40th Parliament
Elected 10 November 2001 · first met 12 February 2002 · dissolved 31 August 2004
The changes below took effect from its election on 10 November 2001 to 8 October 2004, the day before the next election, so they count the work of the government it produced.
- John Howard (Liberal)
Changes
55
12 renamed from14 merged from3 absorbed10 split from11 took over functions from5 replaced
Departments of State
5 / 6
created / abolished
Other bodies
30 / 40
created / ended
Administrative Arrangements Orders
2
made in the period
The biggest reshuffle took effect on 1 July 2004, when 16 changes landed on one day.
What was happening
- War in Afghanistan · 7 October 2001 to 30 June 2021 · Australian involvement, from the first commitment of forces to the withdrawal of the last troops. (War or armed conflict)
- Iraq War · 20 March 2003 to 31 July 2009 · From the invasion to the end of Operation Catalyst, Australia’s military commitment. (War or armed conflict)
Departments of State created (5)
Departments of State abolished (6)
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 1996–2001
- Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs 1998–2001
- Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business 1998–2001
- Department of Health and Aged Care 1998–2001
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources 1998–2001
- Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 2001
Other bodies created (30)
Show all 30 bodies created
- Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 2001–2004
- Australian Public Service Commission 2002–present
- Venture Capital Registration Board 2002–2007
- Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee 2002–2018
- Snowy Hydro Limited 2002–present
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand 2002–present
- Building Industry Taskforce 2002–2005
- Australian Crime Commission 2003–present
- Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation 2003–present
- Council for Australian-Arab Relations 2003–present
- Inspector-General of Taxation 2003–present
- Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force 2003–present
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services 2003–2004
- National Blood Authority 2003–present
- Australian Heritage Council 2004–present
- National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership 2004–2005
- National Transport Commission 2004–present
- Department of Parliamentary Services 2004–present
- Australian Government Information Management Office 2004–2015
- Royal Commission to Inquire into the Centenary House Lease 2004
- Auditing and Assurance Standards Board 2004–present
- Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority 2004–present
- Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission 2004–2026
- National Measurement Institute 2004–present
- Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination 2004–2008
- Tourism Australia 2004–present
- Tourism Research Australia 2004–present
- Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Ltd 2004–2008
- ASC Pty Ltd 2004–present
- Office for Women 2004–present
Other bodies ended (40)
Show all 40 bodies ended
- Department of the Parliamentary Library 1901–2004
- Department of the Parliamentary Reporting Staff 1901–2004
- Joint House Department 1901–2004
- National Measurement Laboratory 1938–2004
- Joint Coal Board 1947–2002
- Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority 1949–2002
- National Standards Commission 1950–2004
- Australian Tourist Commission 1967–2004
- Australian Government Analytical Laboratories 1973–2004
- Australian Heritage Commission 1975–2004
- Australian Dairy Corporation 1975–2003
- Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence 1981–2003
- Office of the Status of Women 1983–2004
- National Crime Authority 1984–2003
- Australian Protective Service 1984–2004
- Australian Submarine Corporation Pty Ltd 1985–2004
- Dairy Research and Development Corporation 1986–2003
- Bureau of Tourism Research 1987–2004
- Companies and Securities Advisory Committee 1991–2002
- National Rail Corporation Limited 1991–2002
- National Road Transport Commission 1991–2004
- Pooled Development Funds Registration Board 1992–2002
- National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals 1993–2004
- Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory 1994–2002
- Office of Strategic Crime Assessments 1994–2003
- Public Service and Merit Protection Commission 1995–2002
- Australia New Zealand Food Authority 1996–2002
- National Office for the Information Economy 1997–2004
- AusInfo 1997–2004
- Employment National Limited 1998–2003
- Bankstown Airport Limited 1998–2003
- Camden Airport Limited 1998–2003
- Hoxton Park Airport Limited 1998–2003
- Sydney Airports Corporation Limited 1998–2002
- ScreenSound Australia 1999–2003
- Enterprise and Career Education Foundation 2001–2004
- Royal Commission into HIH Insurance 2001–2003
- Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry 2001–2003
- Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 2001–2004
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services 2003–2004
Administrative Arrangements Orders made
- Order of 26 November 2001 · Federal Register of Legislation
- Order of 18 December 2003 · Federal Register of Legislation
Every change (55)
Show every change, day by day
1 July 2004
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Attorney-General's Department
- Australian Protective Service absorbed into Australian Federal Police
- National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals renamed to Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Department of Family and Community Services
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Department of the Environment and Heritage
- National Standards Commission merged into National Measurement Institute
- National Measurement Laboratory merged into National Measurement Institute
- Australian Government Analytical Laboratories merged into National Measurement Institute
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services functions transferred to Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
- Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs merged into Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services part split off to form Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
- Australian Tourist Commission merged into Tourism Australia
- Bureau of Tourism Research merged into Tourism Australia
- Bureau of Tourism Research replaced by Tourism Research Australia
1 July 2003
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission part split off to form Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services
- Australian Dairy Corporation functions transferred to Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Department of Health and Ageing part split off to form National Blood Authority
2003
- ScreenSound Australia absorbed into Australian Film Commission
- Department of Defence part split off to form Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force
October 2002
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations part split off to form Building Industry Taskforce
26 November 2001
- Department of Defence functions transferred to Attorney-General's Department
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources functions transferred to Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
- Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs renamed to Department of Education, Science and Training
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources part split off to form Department of Education, Science and Training
- Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business renamed to Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
- Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs functions transferred to Department of Family and Community Services
- Department of Health and Aged Care renamed to Department of Health and Ageing
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs renamed to Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
- Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs merged into Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources renamed to Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
- Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business part split off to form Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
- Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs replaced by Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs