History of the Department
1900 Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1900 established the Registrar of Friendly Societies who was the Registrar of Industrial Unions. The Industrial Registrar serviced the Arbitration and Conciliation Commission and was part of the Crown Law Department
1900 Edgar Theodore Owen appointed as Registrar
1905 Registrar appointed federal Deputy Registrar under Federal Act
1909 Samuel Bennett appointed as Registrar
1922 Union registrations passed from Registrar of Friendly Societies to Clerk of the Court of Arbitration
1922 Francis Edward Walsh appointed as Registrar
1924 Registry functions under Trade Unions Act 1902 passed from Registrar of Friendly Societies to Registrar of Industrial Unions
1939 Reginald Arthur Wood appointed as Registrar
1948 Section 166 of the Industrial Arbitration Act 1912 – 1948 created office of Assistant Registrar
1949 Joseph Hamilton Bogue appointed as Registrar
1960 Serventus Cyril Bruce appointed as Registrar
1963 Amendment separated arbitral and judicial functions by creating Industrial Appeal Court and Industrial Commission with Chief Commissioner and three other Commissioners
1963 Raymond Bowyer appointed as Registrar
1964 Industrial Arbitration Act 1963 transferred the Industrial Registrar from the Crown Law Dept to the Department of Labour and Industry
1965 Industrial Commission moved from Supreme Court buildings to new premises in Murray Street
1971 Roy (Rex) Ellis appointed as Registrar
1977 Federal commission opened Perth office, State Registrar ceased to be Federal Deputy Registrar
1981 Keith Scapin appointed as Registrar
1983 Confirmation from Registrar that Commission could operate efficiently with existing staffing level of 28 if administratively autonomous
1983 Registrar becomes de facto autonomous except for accounting functions, although continued to be part of the Department of Industrial Affairs
1984 Preparation of budget estimates taken over by Registrar
1985 Commission’s establishment moved under the Department of Employment of Training but still remained on a defacto autonomous footing
1985 Registrar took over registry functions for Promotion Appeals, Railways Classification Board, Public Service Arbitrator and Government School Teachers Tribunal
1986 Registrar took over accounting system from Department of Occupational Health and the Registrar became the Accountable officer
1987 John G Carrigg appointed as Registrar
1989 Department of the Registrar established with Registrar as CEO
1995 Commission relocated from Supply House in Hay Street, to 111 St George’s Terrace
1997 John Spurling appointed as Registrar
1999 Began providing Registry services for the Australian Industrial Registry
2002 Began registration process for Employer – Employee Agreements
2003 Deputy Registrars given specific authority to mediate in unfair dismissal claims
2004 Occupational and Safety Health Tribunal established within the Commission
2006 Federal industrial relations legislation enacted to significantly encroach on state jurisdiction
2007 Australian Industrial Registry re-established in Perth and WA Registrar ceases providing registry services for the Federal Commission
2008 Road Freight Tribunal established within the Commission
2008 Employment Dispute Resolution Act 2008
2011 The Department commenced hosting the Blaxell Inquiry, St Andrews Hostel Inquiry
2011 Retirement of Registrar, John Spurling. Susan Bastian appointed as Acting Registrar
2013 The Department commenced hosting the City of Canning Inquiry
2013 Refurbishment of the Commission's hearing and conference facilities, providing a state of the art fully integrated digital court environment
2014 Susan Bastian appointed as Registrar
2014 The Department hosted proceedings for the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse
2014 The Department hosted proceedings for the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption
2014 Probono scheme introduced by the Chief Commissioner and the Registrar