The secretarial work of university boards and committees was initially carried out by members of the Registrar’s Academic Branch. The first Secretary to Council was appointed to the Registrar’s staff in October 1962. In 1965 by an amendment to statute 3.5 of the Monash University Act 1958, the responsibilities for institutional recordkeeping (formerly assigned to the Registrar) were divided between the two new positions of Academic Registrar and Comptroller. The Comptroller, through the Council Secretariat, became responsible for the secretarial work of all non-academic boards and committees, while the Academic Registrar, continued to be responsible for academic boards and committees. In 1986 as part of a second major restructuring of the university’s central administration, a single University Secretariat was created within the Registrar’s Office. [Formalised by Council at meeting 8/90, ref. Item 4.3.] The new Secretariat encompassed both the former Council and Academic Secretariats under the direction of the head of the former Council Secretariat and became responsible for the records of Council, Committee of Deans and Professorial Board, and their committees. In 1993 the University Secretariat became part of the newly created Academic Services Section reporting to the Academic Registrar. After the position of Academic Registrar was abolished in 1997 the reporting line for the Manager of the Secretariat was changed to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning). The responsibilities for Executive Services (1997 onwards) include: executive support to Council, Academic Board and key university committees, management of elections to Council, Academic Board and other university committees, governance research and advice including policies, procedures, university statutes and regulations, external agency enquiries, statutory compliance with the Monash University Act 2000, the Monash University Statute and Regulation, Freedom of Information (FOI), managing Committee Calendar dates and management of Monash entry in the Commonwealth Universities' Yearbook
In 2003, the reporting line was changed to Office of President and Vice-Chancellor and the title of the head of Executive Services changed to Director, Executive Services and Secretary to Council.
In 2012, Executive Services became part of the renamed Office of Vice-Chancellor and President Group.
In 2025, Executive Services was renamed Group Governance Services.
