18th Parliament
Elected 28 September 1946 · first met 6 November 1946 · dissolved 31 October 1949
The changes below took effect from its election on 28 September 1946 to 9 December 1949, the day before the next election, so they count the work of the government it produced.
- Ben Chifley (Labor)
Changes
28
4 renamed from1 merged from2 absorbed14 split from4 took over functions from3 replaced
Departments of State
2 / 3
created / abolished
Other bodies
33 / 19
created / ended
Administrative Arrangements Orders
0
on the Federal Register, which holds few orders before 2001
The biggest reshuffle took effect on 1947, when 7 changes landed on one day.
Departments of State created (2)
- Department of Shipping and Fuel 1948–1950
- Department of Supply and Development 1948–1950
Departments of State abolished (3)
- Department of Munitions 1940–1948
- Department of Aircraft Production 1941–1946
- Department of Supply and Shipping 1942–1948
Other bodies created (33)
Show all 33 bodies created
- Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund 1947–present
- Australian School of Pacific Administration 1947–1973
- Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories 1947–1973
- Commonwealth Bureau of Dental Standards 1947–1973
- Division of National Mapping 1947–1987
- Ionospheric Prediction Service 1947–2007
- Joint Coal Board 1947–2002
- Joint Intelligence Bureau 1947–1969
- Long Range Weapons Establishment 1947–1955
- Qantas Empire Airways Limited 1947–1967
- Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund 1947–present
- Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund 1947–present
- Coal Industry Tribunal 1947–1995
- Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Certain Transactions of the Sydney Land Sales Control Office, and the Canberra Land Sales Control Office of the Treasury 1947
- Defence Signals Bureau 1947–1949
- Australian Antarctic Division 1948–present
- Australian Egg Board 1948–1985
- Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service 1948–2015
- Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Board 1948–1972
- Defence Research Laboratories 1948–1953
- Aeronautical Research Laboratories 1949–1994
- Australian Defence Scientific Service 1949–1974
- Australian Stevedoring Industry Board 1949–1956
- Australian Whaling Commission 1949–1956
- Christmas Island Phosphate Commission 1949–1981
- Defence Signals Branch 1949–1964
- Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into Certain Transactions in Relation to Timber Rights in the Territory of Papua-New Guinea 1949
- Australian Broadcasting Control Board 1949–1977
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 1949–present
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 1949–present
- Administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea 1949–1971
- Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority 1949–2002
- Supreme Court of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea 1949–1975
Other bodies ended (19)
Show all 19 bodies ended
- War Service Homes Commission 1919–1947
- Munitions Supply Laboratories 1922–1948
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 1926–1949
- Australian Barley Board 1939–1948
- Commonwealth Prices Branch 1939–1948
- Australian Hide and Leather Industries Board 1939–1948
- Shipping Control Board 1940–1947
- Wheat Industry Stabilization Board 1941–1948
- Acoustic Research Laboratory 1942–1947
- Australian Potato Committee 1942–1948
- Stevedoring Industry Commission 1942–1949
- War Damage Commission 1942–1948
- Commonwealth Disposals Commission 1944–1949
- Central Industrial Authority 1944–1947
- Commonwealth Coal Commissioner 1944–1949
- Papua-New Guinea Provisional Administration 1945–1949
- Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Certain Transactions of the Sydney Land Sales Control Office, and the Canberra Land Sales Control Office of the Treasury 1947
- Defence Signals Bureau 1947–1949
- Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into Certain Transactions in Relation to Timber Rights in the Territory of Papua-New Guinea 1949
Every change (28)
Show every change, day by day
16 March 1949
- Commonwealth Investigation Service part split off to form Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
15 March 1949
- Postmaster-General's Department part split off to form Australian Broadcasting Control Board
1949
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research part split off to form Aeronautical Research Laboratories
- Department of Supply and Development part split off to form Australian Defence Scientific Service
- Stevedoring Industry Commission replaced by Australian Stevedoring Industry Board
- Stevedoring Industry Commission functions transferred to Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
- Defence Signals Bureau renamed to Defence Signals Branch
- Commonwealth Disposals Commission absorbed into Department of Supply and Development
6 April 1948
- Department of Supply and Shipping part split off to form Department of Shipping and Fuel
- Department of Munitions merged into Department of Supply and Development
- Department of Supply and Shipping part split off to form Department of Supply and Development
1948
- Department of External Affairs part split off to form Australian Antarctic Division
- Wheat Industry Stabilization Board functions transferred to Australian Wheat Board
- Department of Social Services part split off to form Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service
- Munitions Supply Laboratories renamed to Defence Research Laboratories
12 November 1947
- Department of Defence part split off to form Defence Signals Bureau
1947
- Acoustic Research Laboratory renamed to Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories
- Australian Survey Office part split off to form Division of National Mapping
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research part split off to form Ionospheric Prediction Service
- Commonwealth Coal Commissioner part split off to form Joint Coal Board
- Department of Defence part split off to form Joint Intelligence Bureau
- Department of Munitions part split off to form Long Range Weapons Establishment
- Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited functions transferred to Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia)