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The Department of the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works was created in terms of Act No 1 of 1872 on the introduction of responsible government. The first head of the ministerial department was C Abercrombie Smith was appointed on 1 December 1872.

As from 16 December 1872 “… all communications on the following subjects, such as have heretofore been addressed to the Honourable the Colonial Secretary, shall in future be addressed to the Honourable the Commissioner of Crown Lands and public Works, such as:
Crown Lands and Forests
Roads
Bridges
Harbour Works
Jetties
Public Buildings
Light Houses
Railway Works
Telegraphs
Public Stores …”

Further duties connected with immigration and hydraulics were placed under the charge of the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works in January 1876.

On 1 July 1876 a permanent head of the department was appointed in the person of CB Elliott who was designated Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works. Prior to this appointment, Elliott had held the post of Chief Clerk to the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works.

Commencing from 3 September 1892 all matters connected with lands, mines, forests, irrigation and water supply, and geological exploration were removed from the commissioner’s ministerial department to the newly created Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture. Railways and all public works continued under the administration of the commissioner, the title of the permanent head of the department being changed to Assistant Commissioner of Railways and Public Works. The title of the ministerial head was changed to Commissioner of Public Works in terms of Act No 14 of 1893.

The control of all matters relating to ports and harbours (save the light house service) was transferred from the commissioner to the administration of the treasurer as from 5 October 1893. In the same month, the administration of the Public Works Department was placed upon a footing separate and distinct from that of the Railway Department. The permanent head of the department was now designated Secretary for Public Works.

Since 1 December 1893 the conduct of irrigation matters was divided between the Secretary for Public Works and the Under-secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary for Public Works was responsible for the investigation of suggested schemes for irrigation development and irrigation proposals generally, enquiry into the practicality from an engineering point of view of such schemes, supply of estimates of cost and capabilities. The Under-secretary for Agriculture was responsible for the initial action been taken in the selection of locality for irrigation works and the subsequent administration and development of completed schemes controlled by the government.

The control and working of water boring machines was transferred from the administration of the Secretary for Agriculture to that of the Commissioner of Public Works in January 1898. The department was subsequently also charged with the administration of the system of water boring by private contract under government subsidy which was introduced in 1903.

In October 1906 the administration of Act No 32 of 1906 which was passed to amend and consolidate the laws relating to irrigation and the utilisation of streams, was assigned to the Ministerial Department of the Commissioner of Public Works.

The administration of immigration was transferred in July 1903 from the Commissioner of Public Works to the Secretary for Agriculture.

In March 1905, the ministerial department and the separate executive department of the engineer-in-chief of public works were amalgamated. Under this new arrangement, the secretary for public works remained the permanent head of the ministerial section of the department possessing powers delegated to him by the minister. He was the channel of communication between the minister and the chief engineer. The re-organisation was not long-lived, since the advent of Union on 31 May 1910 brought to an end the Public Works Department as “constituted under the late Colonial Administration”.

During the regime of the Dutch East India Company the financial affairs of the Colony were transacted in the office of the Secretary of the Council of Policy, and it was only during the first British Occupation of the Cape Colony, that an independent office for the collecting and spending of public revenue was established. This happened on 10 October 1795, when JJ Rhenius was appointed “Collector General and Treasurer”.

Rhenius was, however, not known as Treasurer, but as Receiver-General. Into his hands all income of government was paid by the district collectors. The accounts and receipts were audited, and when certified correct by the Auditor of Accounts, the Receiver-General was authorised by the Colonial Office to receive the money and carry it to public account. He paid all accounts due by the government on authority of a warrant issued by the Governor. The Receiver-General also saw to the exchange of old and defaced paper money, and made a list of the worn money, which was examined and destroyed under his supervision and that of a special commission.

Under the government of the Batavian Republic the office of the Receiver-General remained in existence. In his “Memorandum” de Mist recommended the appointment of a “Generaal Ontvanger … die de produkten van alle de middellen uit handen der subaltern Ontvangers, Bailluwen, Collecteurs of Pagters behoorde overteneemen met elk derselve te sluiten – en alle die Ontvangsten, met zyne Uitgaven, door Ordonnantien en quitantien, te Justificeeren, in een Boek, te verantwoorden”. It was also stipulated that in future the Receiver-General should be under direct control of the “Rekenkamer”, the establishment of which de Mist also recommended. No payments should be made without a warrant of the Governor and Council of Policy, countersigned by the “Rekenkamer”. Furthermore, no money could be received and brought to public account without a qualification from the Governor, Council of Policy and Rekenkamer”. He also laid down that the books of the Receiver-General should annually, in March, be audited by the “Rekenkamer”.

In 1806 when the British for the second time occupied the Cape Colony, the “Rekenkamer” was abolished, but the Receiver-General continued with his duties. In 1828 the first change of importance took place when the title of the office was changed to that of Treasurer and Accountant General. As the documents left by the Receiver-General and Treasurer and Accountant General form a unity, they were kept as such in the inventory.

During the next years the amount of work and the importance of this office increased. In 1872 the title was changed to “Treasurer of the Colony” and promoted to Cabinet rank. It was, however, not before Act No 14 of 1893 was passed that the title of “Treasurer” was officially recognised.

The Treasury was no longer a depository of revenues and moneys, charged only with the custody and issue, but had all the duties and responsibilities such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer of England had. The Treasurer was now in charge of revenue, responsible for the proper collection thereof, he had to devise new taxation to meet any shortage of revenue, to state whether there were any funds to meet contingencies improvided for, and to recommend to the Governor to issue a covering warrant. He was also in charge of the Pension and Guarantee Funds, and had to make an annual budget speech before Parliament. Furthermore, the following departments were controlled by Treasury: Customs, Licences and Stamps, Income Tax, Excise, Post and Telegraphs, Audit Office and High Commissioner.

During 1888 an important reorganisation took place. The Treasury was divided into two branches, namely Receiver General and Paymaster General. The permanent chief, the Assistant Treasurer acted as Receiver General of Revenue, and all Civil Commissioners as receivers of revenue. The Assistant Treasurer also acted as Paymaster General.

On 18 July 1889, all matters relating to the administration of protocols and registers of Notaries Public, were transferred to Treasury from the Colonial Office.

Important additional functions were imposed on the Treasury from 18 September 1892. From the Colonial Office were transferred Agriculture, and from the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works the following: crown forests and plantations, manufacture of Colonial wood sleepers, geological explorations, irrigation and water supply, mines, Surveyor-General and miscellaneous services.

During the following year further additions came from the Colonial Secretary’s Department. These were: Agent-General for the Colony in London, Controller and Auditor General, General Post Office, and conveyance of Mails.

In 1897 the Sinking Fund Commission was created of which the Treasurer was ex officio chairman. From 1898 the Treasurer was also responsible for the administration of the “Friendly Societies”.

The next change in the duties of the Treasurer took place in 1906 when the Auditing Act was passed. According to the provisions of this act accounting officers were appointed for the different departments. These functions devolved on the Treasurer and the accounting work of the following departments was transferred to the Treasury: Prime Minister, Native Affairs, Controller of Customs (exclusive of Revenue), Controller and Auditor General and Public Works Department. It was further stipulated “that all expenditure and receipts other than Revenue hitherto paid and received by Civil Commissioner, Cape, will be performed by the Treasury”. To carry out these functions a “Chief Paymaster and Accounting Officer of the Treasury” was appointed.

When Union came into being, Treasury was transferred to Pretoria, but a Treasury Representative in the person of the Civil Commissioner, Cape, cared for the local interests of Treasury.

In 1872 the Cape Government commenced the construction of railways under the control of the Public Works Department. On 1 January 1873 the Railway Department was constituted and works of construction were proceeded with vigorously. A Secretary to the Department was appointed in the person of H Beard who was the immediate head of the whole Department. On 2 August 1873 WG Brounger was appointed Railway Engineer.

The Department was divided into three divisions, Cape Town to Wellington (including Wynberg), Port Elizabeth and East London to Queenstown. In 1875 the position of Secretary was abolished and the Railway Engineer now acted as a consulting engineer in the Colony. By this time, each of the three divisions, which eventually became known as the Western, Midland and Eastern Systems, were headed by Resident Engineers who were stationed respectively at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London.

The Department was from 1875 – 1880 practically without a head. By an order dated 13 May 1880, a select committee was appointed to consider the management and working of the Colonial Railways. Resulting from the report of this committee, a General Manager of Railways was appointed on 16 December 1880. On the pensioning of Brounger in May 1884 the post of Railway Engineer was abolished and a new post of Engineer-in-Chief was created. In addition to the General Manager’s office and the Engineer’s Department, the Locomotive, Traffic, Accounting, Stores, Education and Refreshment Departments functioned within the organisation of the Cape Government Railway Department.

The Department was also responsible for constructing and working railways in the Orange Free State until 1 January 1897 when these lines were taken over by the Government of the Orange Free State. As a result of an agreement between the Cape Government and the Bechuanaland Railway Company, the Rhodesia System came into existence. This line extended between Vryburg and Mafeking. The South African Railways and Harbours administration was established in 1910 when the four colonies amalgamated to form the Union of South Africa. The final merger of the independent colonial railways took place in 1916.

In 1902 the Medical Officer of Health, attached to the Local Government and Public Health Branch of the Cape Colonial Office, was charged with administering the Immigration Act, 1902 and subsequently the Chinese Exclusion Act, 1904.

These relevant duties together with that of aided immigration were transferred to a Chief Immigration Officer as from February 1905 when the Immigration and Labour Branch of the Colonial Office was established.

After the formation of the Union of South Africa and as from June 1910 immigration affairs devolved upon the Department of Interior, the responsible officer being the Principal Immigration Officer.

The Department of Agriculture was created on 18 November 1887 on the appointment of Professor A Fisher as Secretary for Agriculture. The department fell under the control of the Colonial Secretary and dealt with the following subjects:

Viticulture
Tobacco Culture
Agricultural Societies and Schools and Botanical Gardens
Game Laws
Phylloxera
Diseases of Cattle and the Scab Acts
Improvement of the breed of horses

Prior to this date agricultural matters had been dealt with by one clerk employed in the office of the Colonial Secretary.

As from 14 March 1889 the range of subjects to be addressed to the Secretary for Agriculture was increased by the addition of the following:

Animal Diseases Act
Vineyard Protection Act
Diseases of Animals or of Plants (other than those specially provided for in the abovementioned statutes)
Sericulture
Destructive Insects
Export of Fruit and correspondence on all other subjects connected with agriculture

The Department of Agriculture ceased to exist on 31 August 1892 and a new ministerial department was created on 1 September known as the Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture. CA Currey, Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works was appointed Secretary for Lands, Mines and Agriculture. The department was placed in the ministerial division of the Treasurer, being charged with the administration of agriculture, crown forests and plantations, manufacture of colonial wood sleepers, geological explorations, irrigation and water supply and mines. The duties connected with those subjects, other than agriculture, had formerly been under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works.

The existence of this department was short-lived. On 12 September 1893 a ministerial portfolio of Secretary for Agriculture was created and John Frost was appointed to the position. Currey was appointed permanent head of the department on the same date, being designated Under Secretary for Agriculture. A separate ministerial division had been instituted which was responsible for the same duties as had been assigned to the former Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture.

On 1 August 1905 the Department of Agriculture was re-organised by the grouping of the various functions into branches under three officers: the Director of Agriculture, the Surveyor-General and the Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture. The agricultural branch was administered by the Director of Agriculture and comprised the following sub-branches:

(1) Veterinary Science and Bacteriology, under the Chief Veterinary Surgeon
(2) Scab, under the Chief Inspector of Sheep
(3) Viticulture, under the Government Viticultural Expert
(4) Entomology, under the Government Entomologist
(5) Agricultural Education, under the Principal of the Agricultural School, Elsenburg
(6) Agricultural Experiments, under the Agricultural Assistant
(7) Fruit Culture, under the Horticultural Assistant
(8) Agricultural Journal and Library, under the Editor of the Agricultural Journal
(9) Brands, under the Registrar of Brands

The lands branch, administered by the Surveyor-General, was comprised of the following sub-branches:

(1) Lands, under the direct control of the Surveyor-General
(2) Survey, under the direct control of the Surveyor-General
(3) Mines, under the Inspector of Mines, Kimberley and the Inspector and Registrar of Claims, Barkly West

The ministerial branch was administered by the Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture and was comprised of the following sub-branches:

(1) Accounts, under the Chief Accountant and Accounting Officer
(2) Forests, under the Conservator of Forests
(3) Guano, under the Superintendent of the Government Guano Islands
(4) Fisheries, under the Government Biologist

The position of Under Secretary for Agriculture lapsed during this re-organisation. Duncan Hutcheon, chief veterinary surgeon was appointed acting Director of Agriculture and B McMillan, principal clerk was appointed acting Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture on 1 August 1905. Hutcheon’s appointment was made permanent from 1 July 1906.

On 17 May 1906 a further re-organisation within the department was effected. Correspondence on forests was to be addressed to the acting Chief Conservator of Forests and not to the acting Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture as had been the practice after the initial remodelling of the department.

The office of Under Secretary for Agriculture was re-established on 23 September 1907 and the work performed by the acting Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture was transferred to the Under Secretary for Agriculture.

It was announced on 20 December 1907 that in view of the Director of Agriculture’s frequent absence from Cape Town in the performance of his duties, all correspondence formerly addressed to him was in future to be addressed to the acting Under Secretary for Agriculture.

On 31 June 1908 the office of the Chief Clerk to the Secretary for Agriculture was abolished, and on the advent of Union on 31 May 1910 the established order of agricultural administration gradually ceased to exist, matters relating to agriculture being delegated to the Union Government.

The office of the Prime Minister was created by the Responsible Government Act of 1872 and Sir John Charles Molteno became the first Prime Minister of the Cape (1872 – 1878). Initially the Prime Minister’s department fell under the Ministerial Division of the Colonial Secretary. However, in 1889 a separate ministry was established. In 1891, this office was again placed under the Colonial Secretary but separated later in 1894.

The function of the Prime Minister’s office was to act as a medium of communication between the Governor and the Government. It dealt with despatches between the Colonial and Imperial governments and with correspondence between other British Colonies and dependencies. Communications between the two legislative branches and the government passed through the Prime Minister’s Office, from which emanated all instructions affecting the public service as a whole. In December 1908 the Ministerial Division of the Prime Minister was abolished and the office once again came under the administration of the Colonial Secretary until 1910.

Prime Ministers, 1872 – 1910:
Sir John Charles Molteno, 1 December 1872 – 5 February 1878
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 6 February 1878 – 8 May 1881
Thomas Charles Scanlen, 9 May 1881 – 12 May 1884
Sir Thomas Upington, 13 May 1884 – 24 November 1886
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 25 November 1886 – 16 July 1890
Cecil John Rhodes, 17 July 1890 – 12 January 1896
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 13 January 1896 – 13 October 1898
William Philip Schreiner, 13 October 1898 – 17 June 1900
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 18 June 1900 – 21 February 1904
Sir Leander Starr Jameson, 22 February 1904 – 2 February 1908
John Xavier Merriman, 3 February 1908 – 31 May 1910

The office of Colonial Veterinary Surgeon was created in consequence of a resolution by the House of Assembly in 1875.

Mr WC Branford, Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh, was appointed, for a period of three years commencing from the date of his embarkation in May 1876, to investigate the causes of the various diseases which prevailed amongst sheep and cattle in the Cape Colony and to report thereon to the Government. He was also to make suggestions regarding the prevention and cure of these diseases. His head office was to be in Cape Town.

Initially this post fell under the supervision of the Colonial Secretary to whom the annual reports for the period 1876 – 1879 were submitted.

Mr D Hutcheon, who succeeded Prof Branford on 22 March 1880, established his headquarters in the Eastern Province where there was a greater demand for his services. Apparently his headquarters were, first, at the government farm Lieuwfontein in the district of Adelaide but were later moved to Port Elizabeth.

From 1880 – 1886 this office was placed under the ministerial department of Crown Lands and Public Works. With the creation of the Department of Agriculture in 1887, the office of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon functioned as a sub-department.

The increasing duties and activities of the veterinary services, especially in the eastern part of the colony, necessitated the appointment in 1890 of two Assistant Veterinary Surgeons with headquarters at Port Elizabeth and King William’s Town respectively. At the same time the headquarters of the senior Veterinary Surgeon were removed from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town for reasons of departmental convenience.

When the Department of Agriculture ceased to exist on 31 December 1892, on its amalgamation with the Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture, the office of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon fell under the supervision of the new department. By Act No 14 of 1893, however, the office of Secretary for Agriculture and consequently the Department of Agriculture, as a separate ministerial division, was created comprising, inter alia the Veterinary Branch.

The activities of this office increased rapidly and more veterinary surgeons were appointed. In 1894 there were, apart from the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, seven veterinary surgeons stationed at Stellenbosch, Mossel Bay, Beaufort West, Somerset East, Hopetown, King William’s Town and Queenstown respectively.

No detailed description of the powers and functions of the chief of this office prior to 1905 has been traced. It seems that initially he functioned only in an advisory capacity. From annual reports it was gleaned that he had to watch for the outbreak of new diseases, make inspection tours, furnish details of diseases and recommendations for treatment thereof. From 1890 onwards he was also responsible for the administration and control of the veterinary surgeons appointed in the various areas.

From the correspondence and circulars available in this archives group, it was ascertained that he issued instructions and circulars to veterinary surgeons and Resident Magistrates in connection with diseases scheduled under the Animal Diseases Act. Government veterinary surgeons were to report on diseases to the Resident Magistrates of the relevant districts who in turn, were to report to the Chief Veterinary Surgeon. The latter then issued instructions to the veterinary surgeons for the treatment of diseases or any other action necessary.

In 1905 a reorganisation of the Department of Agriculture took place and the various functions thereof were grouped under several officers. A Director of Agriculture was appointed on 1 August 1905 and the Veterinary Branch was one of the offices under his control. At the same time the powers of the Chief Veterinary Surgeon were clearly defined and extended.

During the ensuing years the denomination of the head of this office changed in succession from Colonial Veterinary Surgeon and Chief Veterinary Surgeon, which were both in use until about 1905, to Assistant Principal Veterinary Surgeon (Cape) (March 1911), Senior Veterinary Officer (Cape) (January 1912), Senior Veterinary Surgeon (Cape) (February 1913) and again Senior Veterinary Officer (Cape) (1916 – 1922).

With unification in 1910 a Minister of Agriculture was appointed for the Union with a fully equipped Department of Agriculture. The activities of the department were maintained by a number of divisions and offices i.e. the Veterinary Division with headquarters in Pretoria. For veterinary purposes the Union was initially divided into five areas in charge of Senior Veterinary Surgeons, who were responsible for the control of diseases within those areas.

Reorganisation of several divisions of the Department of Agriculture took place during 1924 following upon an inspection by the Public Service Commission. Thereby the Veterinary Field Division and the Division of Veterinary Research were amalgamated.

Concerning veterinary field work in the Cape Province, it was realised that, owing to the extensive area of the Cape, the work could not be controlled as efficiently by the Senior Veterinary Officer at Cape Town as was desired. It was then decided to divide the province into two sections and another Senior Veterinary Officer was appointed for the eastern section and stationed at Queenstown as from December 1924. The Senior Veterinary Officer, Cape Town retained control of the western portion.

List of Chiefs, Veterinary Services (Cape):
WC Branford, 1876 – 1879
D Hutcheon, 1880 – 1906
JD Borthwick, 1906 – 1911
RW Dixon, 1911 – 1921
J Spreull, 1921 – 1922

In April 1806 a Superintendent of Government Lands and Woods was appointed and entrusted with the care of Government Woods. Overseers were stationed at some woods and made responsible to him. The postholder at Plettenberg Bay, Saldanha Bay and elsewhere, the Landdrosts and Heemraden, and, upon the abolition of the latter, the Civil Commissioners, also had functions to perform in connection with forests.

In 1847 a Superintendent of Crown Forests was appointed, and later in the same year he was replaced by a Conservator of Forests, stationed at George. From that date Rangers and Conservators of Crown Forests were stationed in various divisions, and in some of them both these offices existed, while in others there was only a Ranger.

It was, however, not until 1866 that a Ranger was appointed for Crown Forests in the division of King William’s Town. A letter dated 3 November 1866 informed Baron Johan de Fin that “His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint you Ranger of the Crown Forests in the Division of King William’s Town with a salary of £120 per annum from the date of entering on your duties”. Baron de Fin commenced his duties on the 8th of the same month, so that 8 November 1866 must be regarded as the date of establishment of this office.

No forestry records are available for the first sixteen years of this office’s existence, but the duties of Baron de Fin seem to have been limited to the protection of the property of the Crown against needless destruction, and to the issuing of licences for felling timber. Reports of Rangers and Conservators of Forests in the early part of the second half of the 19th century were virtually limited to these matters, and no mention was made of reclamation and reforestation of overexploited areas.

Even Baron de Fin, after seventeen years of service as Ranger and Conservator, was unable to define his own duties and functions. In March 1883 the Civil Commissioner of King William’s Town wrote to the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works that “Mr Nettelton (De Fin’s temporary successor) has a very slight idea of what he is expected to do, and Baron de Fin could give him no information at all”. In his reply the Commissioner gave the following exposition of the Ranger’s duties: “His chief function will be to see that no one cuts wood without authority nor obtains such authority except very sparingly as the Governor has been much alarmed by the destruction in the forests”.

The Ranger of Crown Forests for King William’s Town forwarded his correspondence via the Civil Commissioner, but when “Crown Forests and Plantations” became a separate division of the Department of the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works in 1876, the Conservator (as he was called after 1876) corresponded directly with the ministerial office.

In 1881 the Forest Department was reorganised by Count de Vasselot de Régné, who held the appointment of Superintendent of Woods and Forests for the Cape Colony, from January 1881 to September 1891, when this office was abolished. Count de Vasselot sub-divided the Colony into four Forest Conservatories, namely the Western, Midland, Eastern and Transkeian. Each of these areas was placed under the control of a Conservator of Forests, assisted by District Forest Officers, Superintendents of Plantations and Foresters, who were directly responsible to him.

In 1883 Baron De Fin was succeeded as Conservator by Mr DE Hutchins. With Hutchins’ appointment, the office of the Conservator was transferred from Keiskama Hoek (where it was situated since 1866) to King William’s Town. In 1886 the area of jurisdiction of this office was extended to the whole eastern part of the colony.

In May 1888 Mr J Storr Lister was transferred to the Eastern Province and instructed to proceed to King William’s Town to replace Mr Hutchins as Conservator of the Eastern Conservancy. It was, however, not until October 1888 that he actually commenced service at King William’s Town.

Lister’s appointment was of great importance for the future development of this office. His first effort was directed towards reorganising the forest staff in accordance with Count de Vasselot’s suggestions. With the approval of Government he provisionally divided the Eastern Conservancy into five forestal districts, namely King William’s Town, Keiskama Hoek, Stutterheim, Alexandria and East London. Each forestal district was placed under the immediate supervision of a District Forest Officer. This reorganisation was carried out in accordance with Forest Act No 28 of 1888.

A Government Notice dated 13 June 1889 declared the Eastern Conservancy to consist of the following magisterial divisions: Port Elizabeth, Jansenville, Graaff-Reinet, Middelburg, Hanover, Colesberg, Albert, Cradock, Somerset East, Alexandria, Bathurst, Albany, Bedford, Fort Beaufort, Tarka, Aliwal North, East London, King William’s Town, Cathcart, Komgha, Stutterheim, Barkly East, Herschel and Stockenström. For the first time since 1866 we find a precise definition of the duties of the Conservator for the Eastern Conservancy. These duties may be briefly summarised as follows: The Conservator of Forests, Eastern Conservancy was entrusted with the control of all Crown Forests in this area and was authorized to issue, cancel or amend all licences issued with regard to the felling of timber, grazing of livestock on forest lands, squatting, igniting of fires as well as the hunting of and protection of game. The Conservator was further charged with the disposal of all forest produce, as well as the sub-division of forests into sections for rotational felling.

After the abolition of the post of Superintendent of Woods and Forests in 1891, the Eastern Conservancy as well as the other conservancies existed as independent administrations for the following fourteen years (1891 – 1905). Each conservancy was administrated by its Conservator who was directly responsible to the Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works.

In 1902 Act No 20 was passed as an amendment to the Forest Act and it dealt chiefly with the control of Commonage by municipalities and village management boards.

The Forest Department was reorganised on 1 October 1905 with Mr Lister, who had formerly been Conservator for the Eastern Conservancy, appointed in the new post as Acting Chief Conservator of Forests for the Cape Colony. This position became permanent from 1 July 1906 when he was appointed Chief Conservator of Forest for the Cape Colony. From that date the Conservator of Forests, Eastern Conservancy, once again resorted under the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests (formerly called the office of the Superintendent of Woods and Forests).

This reorganisation had little administrative effect in the Eastern Conservancy, except for the series of letters despatched which was changed accordingly with each step in the reorganisation.

By the extension of the duties and powers of this office by the Forest Act of 1888 and its amendment in 1902, both the staff and the archives of this office showed a corresponding growth. In 1886 the staff of the Eastern Conservancy consisted of the Conservator, assisted by one clerk, while the field personnel totalled seven. By 1910 the office staff was increased by the addition of a clerk and accountant, while the field staff had increased to thirty one. The bulk of the archives originated in the late 1890s.

List of Conservators of Forests:
Baron Johan de Fin, 1866 – 1883
Thomas Nettelton (temporary), 1883
David Ernest Hutchins, 1883 – 1888
Joseph Storr Lister, 1888 – 1905
John Spurgeon Henkel, 1906 – 1907
Arthur William Heywood, 1907 – 1910
Charles Ross, 1910 – 1917
EB Dwyer, 1918 –

The Village Management Board of Garies was constituted on 27 May 1910 in terms of Proclamation No 235 of 1910 under provision of the Village Management Act, 1881.

In 1994 Garies became part of the Northern Cape Province. It forms part of the Kamiesberg Local Municipality, one of seven local municipalities that falls under the Namakwa District Municipality.