Treasury & financeDepartment of State
Department of Finance
7 December 1976 – 9 October 1997
Department of State responsible for preparing the Commonwealth budget and controlling expenditure, government accounting and financial management, and Commonwealth superannuation.
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 7 December 1976, when the Fraser government divided the Department of the Treasury; it took the budget, expenditure, accounting and financial administration functions, while the Treasury kept economic policy. Eric Robinson was the first Minister for Finance.
- Budget and expenditure control
- Government accounting
- Financial administration
- Commonwealth superannuation
Changes during its life
- Program budgeting
- Management improvement programs
- Classification
- Whole-of-government information technology policy
Created as an office within the Department of Finance.
- Asset sales
How it ended
Merged with the Department of Administrative Services on 9 October 1997 to form the Department of Finance and Administration.
- Budget and expenditure
- Financial management
- Government business enterprises and asset sales
- Superannuation
Main functions
- Budget preparation, forward estimates and expenditure control
- Government accounting and financial reporting
- Financial management of Commonwealth agencies and administration of the Audit Act 1901
- Commonwealth employee superannuation
- Financial oversight of government business enterprises
- Asset sales (from 1996)
Bodies in this portfolio (4)
- Superannuation Fund Investment Trust 1976–1990
- Commonwealth Funds Management Limited 1991–1996
- Office of Government Information Technology 1995–1997
- Office of Asset Sales 1996–1997
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 11 March 1983 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 11 March 1996 (sets it out)