The history of Transport for NSW agencies in NSW

History of the organisation

Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) was formed on 1 November 2011 by the amalgamation of the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and NSW Maritime. Later, these agencies became Transport for NSW (TfNSW).

Transport for NSW is the latest in a long line of road and maritime infrastructure building and traffic management agencies of the NSW government, going back to the convict period of our history.

A surprising amount of the infrastructure they created is still in use or has been incorporated into more modern infrastructure, as testimony to the quality of its design and construction.

Research on transport history and heritage

TfNSW supports the identification, management and conservation of heritage through:

  • historical
  • archaeological
  • anthropological
  • engineering research.

Much of this is undertaken through road projects to assess the heritage values of places that may be affected by development.

Other research is undertaken thematically, such as the evolution of different bridge types, to provide a sound basis for decision-making.

Historical overviews