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Robert Crichton Wyllie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1845-1865, was the first government official to recognize the need to preserve the government’s records. His efforts lead to the passing of a resolution in 1847 ordering all the Chiefs to collect any papers and letters they may possess, pertaining to the government and to the Chiefs, and send them in to the minister of foreign affairs for examination. These records today form the nucleus of the collection in the Public Archives.

Various actions, including legislative appropriations, were attempted to provide for the arrangement and preservation of government records. After Hawaii became a Territory of the United States, there was a concern that Federal officials would transfer Hawaiian government records to Washington D.C., so the territorial legislature appropriated funds for a dedicated archives building in 1903.

In 1905, Governor George R. Carter urged the legislature to consider the problem of caring for the public archives. Act 24 was enacted creating the Board of Commissioner of Public Archives for the Territory of Hawaii. Appointed by the Governor, with Senate approval, the three-member board served without pay.

Under the Board, two archives buildings were built, in 1906 (now named the Kanaina building and commonly referred to as the "old archives building"), and in 1953 (now the State Archives and named the Kekauluohi building). The State Reorganization Act of 1959 abolished the Board of Commissioners and placed the Archives in the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) under the State Comptroller.

There were only five archivists during the Board's 54 year existence, 1905-1959.
The archivists were:
-Robert Colfax Lydecker (1905-1924)
-Albert Pierce Taylor (1924-1931)
-Charles Edward Hogue (1931, 3 months)
-Stella Maude Jones (1931-1955)
-Agnes Catherine Conrad (1955-1959; who became State Archivist 1960-1982).

Article 95 of the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii merged Crown Lands and Government Lands to create Public Lands. The Land Act of 1895 created a board of commissioners of public lands to control and manage the newly created public lands.

The duties of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands were assumed by the Commissioner of Public Lands as provided for in section 73 of the Hawaiian Organic Act of 1900.

The Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles was authorized by the second act of Kamehameha III, passed by the Hawaiian Legislature on December 10, 1845. On February 6, 1846, the Minister of the Interior in Privy Council appointed and commissioned five members to the Land Commission. On August 20, 1846, the board issued the "Principles Adopted by the Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles in their Adjudication of Claims Presented to Them." The Principles were approved by the Legislature by resolution on October 26, 1846.

The Land Commission dissolved on March 31, 1855. The function of issuing patents upon confirmation of land commission passed on to the following Hawaiian government agencies: Minister of the Interior. Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Land Management Division upon approval by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

The Board of Cosmetology was formerly known as the Board of Beauty Culture and was established on July 5, 1929.

The Board of Dental Examiners was established on December 19, 1892.

In 1855 the office of Minister was replaced by the Board of Education, whose members were appointed by the King, and the department was named the Department of Public Instruction. The Board of Education was headed by a President, who acted as the Board's chief executive officer.
The President and Board administered the system through school agents, who in 1855 were stationed in 24 school districts throughout the Kingdom. The school agents worked semi independently with the primary responsibility in the districts to hire, pay, transfer and evaluate teachers; and build and maintain the buildings and grounds of the schools. In addition, they conducted the population census and disbursed funds allotted to them by the district tax collectors. The school agents were required to report regularly to the Board on their accomplishments and on their observations of teaching effectiveness and student attendance in the schools. There developed a steady stream of reports and correspondence between the districts and the Board of Education in Honolulu during the nineteenth century.
In 1865 the office of Inspector General of schools was created to improve the quality of instruction. The Inspector- General toured the districts, inspected and supervised, and reported his findings to the Board in Honolulu. Upon authorization of the Board, he examined, certificated, appointed, dismissed, and transferred teachers; modified courses of instruction; and opened or closed schools as the population count dictated.
In 1896, Act 57 provided for a significant reorganization of the educational establishment. The Board of Education, which was subordinate to the Minister of the Interior, and had administered public education since 1855. was replaced by a Department of Public Instruction headed by a Minister. as chief administrative officer, and six commissioners.

Created August 9, 1880, with the approval or Act 7, Laws or 1880. Purpose of the Board was clarified by Act 21, Laws of 1882, approved August 3, 1882. Abolished by Act 3, Laws of 1887, approved November.21, 1887. Original Board members were: Virginia Poomaikelani, President; Manu Kahunaaiole, Consultant; and J. A. Nahaku, Secretary, all commissioned February 4, 1882. Others who served as Board members were: F. H. Austin and F. L. Clark, commissioned February 16, 1887, and Joseph Liwai, Secretary, commissioned March 7, 1887. Rules of' the Board were approved by the Mōʻī (King) in Cabinet Council, March 29, 1882.

Originally, records of shipping and harbor affairs, dating from 1842, were kept by the Harbormaster under the Ministry of the Interior, and later by the Collector General of Customs under the Ministry of Finance. With the establishment of the Territory through the Organic Act of 1900, the duties relating to "streets and highways, harbor improvements, wharves, landings, waterworks, etc." passed to the Superintendent of Public Works.

On July 1, 1911, Act 163 transferred all the functions of the Superintendent of Public Works dealing with the ports and harbors to an independent Board of Harbor Commissioners "to control and manage the harbors, ports, docks, wharves and shipping throughout the Territory." It consisted of five members, the Chairman (who acted as Chief Engineer) being the Superintendent of Public Works, and the other four appointed by the governor. In 1951, Act 22 amended this to seven members, the Chairman again being the Superintendent of Public works.

When Hawaii attained statehood in 1959, the resultant reordering of the government placed the Board of Harbor Commissioners under the Department of Transportation. The composition of the Board remained the same with the exception that the Director of Transportation then became its Chairman.

On July 1, 1961, the Board of Harbor Commissioners was abolished and in its place the Department of Transportation organized a Commission on Transportation, consisting originally of nine members and later eleven members, to advise the Director of Transportation on pertinent matters.

Harbormasters: Honolulu Harbor
1820 - 1841 Alexander Adams
1841 - December 31, 1842 Stephen Reynolds
January 1, 1843 - August 19, 1846 William Paty
September 4, 1846 - January 20, 1849 D. P. Penhallow
January 22 - July 5, 1849 James Smith
July 6, 1849 - March 1853 Joseph Maughan
September 30, 1853 - October 7, 1862 H.J.H. Holdsworth
October 8, 1862 - December 31, 1873 John Meek
January 1, 1874 - September 11, 1879 Daniel Smith
September 11, 1879 - March 1909 Andrew Fuller
March 1909 - (d. Mar. 1911) William A. Clark
to October 1911 A.N. Tripp
to 1931 W.R. Foster
1932 - 1941 James L. Friel
1941 - 1945 Frank K. Unterman (Acting)
1945 - 1950 or 51 James L. Friel
195 - A.W.P. Jensen