Prime Minister's Department
1 July 1911 – 12 March 1971
The department serving the Prime Minister and Cabinet for six decades, which at times also handled external relations, the external territories, government shipping and a range of educational, cultural and Aboriginal affairs functions.
How it came into existence
Established on 1 July 1911 by the Fisher government to serve the Prime Minister, taking over that role from the Department of External Affairs, which had served Prime Ministers since 1901.
- Services to the Prime Minister
Changes during its life
- 13 April 1932The Administrative Arrangements Order of the Lyons government confirmed the department's responsibility for Nauru, New Guinea, Norfolk Island, Papua and shipping services to the territories.
- External relations and communications with the British and other governments
- Administration of Papua and Norfolk Island
The Administrative Arrangements Order signed on 11 December 1928 (gazetted 15 December) divided the external territories between the Prime Minister's Department and the Department of External Affairs, then administered within it; New Guinea and Nauru appear already to have been handled by these two departments under a 1923 order. The order of 13 April 1932 placed all the external territories under the Prime Minister's Department.
- Commonwealth Office of Education and Universities Commission
- External relations
- League of Nations matters
- Assisted immigration (migration office)
- Administration of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea
- Norfolk Island
- Nauru
- Education Division
- CSIRO
- Australian Universities Commission
- Australian National University
- Commonwealth Aboriginal affairs policy and support for the Council for Aboriginal Affairs
- Cabinet secretariat and servicing of Cabinet and its committees
How it ended
Merged with the Department of the Cabinet Office on 12 March 1971 by the McMahon government to form the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; its Aboriginal affairs and arts functions went to the new Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council.
- Policy advice and services to the Prime Minister
- Executive Council business
- Commonwealth–state relations
- Aboriginal affairs (Office of Aboriginal Affairs, Council for Aboriginal Affairs)
- The arts
- National Library and Commonwealth Archives Office
Main functions
- Advice and support to the Prime Minister
- Cabinet and Executive Council business
- External relations (1916–1921)
- Administration of the external territories: Papua, New Guinea, Norfolk Island and Nauru (to 1941)
- Commonwealth Government Line of Steamers (1916–1921)
- Education and science matters (until 1966)
- Aboriginal affairs and the arts (1967–1971)
Bodies in this portfolio (19)
- Office of the Public Service Commissioner 1902–1923
- Commonwealth Government Line of Steamers 1916–1921
- Counter Espionage Bureau 1916–1917
- Advisory Council of Science and Industry 1916–1920
- Special Intelligence Bureau 1917–1919
- Royal Commission on Java and the East Indies, Singapore and the Straits Settlements 1917–1918
- Royal Commission on Navy and Defence Administration 1917–1919
- Royal Commission on Public Service Administration 1918–1920
- Royal Commission upon the Public Expenditure of the Commonwealth of Australia with a View to Effecting Economies 1918–1921
- Royal Commission on the Taxation of Leasehold Estates in Crown Lands 1918–1919
- Royal Commission on Northern Territory Administration 1919–1920
- Royal Commission on the Basic Wage 1919–1920
- Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry 1920–1926
- Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board 1921–1933
- Development and Migration Commission 1926–1930
- Royal Commission on Certain Matters in connexion with the British Phosphate Commission 1926
- Canberra University College 1929–1960
- Universities Commission 1943–1959
- Commonwealth Office of Education 1945–1966
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 4 April 1912 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 16 November 1950 (sets it out)
2 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 22 September 1915 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 April 1932 (sets it out)
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.