Timeline

• Early 1900s: The Workers’ Dwellings Branch

  Timeline of the history of the Department of Housing. Highlights of the early 1900s era. The early 20th Century marked the Queensland Government's first involvement in housing when it introduced The Workers' Dwellings Act 1909 to provide subsidised housing for workers.

• The 1920s to 1945: The soul of a nation

  It is said the soul of a nation is in the homes of the people.

• Late 1940s: Houses must be built

  In 1947, an alarming 4,218 Queensland families were living in homes made from calico, canvas or hessian. Some even lived in makeshift bark shelters.

• The 1950s : A house to call our own

  In 1950, Queensland was the first state to sign contracts to import pre-fabricated houses made to Queensland designs. Contracts were finalised with French, Swedish, Dutch and Italian building firms. Finally it seemed, Queenslanders would have access to better housing.

• The 1960s to 1980s: Queensland ’s changing needs

  During the next three decades, the Queensland Housing Commission was faced with a changing Queensland population.

• The 1990s: Developing better communities

  The 1990s saw Queensland’s social and economic landscape change.

• Early 2000s: Improving people’s lives through housing

  In the early 2000s, we are seeing greater inequity in the income and wealth of Australians with declining levels of home ownership, increasing numbers of long-term private renters and greater numbers of households experiencing housing stress.

• Looking ahead

  In January 2004, the Housing Act 2003 took effect and officially marked the end of 58 years of the Queensland Housing Commission.