15th Parliament
Elected 23 October 1937 · first met 30 November 1937 · dissolved 27 August 1940
The changes below took effect from its election on 23 October 1937 to 20 September 1940, the day before the next election, so they count the work of the government it produced.
- Joseph Lyons (United Australia)
- Earle Page (Country)
- Robert Menzies (United Australia)
Changes
19
2 renamed from2 merged from2 absorbed11 split from2 replaced
Departments of State
11 / 3
created / abolished
Other bodies
17 / 11
created / ended
Administrative Arrangements Orders
0
on the Federal Register, which holds few orders before 2001
The biggest reshuffle took effect on 13 November 1939, when 4 changes landed on one day.
What was happening
- Second World War · 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945 · From the declaration of war on Germany to the Japanese surrender. (War or armed conflict)
Departments of State created (11)
- Department of Civil Aviation 1938–1973
- Department of Works 1938–1939
- Department of Social Services 1939–1972
- Department of Supply and Development 1939–1942
- Department of the Interior 1939–1972
- Department of Information 1939–1950
- Department of Air 1939–1973
- Department of Defence Co-ordination 1939–1942
- Department of the Army 1939–1973
- Department of the Navy 1939–1973
- Department of Munitions 1940–1948
Departments of State abolished (3)
- Department of Defence 1921–1939
- Department of the Interior 1932–1939
- Department of Works 1938–1939
Other bodies created (17)
Show all 17 bodies created
- Australian Apple and Pear Board 1938–1974
- Australian Canned Fruits Board 1938–1979
- Australian Capital Territory Police 1938–1979
- National Capital Planning and Development Committee 1938–1958
- National Insurance Commission 1938–1939
- National Measurement Laboratory 1938–2004
- Royal Commission on Doctors' Remuneration for National Insurance Service and Other Contract Practice 1938
- Australian Barley Board 1939–1948
- Commonwealth Prices Branch 1939–1948
- Native Affairs Branch 1939–1954
- Royal Commission Regarding the Contract for the Erection of Additions to the General Post Office, Sydney 1939
- Australian Wheat Board 1939–1999
- Central Wool Committee 1939–1945
- Australian Hide and Leather Industries Board 1939–1948
- Australian News and Information Bureau 1940–1973
- Commonwealth Liquid Fuel Control Board 1940–1950
- Shipping Control Board 1940–1947
Other bodies ended (11)
- Aboriginals Department 1911–1939
- Cinema and Photographic Branch 1913–1940
- Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board 1920–1939
- Munitions Supply Board 1921–1940
- Canned Fruits Control Board 1926–1938
- Federal Capital Territory Police 1927–1938
- Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia 1935–1940
- Civil Aviation Board 1936–1938
- National Insurance Commission 1938–1939
- Royal Commission on Doctors' Remuneration for National Insurance Service and Other Contract Practice 1938
- Royal Commission Regarding the Contract for the Erection of Additions to the General Post Office, Sydney 1939
Every change (19)
Show every change, day by day
11 June 1940
- Department of Supply and Development part split off to form Department of Munitions
- Munitions Supply Board absorbed into Department of Munitions
1940
- Department of Information part split off to form Australian News and Information Bureau
13 November 1939
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of Air
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of Defence Co-ordination
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of the Army
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of the Navy
26 April 1939
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of Supply and Development
- Department of the Interior merged into Department of the Interior
- Department of Works merged into Department of the Interior
1939
- Department of Trade and Customs part split off to form Commonwealth Prices Branch
- Aboriginals Department replaced by Native Affairs Branch
24 November 1938
- Department of Defence part split off to form Department of Civil Aviation
- Civil Aviation Board replaced by Department of Civil Aviation
- Department of the Interior part split off to form Department of Works