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”.