Serial S792 - Wheat Australia

During the inter-war years many conferences were held between the Commonwealth and State Governments and Wheat Growers to discuss the stabilization of the Industry. The establishment of a Commonwealth Board to effect this was the aim of these meetings. Two bills to set up the Board (1930 and 1931) were rejected by the Senate. In May and August of 1939 some progress was made towards stability.

The turmoil of the second world war furthered movement towards regulation and stabilization. It was decided that wheat, being a staple should be managed in an orderly fashion with its handling, protection, disposal and shipment responsibly co-ordinated, so the Australian Wheat Board was set up under the National Security legislation. In December 1945 the Commonwealth Government consulted with the Wheat Growers Federation, whose proposals were fully met.

The Australian Wheat Board was privatised on 1 July 1999, becoming AWB Limited.