Department of Transport
19 December 1972 – 7 May 1982
Previously Department of Shipping and Transport (1951–1972).
Department of State responsible for Commonwealth transport policy: shipping and navigation, roads and road safety, railways and, from November 1973, civil aviation.
Names over time
- Department of Fuel, Shipping and Transport1950–1951
- Department of Shipping and Transport1951–1972
- Department of Transport1972–1982
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 December 1972, when the Department of Shipping and Transport was renamed by the Whitlam government, with Charles Jones as Minister for Transport and Minister for Civil Aviation. The Department of Civil Aviation was absorbed into it on 30 November 1973.
- Shipping and navigation
- Roads
- Railways
- Transport policy
Changes during its life
- Civil aviation regulation and airline policy
- Airports and air navigation services
- Road safety
- Vehicle safety standards
Start year and exact date of establishment not confirmed.
- Materials handling
- Approval of domestic air fares
How it ended
Abolished on 7 May 1982 by the Fraser government. Its land and sea transport functions went to the new Department of Transport and Construction and civil aviation to the new Department of Aviation.
- Civil aviation regulation and airline policy
- Airports and air navigation services
- Shipping and navigation
- Roads
- Railways
- Transport planning
Main functions
- Shipping, navigation, lighthouses and marine safety
- Civil aviation, airports and air navigation (from 1973)
- Roads funding and road safety
- Railways, including Commonwealth Railways and the Australian National Railways Commission
- Transport economics research (Bureau of Transport Economics)
- Motor vehicle safety and design standards
Bodies in this portfolio (4)
- Commonwealth Railways 1917–1975
- Australian Coastal Shipping Commission 1956–1974
- Commonwealth Bureau of Roads 1965–1977
- Road Safety and Standards Authority 1975–1976
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 December 1972 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 22 December 1975 (sets it out)