List of Victorian royal commissions


This is a list of royal commissions and commissions of inquiry appointed by the Government of Victoria. Royal Commissions are currently held in Victoria under the terms of the Inquiries Act 2014. This list includes Royal Commissions that were conducted jointly with the Government of Australia. Note that this list excludes Select Committees.

Timeline

YearRoyal Commission or CommissionCommissioner
1854Commission appointed to enquire into the best mode of providing for the internal communication of the colonyMurphy
1854–1855Royal commission appointed to enquire into the tenure of the waste lands of the crownStawell
1858–1859Royal commission to enquire into the best method of removing the sludge from the gold fieldsSullivan
1858Royal commission into the defences of the colonyMacarthur
1859–1860Royal commission into the defences of the colony to consider the best mode of carrying out the recommendations of the Defences Commission of 1858Macarthur
1860Royal commission on harbour improvements and a river and harbour trustBright
1861Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the circumstances connected with the sufferings and death of Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, the Victorian explorersPratt
1861The royal commission for the Victorian Exhibition, 1861 and the London International Exhibition, 1862Barry
1862–1863Royal mining commission appointed to enquire into the conditions and prospects of the gold fields of VictoriaHumffray
1862–1863The royal commission appointed to enquire into the municipalities and the charitable institutions in VictoriaSturt
1863Royal commission to enquire into the origin and nature of the cattle disease known as pleuro-pneumoniaGriffith
1866–1867Royal commission to examine into and report upon the best means of clearing the river MurraySmith
1866–1867Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the operation of the system of public educationHigginbotham
1866–1867Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the operation and effect of the wine and spirits sale statuteSmith
1866–1867Royal commission to inquire into and report upon the subject of certain duties proposed to be remitted or reduced by the tariff resolutions of the Legislative Assembly on the 15th day of February 1865 and which then remained uncollectedMacGregor
1867Royal commission to enquire into and report upon applications made for authority to mine within and under certain reserved lands at BallaratSullivan
1868–1869Royal commission to enquire and report generally on the practice of paying or compensating members of the legislature in all countries where the practice prevails, and with a special view of ascertaining in each case the rate of payment or compensation, the conditions or limitations under which it is made, and the form of legislative enactment by which it has been authorizedDuffy
1870Royal commission appointed to consider and report upon the necessity of a Federal Union of the Australian Colonies for legislative purposes and the best means of accomplishing such a Union.Duffy
1870–1872Royal commission on penal and prison disciplineStawell
1870–1871Royal commission on Intercolonial Legislation and a Court of AppealCasey
1870–1871Royal commission appointed to enquire into and report upon the condition and management of the charitable institutions of the colony, and generally into all matters therewith.Harker
1870–1871Royal commission on noxious tradesMcRea
1870–1873Royal commission appointed to enquire into the state of the public service and the working of the Civil Service ActA'Beckett
1871Royal commission on foreign industries and forestsBindon
1871–1872Royal commission on industrial and reformatory schools and the sanatory stationCasey
1872Royal commission to enquire into and report upon the alleged silting up of Hobson's bay since the dredging operations and also enquire into and report upon the dredging departmentClark
1872Royal commission to enquire into the origin of the disease known as diphtheria, the best mode of treatment thereofMcRea
1873Royal commission appointed to consider and report on the extent and character of the further accommodation required at the parliamentary buildingsFraser
1873Royal commission appointed to inquire into and report upon the desirability of making amendments in the Boroughs and Shires Statutes and Road Districts ActSmith
1873Royal commission to enquire into the system adopted by the Public Works Department in reference to contracts and the execution of public works, and generally to report upon the Department itselfMacBain
1875Royal commission to consider and report upon the lighting and ventilation of the Legislative Assembly chamber, and the accommodation required for honourable MembersMacMahon
1875–1876Royal commission on volunteer forcesO'Shanassy
1875–1876Royal commission appointed to inquire into the working of the Friendly Societies StatuteLangridge
1877Royal commission appointed to superintend the carrying out of the recommendations of the joint select committee appointed to inquire into the extent and character of the accommodation required in the parliament buildings etc.Patterson
1877Royal Commission on the AboriginesWilliam Foster Stawell
1884-1886Royal commission on asylums for the insane and inebriateWilliam Stawell
1892Royal commission on charitable institutions
1909Royal Commission on the Acquisition of Certain Estates by Sir Thomas Bent, as a Minister of the CrownThomas David Gibson-Carmichael
1915Royal Commission on Closer SettlementJohn Glass Johnstone
1924Royal Commission into the Hospital for Insane, Kew (1924)Alfred Aldridge Kelley
1924–1925Royal Commission on the Victorian Police ForceJohn MonashCharles McPherson
John Martin
1925Royal Commission on Soldier SettlementJames Turnbull
1928Royal Commission Of Inquiry Into The Victorian Railways Department-
1931–1933Royal Commission on Migrant Land SettlementGeorge Dethridge
1944Royal Commission On Yallourn Bushfires-
1946–1947Royal Commission On Forest Grazing-
1947Royal Commission On Electricity Supply-
1949Royal Commission On Bread Industry-
1949–1950Royal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related MattersSir Charles Lowe
1952Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into Certain Allegations of Improper ConductSir Edmund Herring
1956Royal Commission to Inquire into the Operation of the Housing Acts of Victoria and the Administration of the Housing CommissionAlan John Moir
1958–1959Royal Commission into Off-The-Course BettingRussell Martin
1959–1960Royal Commission on Motor Car Third-Party Compulsory InsuranceElias Coppel
1960Victoria Market Royal CommissionR. A. Smithers
1962–1963Royal Commission into the Failure of Kings BridgeEdward Barber
1963–1965Royal Commission into the Sale, Supply, Disposal or Consumption of LiquorPhilip Phillips
1970–1971Royal Commission into the Failure of the West Gate BridgeEdward Barber
1977–1979Australian Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs Edward Williams
1979–1982Royal Commission into Certain Housing Commission Land Purchases and Other MattersSydney Frost
1980–1984Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union Frank Costigan
1981–1982Royal Commission into the Australian Meat Industry Edward Woodward
1981–1983Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking Donald Stewart
1981–1982Royal Commission into the Activities of the Australian Building Construction Employees and Builders Labourers' Federation John Winneke
1985–1986Royal Commission of Inquiry into Alleged Telephone Interceptions Donald Stewart
1986–1998Royal Commission into Grain Storage, Handling and Transport Jim McColl
1990–1992Royal Commission into the Tricontinental Group of CompaniesEdward Woodward
1998–1999Longford Royal CommissionDaryl Dawson
1999–2001Metropolitan Ambulance Service Royal CommissionLex Lasry
2009–20102009 Victorian Bushfires Royal CommissionBernard Teague
2015–2016Royal Commission into Family ViolenceMarcia Neave
2018–2021Mental Health Royal CommissionPenny Armytage
2018–2020Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants – An inquiry into Victoria Police’s use of Nicola Gobbo as a human sourceHon Margaret McMurdo
2021Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence – An inquiry into the suitability of Crown Melbourne Limited to hold a casino licenceRaymond Finkelstein
2021–2024 Yoorrook Justice CommissionProf Eleanor Bourke
Dr Wayne Atkinson
Prof Hon Kevin Bell
Sue-Anne Hunter
Prof Maggie Walter