From Telephone Exchange to Cyberspace 1965-2000

Trends 1965

Following the election of Premier, Bob Askin on 13 May 1965 it may be said without exaggeration that over the coming decade and beyond Commonwealth and State financial relations would dominate the activities of the Treasury and Executive.

The Portfolio of Treasurer 1976-1999

Between 1941 and 1976 the Premiers had held in tandem both Portfolios, Premier and Treasurer. Neville Wran was the first Premier for some decades to relinquish direct and formal responsibility and control over the Treasury by appointing John (Jack) Renshaw as Treasurer.

Following Renshaw's appointment as Agent-General, London in January 1980, Wran himself acted as Treasurer until after the 1981 election when Kenneth George Booth was appointed Treasurer on 2 October 1981. Mr Booth left a lasting mark on Treasury with his program of improved financial disclosure and accountability. Treasury was well represented at Newcastle's ChristChurch Cathedral where a State funeral was held following his sudden death on 1 November 1988.

1918-2000

The 1980s ushered in the application of computer technology and in so doing Treasury developed a reputation for being at the 'bleeding edge of technology'. Treasury had for some years, however, led the way in technological innovation across the country, and a number of firsts may be recorded in the management of public finances.

Post World War I

In order to reduce labour costs and expense labour saving devices were first introduced into accounting based offices soon after the Great War. These devices included ledger posting, cheque writing and other machines. Three accounting machines were installed in Treasury before 1921 and more were to come. Christina Mooney was appointed as a Machine Operator or Comptometrist on 6 September 1926 to expedite the calculation of revenue. Duplication of work within accounting sections was obviated together with a simplification of book-keeping methods. BSB Stevens recognised technology as being the instrument for reform.

In the period after the First World War with reform of the budgetary system Treasury had divested itself cautiously of responsibility for the detailed work involved in the payment of claims against the Government, the collection of revenue and the keeping of associated accounting records. The payment of claims had devolved to departments in the 1920's and the Pay Branch of the Treasury dissolved. This devolution was partially reversed, however, in the mid 1960's with the centralising of salary payments coming under the control of the Treasury. This reversal of administrative policy was developed because of a growing awareness and appreciation of the potentialities of Automatic Data Processing (ADP).

More advanced technology was installed in Treasury after the Second World War with the utilisation of accounting machines in the Accounts Branch. These machines were used for the purpose of mechanising procedures relating to the recoupment to drawing accounts of expenditure by departments and undertakings and the payment and recording of salaries, allowances, and pensions.
Electronic equipment installed in 1960 had been engaged in the preparation of payrolls for a number of departments. This initiative was followed by computer technology arriving in Treasury in 1961 when the Electronics Bureau was established in the Accounts Branch together with Racing and the Totalizator Branch.

The first payroll prepared by the Electronics Bureau was for the fortnight commencing 20 October 1961. By December 1962, the Bureau processed 62,000 salaries, including double pay for teachers.

In 1963, a Treasury Committee was investigating the use of ADP equipment in Government Budgeting and Accounting, information having been sought from the Bureau of the Budget, Washington. In 1964 a meeting was to discuss future ADP work in the Treasury and in particular the commencement of work on Centralised Accounting.

A Board officer from the ADP unit spent three months visiting installations in the United States and discussing scientific computing with public servants in the United Kingdom. A new computer language, 'Cobol' was introduced with the new computer equipment.

On 1 July 1966, an Automatic Data Processing Service Bureau was established within the Treasury. Shortly afterwards records in respect of loans and overdrafts guaranteed by the State of New South Wales were converted from loose-leaf registers to file on magnetic tape. By July 1969 the ADP system eventually facilitated the control on the usage of bookmakers' betting sheets. Applications and interviews by the Personnel section increased exponentially and it became apparent that at this time the ethnic mix of Treasury staff changed to become increasingly international in its cultural outlook.

In the 1970s the Systems Branch was established the precursor of the Information Technology Branch

The function of the Systems Branch was to rationalise the procedures and workflows of the Treasury Corporate system with the support of computer technology. Of paramount importance was the Branch's responsibility for the introduction into the Public Service of a new Budgetary Accounting System (B.A.S.), a computerised general ledger package, controlling the production of the Financial Statements, paid accounts and Treasury's own administrative finances. The emphasis was in the area of program accounting for departments; the small agencies had to account for their appropriations in the manner determined by the recently introduced system of program budgeting.

Treasury would be the first department in Australia to computerise the Budgeting process. There was an ever-increasing reliance on and interest in the capacity of computer technology to assist the Budget Branch in developing and monitoring the State's Budget.

The production electronically of the Budget Papers in 1985 proved a major and singularly important triumph in the technical applications of computer concepts in the field of financial management in the State. In the mid nineties Treasury had developed a new Financial Information System (FIS) integrating Treasury's previously independent financial data basis. This integration facilitates the preparation of consolidated State Accounts and improves the consistency of published data.

Word Processing

The first Word Processing unit was established in the Treasury Executive in 1982.

Three workstations utilising Burroughs B20s, the grandfathers of to-days personal computers, were installed in the Treasury Executive. By 1984, the Word Processing Section had proved invaluable in the preparation of the Budget and Public Accounts documents. Treasury purchased the first IBM personal computer sold in Australia in 1984.

Further improvements were introduced into the production of the Budget Papers with the acquisition of a fourth generation language (4GL) package. The New South Wales Treasury was now the only Australian Treasury, which had completely computerised Budget 'number crunching'.

The Internet

The scope of Treasury's information availability was enhanced with the development of Treasury's Internet site in 1995. Information is now circulated at the international level allowing timely access to Treasury publications including the Budget Papers.