Department of External Territories

Created on 26 June 1941 by an Administrative Arrangements Order made during the third Menzies ministry. It took over the administration of the external territories from the territories branch of the Prime Minister's Department, which had administered Papua and Norfolk Island since the Department of Home and Territories was abolished in December 1928.

1. February 1942Civil administration in Papua and New Guinea was suspended after the Japanese advance, and the territories came under military administration until civil government was progressively restored from October 1945.

Abolished on 11 May 1951 when the fifth Menzies ministry took office; its territories passed to the new Department of Territories under Paul Hasluck, which also took over the Northern Territory from the Department of the Interior.

• Administration of the Territory of Papua
• Administration of the Territory of New Guinea (League of Nations mandate, then United Nations trust territory)
• Norfolk Island
• Nauru, administered by Australia for Britain, Australia and New Zealand
• Restoration of civil administration in Papua and New Guinea after the war (Provisional Administration from 1945)
• The combined Territory of Papua and New Guinea under the Papua and New Guinea Act 1949

• Administration of the Territory of Papua 1906–1942
• Administration of the Territory of New Guinea 1921–1942
• Australian New Guinea Production Control Board 1942–1946
• Papua-New Guinea Provisional Administration 1945–1949

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Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.