This is a list of royal commissions and commissions of inquiry appointed by the Government of South Australia. Royal Commissions are currently held in South Australia under the terms of the Royal Commissions Act 1917.
This list includes Royal Commissions that were conducted jointly with the Government of Australia. It does not include Select Committees.
Year(s)Royal Commission or CommissionCommissioners Province of South Australia1859Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the loss of the SS Admella1861Royal commission on real property law1864Royal Commission on the Customs House1864Royal Commission appointed to inquire into and report on the management, etc. of the Lunatic Asylum and Hospital1865Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to report on colonial defences1865Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the state of the northern runs1865–1866Royal Commission on the Port Harbour1866Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the working of the Lands Titles Registration Office1866Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the management of the Northern Territory expedition1866Commission of Inquiry into management of Police Force1867Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the state of runs suffering from drought1867Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire charges against Waterworks Engineer1867–1868Royal Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire and report upon the diseases in cereals1869Royal Commission to inquire into and report upon the public accounts1872–1873Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Intestacy, Real Property, and Testamentary Causes Acts1873Commission of Inquiry appointed to inquire into matters in dispute in connection with the Hope Valley aqueduct contract1873–1874Royal Commission appointed to consider the whole matter of remuneration and classification of the Civil Service1873–1874Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the whole question of the new Institute and Museum1874Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the alcoholic strength of South Australian wines1874Royal Commission appointed to inquire into and report upon the plans submitted in competition for the new Parliament houses and the new Institute and Museum, and the sites best suited for their erection1874Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the organisation and working of the Post Office Department1874–1875Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the subject of railway construction1875Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the best means of providing agricultural and technical education1875–1876Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the whole question of sanitation for the Province1876Royal Commission appointed to consider and report upon the whole question of the defences of the Province1877–1878Royal Commission appointed to report on the principles and working of tribunals of commerce, etc., etc.1878Royal Commission appointed to report on the Parliament buildings site1879Royal Commission appointed to report on the liquor laws1879–1882Royal Commission appointed to report on public finance1879Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Parliament buildings site1879–1882Royal Commission appointed to report on the public works1879Royal Commission on sewage farm site1880–1881Royal Commission appointed to report on wharves and jetties1881Royal Commission appointed to report on the alleged injuries by sparrows1881–1882Royal Commission on the working of the Education Acts1882Royal Commission appointed to report on electoral districts1883–1885Royal Commission appointed to report on the Destitute Act, 18811883–1884Royal Commission appointed to report upon the Adelaide and Parkside Lunatic Asylums1883–1884Royal Commission on railways1886–1887Royal Commission on Government Stores1887Royal Commission on Transcontinental railway1887Royal Commission on the utilisation of River Murray waters1888Royal Commission on the land laws of South Australia1888–1891Civil Service Commission1888–1889Royal Commission appointed to consider the desirability of establishing a State Bank and Royal Mint1889Barossa water commission1889–1890Royal Commission on an Angaston railway1889–1890Mining Commission1890Royal Commission on the utilisation of River Murray waters1890Queensland border railway commission1890Royal Commission on the Water Conservation Department1890Royal Commission on intercolonial free trade1890–1891Royal Commission on landing and embarking European mails1890–1891Royal Commission on the Port Augusta and Cockburn railway1891Queensland border railway commission1891Royal Commission on the question of the best route for the Blyth railway extension1891Pastoral lands commission1891–1892Royal Commission on the valuations of pastoral improvements1892Royal Commission on the south-east drainage system1892Orroroo and Port Germein railway commission1892Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the question of the expediency of constructing a graving dock in South Australia at the public expense1892Shops and factories commission1892Royal Commission on main roads1893Royal Commission on stores1893Vermin-proof fencing commission1894Royal Commission on the utilisation of River Murray waters1895Royal Commission on the Northern Territory1895Royal Commission on the Adelaide Hospital1896Royal Commission on the Beetaloo waterworks1896–1897Royal Commission on the Government wharves1897Royal Commission on the Bundaleer waterworks1897–1898Pastoral lands commission1897–1898Royal Commission on the aged poor1898–1899South-eastern drainage commission1899–1901Public service commission1899–1900Royal Commission on Renmark and Murray River settlements1900Royal Commission on main roads1900Royal Commission on the Taxation Acts State of South Australia1901Royal Commission on the Wine and Produce Depot1902Wine and Produce Commission in London1902Royal Commission on the question of the construction of a railway to Pinnaroo1902Interstate Royal Commission on the River Murray representing the States of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia1903Royal Commission on waterworks1903–1904Royal commission on railways1905–1906Royal Commission on the necessity for improved facilities for the trade of the south-east1906Royal Commission upon the question of the treatment of inebriates1907Royal Commission upon the charges against produce merchants1907–1908Royal Commission on main roads1908–1909Royal Commission on the question of the marketing of wheat1908–1909Royal Commission on the Land Titles Office and General Registry of Deeds Office1908–1909Royal Commission on the conviction of Myles Flynn1909–1912Royal Commission on Eyre's Peninsula railways1909Royal Commission upon the necessity of a railway to Willunga1909–1912Royal commission on the Murray lands railway1909–1911Royal Commission upon the necessity for a railway through Kangaroo Island1909Royal Commission on the management of the Parkside Lunatic Asylum and treatment of criminal lunatics1909–1910Royal Commission on the suggested railway deviation at Goolwa1910–1912Royal Commission on northern railways1910–1911Royal Commission on the proposed railway from Eudunda to Robertstown1910–1912Royal Commission on narrow-gauge extension and break of gauge1910–1914Royal Commission on the Sedan railway1910–1912Royal Commission on water supply1910–1912Interstate Royal Commission on border railways1911–1913Royal Commission on the Adelaide University and higher education 1911Royal Commission on wharves and water frontages1911–1912Royal Commission on the shortage of labour in the clothing and boot trades1912Royal Commission on electoral registrationWilliam Isbister (Chairman) Walter Dalton Harry Gell1913–1916Royal Commission on the Aborigines1914–1915Royal Commission on the metropolitan abattoirs1913–1915Royal Commission on main roads1913–1917Royal Commission on the municipalisation of gas and electric services1915–1916Royal Commission on electoral matters1916–1918Royal Commission on water supplyJohn Frederick Herbert (Chairman),
Messrs D James, I MacGillvary, JG Bice, FS Wallis, P Allen, T Butterfield1916–1919Royal Commission on North Terrace reserves and railway centresThomas Hyland Smeaton (Chairman),
Messrs J Carr, JH Cooke, T Green, J Gunn, GR Laffer, RA O'Connor1916Royal Commission on Port Adelaide road contractsThomas Colbatch,
Peter Whitington1917–1918Royal Commission on government land purchasesNoel Webb (Deputy President of the Industrial Court of South Australia)1917–1918Royal Commission on Hannaford's quarryW.L. Stuart (Master of the Supreme Court)1917–1921Royal Commission on the wheat scheme and rural industriesWilliam Angus (Chairman)1918Royal Commission on the acquisition and disposal of wheat and material in connection with the South Australian wheat schemeNoel Webb 1918–1920Second Royal Commission on the acquisition and disposal of wheat and material in connection with the South Australian wheat schemeNoel Webb 1919Royal Commission on the Yatala Mental Hospital siteWalter Hannaford (Chairman),
Alfred Blackwell,
John Albert Southwood1919–1920Royal Commission on Loxton1919–1920Royal Commission on the Port Adelaide coal wharfHenry Crosby (Chairman),
Messrs JG Bice, T Pascoe, HR Buxton, VG Petherick, RS Richards, JA Southwood1921–1922Royal Commission on the Public Service of South Australia1923–1927Royal Commission on law reformFW Birrell MP (Chairman),
J Carr MLC,
H Tassie MLC,
T Butterfield MP,
P Reidy MP,
AW Robinson MP,
HD Young MP1923–1925Royal Commission on south-eastern drainageGeorge Kermode,
Walter Colebatch,
Daniel Findlater1923–1925Irrigation Royal Commission under section 22 of Irrigation Act, 1922Edgar Field,
Richard Horsfield,
Howard Jolley1923–1925Royal Commission on Eyre Peninsula transport charges and facilitiesJ Carr MLC,
H Tassie MLC,
Herbert Hudd MP,
Stanley Whitford MP,
Henry Crosby MP1925Royal Commission on plumbism1925–1926Royal Commission on rural settlementWalter Colebatch (Chairman),
Walter Spafford,
John Fraser1925Royal Commission on Port Pirie PoliceJohn Halcombe1925Royal Commission on the thousand homes contractSamuel James Mitchell (Commissioner of Insolvency)1925Second Royal Commission on Port Pirie PoliceReginald Nesbit (Chairman),
Duncan Fraser,
James Geddes1926–1927Royal Commission on manufacturing and secondary industriesFJ Condon MP (Chairman),
T Gluyas MLC,
W Morrow MLC,
EC Vardon MP,
E Anthoney MP,
W Harvey MP,
SR Whitford MP1926–1928Royal Commission on traffic controlAJ Blackwell (Chairman),
T Gluyas,
H Tassie,
PF Heggaton,
LA Hopkins,
JAS McLauchlan,
J Stanley Verran1926Royal Commission on release of prisoners1926–1927Royal Commission on the pastoral industryTheodore Ernest Day, Esquire, Surveyor-General
Francis Walter Lundie, Esquire, J.P.
John O'Connor, Esquire, M.P.
John Edward Pick, Esquire, J.P.
Arthur Graham Rymill, Esquire1926–1927Second Royal Commission on allegations of bribery against police officers1927Royal Commission on electoral districts1928Royal Commission on electoral districts1932–1933Royal Commission on bettingWalter Ray,
Walter Hannaford,
George Laffer,
Jack Critchley,
Arthur McArthur1933Royal Commission on dairy industry pricesWJ Dawkins (Chairman),
Arthur J Perkins,
JW Wainwright1934–1935Royal Commission on the fishing industryReginald Rudall,
Herbet Hale,
Ernest Sheridan1935Royal Commission on matters concerning the promotion and operations of certain companies in South AustraliaAlexander Briskham (Registrar of Companies)1936Royal Commission on afforestationFT Perry MP,
VG Petherick MP,
RC Mowbray MLC,
EA Oates MLC,
H Tasie MLC,
J McInnes MP1936Royal Commission on lotteriesHarold Piper (Chairman), Horace Hogben MP,
Collier Cudmore MLC,
Frank Condon MLC,