Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.
All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.
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In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents) |
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Only in the Library |
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Publicly available |
This is a simplified list of major name changes and does not cover all agencies or offices within a department and government.
For comprehensive information visit MHNSW - State Archives.
Agriculture |
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|---|---|
| 1874-1891 | Department of Mines |
| 1891–1908 | Department of Mines and Agriculture |
| 1908–1988 | Department of Agriculture |
| 1988-1991 | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
| 1991-2004 | Department of Agriculture |
| 2004-2009 | NSW Agriculture |
| 2004-June 2009 | Department of Primary Industries |
| July 2009-May 2011 | Department of Industry and Investment |
| April 2011-June 2015 | Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services (known as NSW Trade and Investment) |
| July 2015- | Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development (known as NSW Department of Industry) |
Commerce |
|
| 1989-1995 | Property Services Group |
| 1995-2003 | Department of Public Works and Services |
| 2003-2009 | Department of Commerce |
| 2009-2011 | Department of Services, Technology and Administration |
| 2011-2014 | Department of Finance and Services |
| 2014-2015 | Office of Finance and Services |
| 2015- | Department of Finance, Services and Innovation |
Community Services |
|
| 1881-1923 | State Children’s Relief Department |
| 1923–1970 | Child Welfare Department |
| 1970–1973 | Department of Child Welfare and Social Welfare |
| 1973–1974 | Department of Youth and Community Services |
| 1975 | Department of Youth, Ethnic and Community Affairs |
| 1976–1988 | Department of Youth and Community Services |
| 1988–1991 | Department of Family and Community Services |
| June 1991-July 1992 | Department of Health and Community Services |
| 1992–2009 | Department of Community Services |
| 2009-2011 | Department of Human Services |
| 2011— | Department of Family and Community Services |
Education |
|
| 1880–1925 | Public Instruction |
| 1925–1927 | Education |
| 1927 | Public Instruction |
| 1927–1988 | Education |
| 1988–1990 | Education and Youth Affairs |
| 1990–1992 | School Education and Youth Affairs |
| 1992–1993 | Education and Youth Affairs |
| 1993–1995 | Education, Training and Youth Affairs |
| 1995–2011 | Department of Education and Training |
| 2011–2014 | Department of Education and Communities |
| 2015- | Department of Education |
Health |
|
| 1904-1913 | Department of Public Health |
| 1913–1938 | Office of the Director–General of Public Health |
| 1938-1973 | Department of Public Health |
| 1973-1982 | Health Commission of New South Wales |
| 1982–2009 | New South Wales Health Department |
| 2009— | NSW Health (used to cover Ministry of Health, Area health services and other health organisations) |
| 2009-2011 | Department of Health |
| 2011- | Ministry of Health |
Indigenous |
|
| 1883–1940 | Board for the Protection of Aborigines |
| 1940–1969 | Aborigines Welfare Board |
| 1969–1975 | Aborigines Welfare Directorate |
| 1975-1981 | Aboriginal Services Branch (part of Department of Community Services) |
| 1982–1988 | Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs |
| 1988 | Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs |
| June 1988–1995 | Office of Aboriginal Affairs |
| 1995–2009 | Department of Aboriginal Affairs (functions transferred to Department of Human Services) |
| 2009— | Aboriginal Affairs (N.S.W.) |
Labour |
|
| 1896–1940 | Department of Labour and Industry |
| 1940–1944 | Department of Labour and Industry and Social Services |
| 1944–1956 | Department of Labour and Industry and Social Welfare |
| 1956–1979 | Department of Labour and Industry |
| 1979-1980 | Department of Industrial Relations and Technology |
| 1980-1986 | Department of Industrial Relations |
| 1986-1990 | Department of Industrial Relations and Employment |
| 1990-1991 | Department of Industrial Relations |
| 1991–1995 | Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education |
| 1996–2002 | Department of Industrial Relations |
| 2003–2008 | Office of Industrial Relations |
| 2009– | New South Wales Industrial Relations |
Land |
|
| 1856–1859 | Department of Lands and Public Works |
| 1859–1981 | Department of Lands |
| 1981–1984 | Department of Local Government and Lands |
| 1984–1991 | Department of Lands |
| 1991–1995 | Department of Conservation and Land Management (incorporated with the Land Titles Office and the Valuer General's Department) |
| 1995–2003 | Department of Land and Water Conservation |
| 2003–2009 | Department of Lands |
| 2009-2010 | Land and Property Management Authority |
| 2011- | Land and Property Information (operational division of Department of Finance and Services) |
Law |
|
| 1856-1901 | Attorney General |
| 1880–1901 | Department of Justice |
| 1901–1984 | Department of Attorney General and of Justice |
| 1984–2009 | Attorney–General's Department |
| 2009–2011 | Department of Justice and Attorney General |
| 2011-2013 | Department of Attorney General and Justice |
| April 2014-May 2014 | Department of Police and Justice |
| June 2014- | Department of Justice |
Mental health and disabilities |
|
| 1879–1955 | Master in Lunacy |
| 1955–1972 | Master in Protective Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court |
| 1972–1985 | Protective Office |
| 1985–2009 | Office of the Protective Commissioner |
| 2009– | NSW Trustee and Guardian |
Planning and conservation |
|
| 1938-1991 | Soil Conservation Service |
| 1984-1991 | Department of Lands |
| 1987-1995 | Department of Water Resources (amalgamation of Soil Conservation Service and Department of Lands) |
| 1991-1995 | Department of Conservation and Land Management |
| 1995-2003 | Department of Land and Water Conservation |
| 2003 | Department of Sustainable Resources |
| 2003-2005 | Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources |
| 2005-2011 | Department of Planning |
| 2011-2014 | Department of Planning and Infrastructure |
| 2014- | Department of Planning and Environment |
Premier and cabinet |
|
| 1907-1908 | Premier’s Office |
| 1909-1988 | Premier’s Department |
| 1988 | Premier’s Office |
| 1988-2007 | Premier’s Department |
| 2007- | Department of Premier and Cabinet |
Transport |
|
| 1932-1975 | Ministry of Transport |
| 1975-1978 | Ministry of Transport and Highways |
| 1978-1990 | Ministry of Transport |
| 1990–2003 | Department of Transport |
| 2003 | Transport Co–ordination Authority |
| 2003–2009 | Ministry of Transport |
| 2009–2010 | Department of Transport and Infrastructure (known as NSW Transport and Infrastructure) |
| 2010–2011 | Transport for NSW |
| 2011— | Department of Transport |
| (Departments stated below operated within the Department of Transport) | |
| 1989-2011 | Roads and Traffic Authority (amalgamated with Department of Motor Transport and Traffic Authority of NSW) |
| 2011- | Roads and Maritime Services |
A change of government department names and hierarchy often occurs when there is a change in government. These changes affect their websites, publications and scope. Sometimes you will find discrepancies between the department's name and the name used in publications.
