Government buildings
Tracing the history of government buildings entails many of the approaches already described. In addition, they have their own unique records and strategies that set them apart from researching private property. Government buildings may have been built or acquired by government.
Commonwealth buildings
Buildings utilised for Federal/Commonwealth purposes can be found in the holdings of the National Archives of Australia. Such buildings include post offices, customs house, defence buildings. Search online or visit their office at 91 Murray Street for more information.
State Government buildings
The Colonial Secretary’s Office and subsequent agencies were responsible for the building of many of the earliest Tasmanian Government buildings.
- See A Guide to the Public Records of Tasmania – Colonial Secretaries Office
- You may need to search registers and indexes (in hardcopy and microfilm) as well as online indexes such as the Wayn index, for mentions of certain buildings.
- The Public Works Department (1835 – 1977) was responsible for the construction and maintenance of public buildings and infrastructure. There are over 260 individual series of records for the Public Works Department. Some series are highlighted here; many more describe contacts, tenders, specifications and general and specific types of government building and infrastructure construction. To see all possible sources search agency TA24 and check the online finding guide Index to public works 1877-1935 for public works that were approved by the Tasmanian Parliament to commence construction during the indicated year.
Some useful records include:
- PWD266 – plans of public buildings and infrastructure between 1834 and 1995 (police stations, court houses, gaols, government offices, hospitals, schools, railways, bridges and jetties). Many plans are listed by name as items within PWD266. Many plans are available on microfilm aperture card. Selected ones have been digitised and can be viewed online.
- PWD18 – Correspondence and Associated Papers Relating to Various Works Provided for in Public Works Execution Acts, 1877-1936.
- PWD29 – General Government buildings, arranged by municipalities.
- PWD70 – Accommodation houses.
- PWD57 – Health.
- PWD54 – Department of Education.
- PWD55 – Police.
- PWD261 – General Government buildings, arranged alphabetically by department – much of the correspondence is about interiors.
Individual government departments that built and/or owned their own buildings can hold records on the construction of their building. Search through the individual department (agency search), looking for series created by the Department (such as correspondence, minutes, photographic series). For example, the Education Department (TA63) has many correspondence files relating to schools and early indexes, registers and letter books that can be used to compile school building histories. Marine Board of Hobart (TA71) minutes can be used to trace buildings used for marine and harbour purposes.
Parliamentary Standing Committees on Public Works – Various published reports of Journals and Printed Papers of Parliament are held in the Hobart reference collection.
Local Government buildings
Records of council-owned or council-acquired buildings can be found in the records of the individual councils using a Tasmanian Archives search by council name. See our guide Searching Tasmanian Archives for assistance.