28; 



Public Works, including Roads and Bridges. 



J. W. HoLLEMAX, Depanmeni of Public Works, Sydnev. 



Ix the opening np and settlement of a new country such as Australia, 

 it vrill be readily seen that the construction of roads, bridges, and 

 like necessary works for the use and benefit of the people generallr, 

 forms a very important feature. As the country is gradually taken 

 up and settlement proceeds, the want of proper means of com- 

 munication for the purpose of enabling the settlers to reach markets 

 for their produce, and for social intercourse, is very strongly felt, and 

 as the settlers are not usually in a position to help themselves, it being 

 necessary that their whole time and available capital should be devoted 

 TO their holdings, they naturally look to the central Government to 

 supply their wants in this respect. Indeed it is a generally recognised 

 principle that the construction of roads, except in the case of towns 

 where there is municipal government, and where they are required for 

 purely private purposes, is a national undertaking, and, therefore, tbe 

 duty is one properly devolving upon the Government. In the early 

 stages of settlement cleared tracks and roads of the most primitive 

 character are sufficient to meet requirements, but as the population 

 grows and traffic increases, it becomes necessary to improve them by 

 draining, proper grading, metalling the surface, and providing bridges 

 where required- Then, in the course of time, when towns spring up in 

 various centres, buildings must be provided for the transaction of 

 public business, such as Post-offices, Lands Offices, Court Houses, Police 

 Buildings, &c., and as the towns grow they require works for water 

 supply purposes, and for sewerage, and in these matters they look to 

 the central Government to assist them. 



All works of this character come under the designation of " Public 

 Works," and the object of this article is to give some idea of what has 

 been done in Xew South Wales in the way of constructing public works 

 for the development of the Colony. The railways, which in Australia 

 are constructed by the Government, are perhaps the first in importance 

 amongst public works, but as they are dealt with in a separate article 

 there is no need to touch upon them here. 



In the early days of the Colony, and indeed up to the era of respon- 

 sible Government, all matters in connection with road construction, 

 as well as other public works, were carried out under the direction of 

 officers in the Imperial Service, generally belonging to the Koyal 

 Engineers, and many of the best roads in the Colony bear testimony 

 to their skill. Although much good work was done by the early 

 road-engineers, the real engineering history of the colony dates from 

 the formation of the Public Works Depamaent in 1859, shortly after 



