The Surveyor General of Western Australia is the person nominally responsible for
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
surveying
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Plane (mathematics), two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of Point (geom ...
in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.
In the early
history of Western Australia
The human history of Western Australia commenced "over 50,000 years ago and possibly as much as 70,000 years ago" with the arrival of Aboriginal Australians on the northwest coast. The first inhabitants expanded across the east and south of the ...
, the office of surveyor general was one of the most important public offices. The first surveyor general,
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe (8 May 1797 – 28 May 1878) was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, a member of Western Australia's legislative and executive councils for nearly 40 years, but also a participant in ...
, was responsible for the laying out of many townsites, including
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
, and played a prominent role in the
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
of the day. Another surveyor general,
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest (22 August 1847 – 2 SeptemberSome sources give the date as 3 September 1918 1918) was an Australian explorer and politician. He was the first premier of Western Australia (1890–1901) and a long-serving cabinet minister in ...
, became
Premier of Western Australia
The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...
, and later a Cabinet minister in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
's first federal government.
In modern times, the position of surveyor general has diminished in importance. It remains a statutory office, and is housed within the current agency named
Landgate
The Western Australian Land Information Authority operates under the business name of Landgate.
Formerly known as the Department of Land Information (DLI), the Department of Land Administration (DOLA) and the Department of Lands and Surveys ( ...
.
List of surveyors general of Western Australia
This is a list of surveyors general of Western Australia.
See also
*
Department of Lands and Surveys, Western Australia
The Survey Office of Western Australia commenced as early as 1829, making the succeeding agency, the Department of Lands and Surveys, one of the oldest government agencies in Western Australia.
* Department of Lands and Surveys - (DOLS) - 1 Jan ...
*
Surveyor Generals Corner
Surveyor Generals Corner (or Surveyor-Generals Corner) is the point where the Australian state boundaries of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory meet.
These boundaries meet at the easternmost point of the approximate ...
*
Surveyor General of New South Wales
The Surveyor General of New South Wales is the primary government authority responsible for land and mining surveying in New South Wales.
The original duties for the Surveyor General was to measure and determine land grants for settlers in New Sou ...
*
Surveyor General of Queensland
Surveyor General of Queensland is a position originally created for the colony of Queensland, now a state of Australia. The position was the most senior surveyor within the Queensland Public Service.
List of Surveyors General of Queensland
See ...
*
Surveyor General of South Australia
The Surveyor General of South Australia (also stylised Surveyor-General) is a position originally created for the Surveyor General for the colony of South Australia. The post is held by an official responsible for government surveying
Sur ...
*
Surveyor General of Tasmania Surveyor General of Tasmania is a position originally created for the colony of Van Diemens Land (Tasmania from 1855 now a state of Australia).
List of Surveyors General of Tasmania
See also
* Surveyor General of New South Wales
* Surveyor Gener ...
*
Surveyor General of the Northern Territory
*
Surveyor General of Victoria
The Surveyor-General of Victoria is the public service officer nominally responsible for government surveying in Victoria, Australia. The original duties for the Surveyor-General were to measure and determine land grants for settlers in Victoria. ( ...
References
{{reflist
Lists of British, Australian and New Zealand Surveyors-General, Government Geologists...Retrieved 5 September 2016
Australian Dictionary of Biography Surveyor-General searchRetrieved 27 June 2012
*