The Public Works Department has continually evolved, re-invented and re-organised itself to meet new challenges and to address emerging needs at a national level. Presently, the Public Works Department is again reforming itself through ‘Green Transformation’ measures to build its capacity specifically for addressing present and foreseeable future needs related to sustainable development goals and climate action.

The vast history of the Public Works Department spans over five centuries. The historical overview of it confirms the various transformations this organisation underwent over the years.

In fact, it was under the Order of St. John, during the 15th Century that the establishment of the Public Works Department developed into a specifically organised departments, whilst it continued to flourish in more recent times, between 1800 and 1964 during the British rule and the post-Independence period.

The Knights of St. John were responsible for the introduction of a number of regulations and building legislation all aimed at organising and controlling the ever-increasing building activity that followed in their wake. They inspired an aspect of organisation, which the local building profession previously required.

In addition to this, the notion of the Maltese architect-engineer was initiated with the coming of the Knights in the 16th century, and subsequently, it was developed in the 18th century and finally reinforced in the twentieth century. During their rule in Malta, the Knights influenced to a greater or lesser degree the development of architecture in the islands.

Throughout the years, the Knights were responsible for the construction of numerous public buildings, in particular, the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, the fortifications, the Conventual Church of St. John, in tandem with a number of auberges, and other prominent public buildings, to mention but a few. The last public building to be constructed during the time of the Knights was the National Public Library.

As of the year 1800, the British took over the Maltese islands. During the early decades of the British rule, there was little public buildings activity since the British found themselves well provided for regarding buildings. Nevertheless, during the last quarter of the 19th century, architects and engineers engaged on public works were to leave their markup to the present times and beyond. In a nutshell, the history of the Public Works Department between 1800 and 1850 was mainly one of amalgamation and separations. French rule only lasted two years after which Valletta surrendered in September 1800.

One of the earliest institutions established by the British authorities, after 1800, was the Public Property Board. The latter was responsible for the administration of the landed estates formerly belonging to the Order of St. John. Through its corps of Civil Artificers, or works division, it maintained the civil infrastructure of the country generally and attended to whatever public works needed to be done.

This marked the prelude of a new era in the construction of public buildings. The board, that was a collegial body of five, initially was composed of laymen and later on it was formed from technocrats. The latter took charge of the major projects.

By the proclamation No. XV of 1814, the British Governor announced an important reform which paved the way for the establishment of the Public Works Department as it is known today. The proclamation propounded the winding up the administration of public property board which was turned into a Government Department. The Department had two divisions: one concerned with the collection of revenue and the other one with the execution of public works. The works branch was now headed at technical level. In 1824, Government Works and Repairs were put away from the Land Revenue Department and placed under a designated Director of Works and Repairs. In 1828, a Government fact-book lists the functions of the Office of Director Government Work and Repairs as follows:

1. The charge of all works carried on by the Government of Malta and Gozo
2. The maintenance and repair of Government property in towns and country, whether held on rent or otherwise
3. The repair of streets in towns and roads in the country; of the wharves common sewers and aqueducts.
4. The Director reports to the Government on the application of private proprietors to build or alter their houses, etc. in the cities, in order to prevent any inconvenience to the public, or to their neighbour, from such buildings or alteration.
5. The Director has charge of the Establishment of Civil Artificers and of the Government Stores and Workshops.

In 1830, the Government proposed that the Department of Government Works should be consolidated again with that of the Collector of Land Revenue, as an economy measure. The amalgamation was implemented between 1836 and 1838. Nevertheless, the separation of the two entities occurred again late in 1848 due to the fact that the Public Works Department was then embarking on substantial public works programme.

The wide-embracing structures of the old Public Works Department have been gradually diminished over the years. In the past, the Public Works Department was practically responsible for all infrastructural works in Malta and Gozo. The Public Works Department was there to be involved from the design stage to the projects’ execution. It was mainly in the early 1990’s that the most significant restructuring exercise was undertaken to downside the Department’s structures. As a result, various new government entities were created.