List of Victorian royal commissions

This is a list of royal commissions and commissions of inquiry appointed by the Government of Victoria.[1] Royal Commissions are currently held in Victoria under the terms of the Inquiries Act 2014.[2] This list includes Royal Commissions that were conducted jointly with the Government of Australia. Note that this list excludes Select Committees.

History

Timeline

Year(s) Royal Commission or Commission Commissioner
1854 Commission appointed to enquire into the best mode of providing for the internal communication of the colony Murphy
1854–1855 Royal commission appointed to enquire into the tenure of the waste lands of the crown Stawell
1858–1859 Royal commission to enquire into the best method of removing the sludge from the gold fields Sullivan
1858 Royal commission into the defences of the colony Macarthur
1859–1860 Royal commission into the defences of the colony to consider the best mode of carrying out the recommendations of the Defences Commission of 1858 Macarthur
1860 Royal commission on harbour improvements and a river and harbour trust Bright
1861 Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the circumstances connected with the sufferings and death of Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, the Victorian explorers Pratt
1861 The royal commission for the Victorian Exhibition, 1861 and the London International Exhibition, 1862 Barry
1862–1863 Royal mining commission appointed to enquire into the conditions and prospects of the gold fields of Victoria Humffray
1862–1863 The royal commission appointed to enquire into the municipalities and the charitable institutions in Victoria Sturt
1863 Royal commission to enquire into the origin and nature of the cattle disease known as pleuro-pneumonia Griffith
1866–1867 Royal commission to examine into and report upon the best means of clearing the river Murray Smith
1866–1867 Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the operation of the system of public education Higginbotham
1866–1867 Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the operation and effect of the wine and spirits sale statute Smith
1866–1867 Royal commission to inquire into and report upon the subject of certain duties proposed to be remitted or reduced by the tariff resolutions of the Legislative Assembly on the 15th day of February 1865 and which then remained uncollected MacGregor
1867 Royal commission to enquire into and report upon applications made for authority to mine within and under certain reserved lands at Ballarat Sullivan
1868–1869 Royal commission to enquire and report generally on the practice of paying or compensating members of the legislature in all countries where the practice prevails, and with a special view of ascertaining in each case the rate of payment or compensation, the conditions or limitations (if any) under which it is made, and the form of legislative enactment by which it has been authorized Duffy
1870 Royal commission appointed to consider and report upon the necessity of a Federal Union of the Australian Colonies for legislative purposes and the best means of accomplishing such a Union. Duffy
1870–1872 Royal commission on penal and prison discipline Stawell
1870–1871 Royal commission on Intercolonial Legislation and a Court of Appeal Casey
1870–1871 Royal commission appointed to enquire into and report upon the condition and management of the charitable institutions of the colony, and generally into all matters therewith. Harker
1870–1871 Royal commission on noxious trades McRea
1870–1873 Royal commission appointed to enquire into the state of the public service and the working of the Civil Service Act A'Beckett
1871 Royal commission on foreign industries and forests Bindon
1871–1872 Royal commission on industrial and reformatory schools and the sanatory station Casey
1872 Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the alleged silting up of Hobson's bay since the dredging operations and also enquire into and report upon the dredging department Clark
1872 Royal commission to enquire into the origin of the disease known as diphtheria, the best mode of treatment thereof McRea
1873 Royal commission appointed to consider and report on the extent and character of the further accommodation required at the parliamentary buildings Fraser
1873 Royal commission appointed to inquire into and report upon the desirability of making amendments in the Boroughs and Shires Statutes and Road Districts Act Smith
1873 Royal commission to enquire into the system adopted by the Public Works Department in reference to contracts and the execution of public works, and generally to report upon the Department itself MacBain
1875 Royal commission to consider and report upon the lighting and ventilation of the Legislative Assembly chamber, and the accommodation required for honourable Members MacMahon
1875–1876 Royal commission on volunteer forces O'Shanassy
1875–1876 Royal commission appointed to inquire into the working of the Friendly Societies Statute Langridge
1877 Royal commission appointed to superintend the carrying out of the recommendations of the joint select committee appointed to inquire into the extent and character of the accommodation required in the parliament buildings etc. Patterson
1877 Royal Commission on the Aborigines[3][4] William Foster Stawell
1909 Royal Commission on the Acquisition of Certain Estates by Sir Thomas Bent, as a Minister of the Crown[5] Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael
1915 Royal Commission on Closer Settlement[6] John Glass Johnstone
1924–1925 Royal Commission on the Victorian Police ForceRoyal Commission on the Victorian Police Force (PDF) (Report). 28 January 1925. Retrieved 6 May 2022. John MonashCharles McPherson

John Martin

1925 Royal Commission on Soldier Settlement[7] James Turnbull
1928 Royal Commission Of Inquiry Into The Victorian Railways Department[8]
1931–1933 Royal Commission on Migrant Land Settlement[9] George Dethridge
1944 Royal Commission On Yallourn Bushfires[10]
1946–1947 Royal Commission On Forest Grazing[11]
1947 Royal Commission On Electricity Supply[12]
1949 Royal Commission On Bread Industry[13]
1949–1950 Royal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related Matters[14][15] Sir Charles Lowe
1952 Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into Certain Allegations of Improper Conduct Sir Edmund Herring
1956 Royal Commission to Inquire into the Operation of the Housing Acts of Victoria and the Administration of the Housing Commission Alan John Moir
1958–1959 Royal Commission into Off-The-Course Betting Russell Martin
1959–1960 Royal Commission on Motor Car Third-Party Compulsory Insurance Elias Coppel
1960 Victoria Market Royal Commission R. A. Smithers
1962–1963 Royal Commission into the Failure of Kings Bridge[16] Edward Barber
1963–1965 Royal Commission into the Sale, Supply, Disposal or Consumption of Liquor Philip Phillips
1970–1971 Royal Commission into the Failure of the West Gate Bridge Edward Barber
1977–1979 Australian Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs (joint) Edward Williams KCMG KBE KC
1979–1982 Royal Commission into Certain Housing Commission Land Purchases and Other Matters Sydney Frost
1980–1984 Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (joint) Frank Costigan KC
1981–1982 Royal Commission into the Australian Meat Industry (joint) Edward Woodward AC OBE KC
1981–1983 Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking (joint) Donald Stewart
1981–1982 Royal Commission into the Activities of the Australian Building Construction Employees and Builders Labourers' Federation (joint) John Winneke AC RFD KC
1985–1986 Royal Commission of Inquiry into Alleged Telephone Interceptions (joint) Donald Stewart
1986–1998 Royal Commission into Grain Storage, Handling and Transport (joint) Jim McColl
1990–1992 Royal Commission into the Tricontinental Group of Companies Edward Woodward AC OBE KC
1998–1999 Longford Royal Commission Daryl Dawson
1999–2001 Metropolitan Ambulance Service Royal Commission Lex Lasry
2009–2010 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission Bernard Teague
2015–2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence[17][18][19] Marcia Neave AO
2018–2021 Mental Health Royal Commission[20][21] Penny Armytage AM
2018–2020 Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants - An inquiry into Victoria Police’s use of Nicola Gobbo as a human source[22][23] Hon Margaret McMurdo AC
2021 Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence - An inquiry into the suitability of Crown Melbourne Limited to hold a casino licence[24] Raymond Finkelstein KC
2021–2024 (expected) Yoorrook Justice Commission Prof Eleanor Bourke (chair)
Dr Wayne Atkinson
Prof Hon Kevin Bell AM KC
Sue-Anne Hunter
Prof Maggie Walter

See also


References

  1. ^ "Research Paper: Royal Commissions in Victoria, 1854-2009". Research Service, Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Finding State & Territory Royal Commission Reports". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Royal Commission on the Aborigines: Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the present condition of the Aborigines of this colony, and to advise as to the best means of caring for, and dealing with them, in the future" (PDF). 1877. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via AIATSIS.
  4. ^ "The Aborigines in Victoria". South Australian Register. Vol. XLII, no. 9692. South Australia. 6 December 1877. p. 4. Retrieved 19 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Royal Commission on the Acquisition of Certain Estates by Sir Thomas Bent, as a Minister of the Crown https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1909-2ndSessionNo22.pdf Access date 15 July 2022
  6. ^ Report of the Royal Commission on Closer Settlement https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1916No29.pdf Access date 03 April 2019
  7. ^ Report of the Royal Commission on Soldier Settlement https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1925No32.pdf Access date 03 April 2019}
  8. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Report of the Royal Commission on Migrant Land Settlement" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Royal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related Matters - Report (V Pp 1950/51 no 12) [1950] VicRoyalC 1 (28 April 1950)". www.austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  15. ^ Rastrick, Vicky (1973). "The Victorian Royal Commission on Communism, 1949-50 : a study of anti-Communism in Australia". The Australian National University: 1v. doi:10.25911/5D74E218B585F. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ "Public Record Office Victoria Collection | PROV". prov.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Recommendation". www.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  18. ^ "About the Royal Commission into Family Violence | Victorian Government". www.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ^ "RCFV - Royal Commission into Family Violence (Victoria)". rcfv.archive.royalcommission.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Have Your Say On The Mental Health Royal Commission". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System". rcvmhs.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants | Royal Commission into Management of Police Informants Content Management System". www.rcmpi.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  23. ^ Wahlquist, Calla (3 December 2018). "Victoria calls royal commission into underworld lawyer scandal". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence". www.rccol.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 21 January 2022.