The Chief Secretary’s Department was established in 1882. It coordinated the administrative business of the Tasmanian government. Between 1896 and 1901, the Neglected Children’s Department was a part of the Chief Secretary’s Department. In 1901, following Australian federation, Tasmania became a state and the new state government took over the Chief Secretary’s Department.
The Under-Secretary was in charge of the Chief Secretary’s Department. In this role, he corresponded with children, occasionally visited them, and made decisions about their placements.
According to Wettenhall, a small Immigration Department, which did not have any staff of its own, was located within the Chief Secretary’s Department. It was not very active.
Between 1898 and 1901, the Neglected Children’s and the Charitable Grants Departments were sub-departments within the Chief Secretary’s Department. The close relationship between the three means that there is considerable information about the Neglected Children’s and Charitable Grants Departments in the records of the Chief Secretary’s Department.