For 140 years the Premier's Department and its predecessors have been at the heart of the government of Queensland. Its activities may have been invisible, its influence unrecognised and its officials anonymous, but the department has nevertheless had a substantial impact on the state.Premiers are the public figures, the heads of the government, but they do not act alone. They need advice on what policy to adopt, and assistance in running the Cabinet and the state. They need that support in times of peace and war and over all areas of policy as they deal with their colleagures, their federal counterparts, and international politicians, public servants and business people."The Engine Room of Government" sheds a bright light on those once anonymous officials who have served the government. From attempted assassination to near mutiny, from running a radio station to organising an air wing, from conservation issues to Expo, this fascinating history tells us what went on behind the scenes and shows how the administration of the state really worked.This is the first time such a history has been written in any Australian state. It is a tribute to those once invisible servants who worked in the shadows with dedication and intelligence. And it reveals in a lively and entertaining way why the Premier's Department has been the engine room of government.

Dr. Joanne Scott teaches Australian history and Australian studies at the University of the Sunshine Coast.