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The Municipality of Murraysburg was constituted on 10 March 1860 in terms of Proclamation No 16 of 1860 under provision of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies in the Murraysburg Forum Area, namely the Municipality of Murraysburg and the Management Committee of Murraysburg, was dissolved and a transitional local council under the name “Municipality of Murraysburg” was established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4885, 21 October 1994, Proclamation No 65, 5 October 1994).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Murraysburg together with other municipalities was disestablished and the Beaufort West Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5593, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 508, 22 September 2000). The Beaufort West Local Municipality forms part of the larger Central Karoo District Municipality.

In 1855 a municipal sub-committee recommended the erection of a hospital in Port Elizabeth and thus a Provincial Committee for the Management of the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital came into being to guide its establishment in November 1855. While the building of the hospital was being undertaken, a temporary hospital was opened on 10 September 1856.

In 1856, Act No 5 for Regulating the Provincial Hospital at Port Elizabeth (CCP 6/2/1/1) was passed, which vested all control of the institution in a Board of Managers.

The completed hospital building was occupied in 1859 and the temporary hospital closed. By 1900 the need for a new hospital was realized and the foundation stone of this hospital was laid in 1912.

In terms of Ordinance No 5 of 1912 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 218, 27 January 1912), Hospital Districts were created in Divisional Council areas. Hospital Boards, named after the division or town in which the main hospital was situated, were constituted to control and manage all institutions under and created by them.

The Alexandra Institution for the Feebleminded was opened in 1921. It was situated on what was formerly the Nieuwe Molen Estate.

It was decided to erect a hospital on the site to replace the Old Somerset Hospital, and the foundation stone was laid on I3 January 1906 by HRH the Duke of Connaught. Owing to the delays that seem inevitable in the construction of any public building, it was not until 1914 that the buildings were ready for occupation. By that time, the First World War had broken out, and so it was taken over as a military hospital. After the war, the Government decided to open it as South Africa's first institution for mental defectives. Patients were admitted in July 1921.

The first group came from Valkenberg and the Pretoria Mental Hospital, and by September they numbered 153 (all of whom were white females). By the end of the year, the numbers had increased to 245, of whom 92 were males. It had its share of teething troubles, many of which arose because the buildings had not been constructed to house defectives; for example, the admission of males was considerably delayed because the doors had no locks. Despite such handicaps, the development of the institution progressed well, and the numbers of patients and staff increased rapidly. Owing to ignorance of the scope and purpose of the institution, many unsuitable patients were sent there in the early days and had to be returned to tile hospitals from which they had come.

One of the first developments was the opening of a school for the younger defectives. Specially trained teachers from abroad were engaged, and special emphasis was laid on the development of muscular co-ordination and manual skills, rather than on scholastic attainment. There was an early institution of occupational therapy for both sexes, and this was highly developed over the years. Among the activities available for males were boot making, tailoring, painting, upholstery, woodwork, building, and plumbing. The females did laundry, sew, and fancy-work.

A development from 1947 was that the high-grade defectives now did paid work for outside firms. It began with rug-fringing, but in 1949 patients began to make bags for a tobacco firm; they earned 4 shillings for 1 000 bags.

When the institution was opened in 1921, Dr HC Watson was the first medical superintendent. Dr Watson was succeeded in 1923 by Dr RA Forster, who remained in charge until 1940. In addition to its medical staff, it had several psychologists, and several graduate students in psychology, from the University of Cape Town were doing research and practical work there.

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.