Record series
Rural Water Supplies Branch Weekly Reports on Flood Protection Districts
VPRS 1732
1905 - 1984
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Agencies responsible for this record series: Date Range
Series date range: 1905 - 1984
Series in custody:
1929 - 1977
Contents in custody:
1929 - 1977
Function / Content
The State Rivers and Water Supply Commission had the general responsibility of coordinating and managing Victoria's water resources and directly managed water supply schemes in rural areas. The Commission took on urban supply schemes as well.Within the areas administered by the Commission a permanent staff was established with the Executive Engineer charged with the responsibility of reporting each week on the conditions, work done within the district and its administration. The records in this series are packages of these routine weekly reports sent to the headquarters of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission from the Executive Engineers in the Carrum Drainage District, the Koo-Wee-Rup and Cardinia Flood Protection District, Maffra, Bacchus Marsh, Gippsland and Southern Division and the Werribee District.
The Carrum Drainage District (originally a Waterworks Trust) and the Bacchus Marsh Irrigation and Water Supply District had been part of the Commission's responsibilities from the passing of the Water Act 1905. Werribee was reported as an Irrigation and Water Supply District from 1914 1915 with the Koo-Wee-Rup and Cardinia Flood Protection District established by 1917. The Commission had developed a scheme for irrigation in the Maffra - Sale area by 1918 and by 1917 had made a preliminary investigation of the Latrobe Valley which would become the Gippsland and Southern District.
Reports contained standard sets of information regarding the work carried out in the area during the preceding week including maintenance, construction, replacement works and extensions. Information regarding rainfall, stream flow and regulation were also reported often with tabulations of river gauging and water storage levels. All reports included details regarding the work force employed in the district during the week and the presence of Commission animals or equipment in the area.
From c.1960 a standard pro forma was completed by the Executive Engineer in the district as the weekly report. This pro forma had spaces for the insertion of the rainfall figures and weather, tables to be completed regarding Water Distribution, Employment and Excavators and Headings for details regarding Gangs, Works, Other Works and Irrigation and General.
