Civil Defence Commission (GRG9)

The Civil Defence Force was established in South Australia at the instigation of the Acting Prime Minister, R.G. Casey (later Lord Casey) in a secret despatch to the Acting Premier of South Australia on 13 May 1935 (1) which was followed by secret despatches from the Prime Minister, J.A. Lyons, dated 6 November 1935 and 28 October 1936 (2).

In August 1937 an honorary Executive Committee for the Protection of the Civil Population against Gas Attack was set up by the Government under the chairmanship of the Under Secretary, A.L. Read (3). Preparations went ahead and in March 1939 a Commissioner of Civil Defence was appointed. The first Commissioner was Lieut. Col. P.G. Bice. He was succeeded in October 1940 by Lieut. Col. G.D. Shaw. (4) His position was formalised by a regulation under the Emergency Powers Act, 1941. (5) This also formally established a Civil Defence Force, consisting of 'the Commissioner, the director of each branch of the Civil Defence Force, and all other members of the force'. (6).

Confidential instructions were given in a circular despatch to all states from the Acting Prime Minister on 29 December 1944 for Civil Defence to be placed on a reserve basis. (7) In effect this had already been done in South Australia in September 1944 (8). An instruction from the Premier dated 6 February 1945 transferred the 'housekeeping activities' connected with Civil Defence to the Children's Welfare and Public Relief Department. (9) A secret circular despatch from the Prime Minister (J.B. Chifley) on 28 November 1945 advised that War Cabinet had decided there was no further need to retain members of the Civil Defence Organisation on reserve. (10) The organisation should henceforth be limited to a
Planning Organisation.

Certain records of the Civil Defence Force in South Australia - namely attestation and enrolment forms - were transferred at the Prime Minister's request (11) to the Board of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, on 10 March 1947. (12)

The memorandum announcing their despatch is the last that bears a signature over the title of Commissioner of Civil Defence. The Commissioner, Lieut. Col. G.D. Shaw, retired in 1948. (13) He was replaced by a Liaison Officer for Civil Defence. This title first appears below a memorandum of January 1949, (14) which contains the following statement:

'When the Civil Defence Department ceased operations in July 1948 the following steps were taken by me in accordance with Cabinet directions:

1. Particulars and important records of the Civil Defence organisation previously in existence in this State, have been collected, and filed in an office at Kintore venue. [Etc., etc.]'

It was from Kintore Avenue, from the offices of the South Eastern Drainage Board that the records from this group were transferred to the Archives early in 1960. They included a small number of files from other government offices, and these have now been relocated.

This group was added to in March 1968 with the transfer from the Engineering and Water Supply Department of material relating to the Essential Services and Engineering sections.

Divisions made in this series list, which combines both transfers, are designed as a guide to reference. Although based on the structure of the organisation, they do not
represent the structure exactly, and are not mutually exclusive as regards subject matter.

To gain a more complete picture of the official organisation of Civil Defence in South Australia than is provided by this group, records of other government offices and instrumentalities, federal, state and local, should be consulted, in particular the records of the Chief Secretary's office, Adelaide. See notable the files of this Office, GRG24/6 and a copy of an address delivered by the premier in April 1939, with plan, Acc. A1073 (The premier was Minister of Civil Defence).

See also papers, armbands, badges etc., 1941-43, in the Fowler Family Papers GRG 34/46: Minutes of the Victor Harbor Air Raid Precautions Executive Committee, 1942-45, Acc. 1511: A.R.P. newspaper cuttings book, 1941-47, Acc. 1417; and press photographs, 1940-43, 821641-44 and 821651-66. See also GRG
24/165.

January 1975.

Same agency as GA2572 - different archival control system.

Sources:

(1) GRG 24/61935464.
(2) ibid. -
(3) South Australian Parliamentary Paper 1942 no.14, p.3.
(4) ibid.
(5) South Australian Government Gazette, 18 December 1941,
p.1499.
(6) ibid.
(7) GRG 24/619455.
(8) ibid. Memorandum of 3 January 1945 from Commissioner of
Civil Defence.
(9) ibid. Memorandum of 6 February 1945.
(10) ibid. Despatch of 28 November 1945.
(11) ibid. Circular letter of 25 June 1946.
(12) ibid. Letter of 3 March 1947.
(13) Advertiser 20 August 1954, p.2, column h.
(14} GRG 24/6/1945 5. Memorandum of January 1949 wrongly dated 1948.