1917 (1917-07-14)15 May 1919 (1919-05-15)1 year, 305 days
46George Ritchie15 May 1919 (1919-05-15)8 April 1920 (1920-04-08)329 days
47William HagueBarwell8 April 1920 (1920-04-08)3 November 1922 (1922-11-03)2 years, 209 days
48Thomas Pascoe3 November 1922 (1922-11-03)16 October 1923 (1923-10-16)1 year, 11 days
Liberal Federation16 October 1923 (1923-10-16)14 November 1923 (1923-11-14)
49George Jenkins14 November 1923 (1923-11-14)16 April 1924 (1924-04-16)154 days
50Lionel Hill LaborGunn16 April 1924 (1924-04-16)28 August 1926 (1926-08-28)2 years, 134 days
51John McInnesHill28 August 1926 (1926-08-28)8 April 1927 (1927-04-08)223 days
52Malcolm McIntoshLiberal FederationButler8 April 1927 (1927-04-08)17 April 1930 (1930-04-17)3 years, 9 days
n/aJohn McInnes LaborHill17 April 1930 (1930-04-17)13 February 1933 (1933-02-13)3 years, 1 day
Richards13 February 1933 (1933-02-13)18 April 1933 (1933-04-18)64 days
53Herbert HuddLiberal &
Country League
Butler18 April 1933 (1933-04-18)8 April 1938 (1938-04-08)4 years, 355 days
n/aMalcolm McIntoshPlayford8 April 1938 (1938-04-08)14 December 1944 (1944-12-14)20 years, 36 days
Minister for
Works
14 December 1944 (1944-12-14)14 May 1958 (1958-05-14)
54Colin Rowe14 May 1958 (1958-05-14)25 June 1958 (1958-06-25)42 days
55Glen Pearson25 June 1958 (1958-06-25)10 March 1965 (1965-03-10)6 years, 258 days
56Cyril Hutchens LaborWalsh10 March 1965 (1965-03-10)1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)3 years, 38 days
Dunstan1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)17 April 1968 (1968-04-17)
57John CoumbeLiberal &
Country League
Hall17 April 1968 (1968-04-17)2 March 1970 (1970-03-02)1 year, 319 days
58Allan Rodda2 March 1970 (1970-03-02)2 June 1970 (1970-06-02)92 days
59Des Corcoran LaborDunstan2 June 1970 (1970-06-02)15 February 1979 (1979-02-15)8 years, 286 days
Corcoran15 February 1979 (1979-02-15)15 March 1979 (1979-03-15)
60John WrightMinister for
Public Works
15 March 1979 (1979-03-15)18 September 1979 (1979-09-18)187 days
61Dean Brown LiberalTonkin18 September 1979 (1979-09-18)10 November 1982 (1982-11-10)3 years, 53 days
n/aJohn Wright LaborBannon10 November 1982 (1982-11-10)19 February 1984 (1984-02-19)1 year, 101 days
62Terry Hemmings19 February 1984 (1984-02-19)14 December 1989 (1989-12-14)5 years, 298 days
63Kym Mayes14 December 1989 (1989-12-14)4 September 1992 (1992-09-04)2 years, 292 days
Arnold4 September 1992 (1992-09-04)1 October 1992 (1992-10-01)

References