Office of Aboriginal Affairs
OAA
1967 – 19 December 1972
Small Commonwealth office that advised the minister responsible for Aboriginal affairs, serviced the Council for Aboriginal Affairs and administered the Commonwealth's first national Aboriginal programs after the 1967 referendum.
How it came into existence
Set up by the Holt government in 1967 within the Prime Minister's Department, following the referendum of 27 May 1967 that allowed the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people; Barrie Dexter was its director.
- Commonwealth Aboriginal affairs policy and support for the Council for Aboriginal Affairs
Changes during its life
- 12 March 1971Moved with the Aboriginal affairs and arts functions from the Prime Minister's Department to the new Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council.
- 31 May 1971Its parent department was renamed the Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts.
How it ended
Became the nucleus of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 December 1972.
- Aboriginal affairs policy and advice
- Commonwealth Aboriginal advancement programs
The Office of Aboriginal Affairs became the core of the new department.
Main functions
- Advice to the Minister in Charge of Aboriginal Affairs
- Secretariat for the Council for Aboriginal Affairs
- Grants to the states for Aboriginal housing, health and education
- Capital Fund for Aboriginal Enterprises
- Coordination of Commonwealth Aboriginal programs
Where it sits
Last in the portfolio of Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts.
Lineage
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Sources
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.