16th Parliament
Elected 21 September 1940 · first met 20 November 1940 · dissolved 7 July 1943
The changes below took effect from its election on 21 September 1940 to 20 August 1943, the day before the next election, so they count the work of the government it produced.
- Robert Menzies (United Australia)
- Arthur Fadden (Country)
- John Curtin (Labor)
Changes
22
3 renamed from1 absorbed15 split from1 took over functions from2 replaced
Departments of State
10 / 4
created / abolished
Other bodies
32 / 6
created / ended
Administrative Arrangements Orders
0
on the Federal Register, which holds few orders before 2001
The biggest reshuffle took effect on 26 June 1941, 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 (10)
- Department of Labour and National Service 1940–1972
- Department of Aircraft Production 1941–1946
- Department of External Territories 1941–1951
- Department of Home Security 1941–1946
- Department of Transport 1941–1950
- Department of War Organisation of Industry 1941–1945
- Department of Defence 1942–present
- Department of Supply and Shipping 1942–1948
- Department of Commerce and Agriculture 1942–1956
- Department of Post-War Reconstruction 1942–1950
Departments of State abolished (4)
- Department of Industry 1928–1940
- Department of Commerce 1932–1942
- Department of Supply and Development 1939–1942
- Department of Defence Co-ordination 1939–1942
Other bodies created (32)
Show all 32 bodies created
- Australian Army Canteens Service 1941–1959
- Australian Shipbuilding Board 1941–1957
- Mineral Resources Survey 1941–1946
- Wheat Industry Stabilization Board 1941–1948
- Commonwealth Security Service 1941–1946
- Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Contract or Contracts with Abbco Bread Co. Pty. Limited for the Supply of Bread to the Department of the Army, and Other Matters 1941
- Commonwealth Coal Commissioner 1941–1942
- Royal Commission to Inquire into Circumstances under Which Certain Public Monies Were Used and to Whom, and for What Purposes Such Moneys Were Paid 1941
- Acoustic Research Laboratory 1942–1947
- Australian New Guinea Production Control Board 1942–1946
- Australian Potato Committee 1942–1948
- Manpower Directorate 1942–1946
- Munitions Filling Factory St Marys 1942–1989
- Ordnance Factory Bendigo 1942–1989
- Rationing Commission 1942–1950
- Stevedoring Industry Commission 1942–1949
- War Damage Commission 1942–1948
- Williamstown Naval Dockyard 1942–1988
- Women's Employment Board 1942–1944
- Allied Works Council 1942–1945
- Commonwealth Land Transport Board 1942–1946
- Commonwealth Coal Commission 1942–1944
- Commonwealth Marine Salvage Board 1942–1946
- Peace Officer Guard 1942–1960
- Explosives Factory Mulwala 1943–1989
- Royal Australian Navy Central Canteens Board 1943–present
- Tax Agents' Boards 1943–2010
- Universities Commission 1943–1959
- Commonwealth Housing Commission 1943–1944
- Commonwealth Food Control 1943–1946
- Royal Commission in the Matter of an Inquiry into a Statement that There Was a Document Missing from the Official Files in Relation to "The Brisbane Line" 1943
- Commonwealth Salvage Commission 1943–1950
Other bodies ended (6)
- Administration of the Territory of Papua 1906–1942
- Invalid and Old-Age Pensions Office 1909–1941
- Administration of the Territory of New Guinea 1921–1942
- Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Contract or Contracts with Abbco Bread Co. Pty. Limited for the Supply of Bread to the Department of the Army, and Other Matters 1941
- Commonwealth Coal Commissioner 1941–1942
- Royal Commission to Inquire into Circumstances under Which Certain Public Monies Were Used and to Whom, and for What Purposes Such Moneys Were Paid 1941
Every change (22)
Show every change, day by day
May 1943
- Department of Commerce and Agriculture part split off to form Commonwealth Food Control
1943
- Department of Munitions part split off to form Explosives Factory Mulwala
22 December 1942
- Department of Commerce renamed to Department of Commerce and Agriculture
- Department of Labour and National Service part split off to form Department of Post-War Reconstruction
17 October 1942
- Department of Supply and Development renamed to Department of Supply and Shipping
- Department of Commerce part split off to form Department of Supply and Shipping
6 May 1942
- Commonwealth Investigation Branch part split off to form Peace Officer Guard
February 1942
- Department of Transport part split off to form Commonwealth Land Transport Board
1942
- Department of Labour and National Service part split off to form Manpower Directorate
- Department of Munitions part split off to form Munitions Filling Factory St Marys
- Department of Munitions part split off to form Ordnance Factory Bendigo
26 June 1941
- Department of Supply and Development part split off to form Department of Aircraft Production
- Department of Munitions part split off to form Department of Aircraft Production
- Prime Minister's Department part split off to form Department of External Territories
- Department of the Interior part split off to form Department of Transport
March 1941
- Attorney-General's Department part split off to form Commonwealth Security Service
1941
- Department of the Treasury functions transferred to Department of Social Services
- Invalid and Old-Age Pensions Office absorbed into Department of Social Services
- Department of Supply and Development part split off to form Mineral Resources Survey