Department of Supply
16 March 1950 – 12 June 1974
Previously Department of Supply and Development (1948–1950).
Department of State responsible for defence procurement and stores, defence research and development including the Woomera rocket range, and, except between 1951 and 1958, the government munitions and aircraft factories.
Names over time
- Department of Supply and Development1948–1950
- Department of Supply1950–1974
How it came into existence
Formed on 16 March 1950 from the Department of Supply and Development, renamed when its mineral resources functions passed to the new Department of National Development; Howard Beale was minister from 1950 to 1958.
- Defence supply and procurement
- Defence research and development
- Government factories
Changes during its life
- Munitions and aircraft production
- Government factories
- Antarctic Division (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions)
Year of the move from External Affairs to Supply from secondary knowledge; it may have been in 1968 or 1969. The division passed to the Department of Science in December 1972.
- Winding up of the Commonwealth Salvage Commission
- Munitions production
- Aircraft production
- Government factories
- Antarctic Division
The Antarctic Division had been in the Supply portfolio since 1968 and moved to this department on 19 December 1972.
How it ended
Abolished on 12 June 1974. Its defence research and development functions passed to the Department of Defence, forming part of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, and the government factories and remaining supply functions were merged with the Department of Secondary Industry into the Department of Manufacturing Industry.
- Defence research and development (Australian Defence Scientific Service)
- Government factories
- Defence production
- Government purchasing
- Stores and transport
Main functions
- Procurement of defence stores and equipment
- Defence research and development (Australian Defence Scientific Service)
- Woomera rocket range and the Anglo-Australian Joint Project
- Weapons Research Establishment at Salisbury
- Government munitions and aircraft factories (1950–1951 and 1958–1974)
- Operation of space tracking stations in Australia for NASA
- Antarctic Division and the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (1968–1972)
Bodies in this portfolio (3)
- Australian Aluminium Production Commission 1944–1960
- Long Range Weapons Establishment 1947–1955
- Defence Research Laboratories 1948–1953
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 16 November 1950 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 December 1972 (sets it out)
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.