Cover image for Tasmanian Wooden Shipbuilding Board
Agency:
Tasmanian Wooden Shipbuilding Board
Agency Number:
Start Date:
01 Jan 1942
End Date:
31 Dec 1944
Description:
The Tasmanian Wooden Shipbuilding Board was constituted in October 1942 under the Shipbuilding Act 1942 (Tas). The Executive consisted of T A Adams (Chair and production engineer), G D Balsille (then Director of Public Works), M McKay (Chief Ship Builder), C W Fidler (of the Forestry Dept.), Col H B Bennett (chair of the Area Board of Management), and L A St Leger (Secretary). ;;The key function of the Tasmanian Wooden Shipbuilding Board was to oversee the construction of small wooden steamships for the armed forces at the Prince of Wales Bay Shipbuilding Yard. The A.V. Poolta, launched in October 1943, as the first vessel built by the Board. ;;From 1943 the Prince of Wales Bay yards were administered by the 'Australian Shipbuilding Board' (Commonwealth Agency CA129). The Shipbuilding Agreement Act of 1944 saw the financial obligations of the Tasmanian Wooden Shipbuilding Board also transferred to the Commonwealth.;;Records pertaining to the Board are in the custody of the National Archives of Australia and the Australian War Memorial. Meetings and Progress Reports for example can be found in NAA series MT89/1 item 1/2/2. A plan of the yard can be found within National Archives record P617, 408/1/33. It is likely that photographs of Tasmanian wooden ship building from the 1940s can be found in the records of the Commonwealth Agency 'Australian Shipbuilding Board' (CA129), for example see series - NA1983/279 'Miscellaneous records (mainly photographs)'.
Information Sources:
Advocate, 1/4/1944,p2, 11/5/1944, p5; Examiner 20/10/1942, p3; National Archives of Australia Website.
Legislation Creating:
Shipbuilding Act 1942
Legislation Abolishing Agency:
Shipbuilding Agreement Act 1944
Functions Performed:
Defence
Maritime services
Series Created By Agency:
CB44/1 Minutes of Meetings.01 Oct 194230 Jun 1944

AG176 Photographs01 Jan 194331 Dec 1944