Wikipedia

Department of National Development (Australia)

The Department of National Development was an Australian government department that existed between March 1950 and December 1972, and between December 1977 and December 1979.

Department of National Development
Department overview
Formed16 March 1950[1]
Preceding Department
Dissolved19 December 1972[1]
JurisdictionCommonwealth of Australia
Department executives
Department overview
Formed20 December 1977[3]
Preceding Department
Dissolved8 December 1979[3]
Superseding Department
JurisdictionCommonwealth of Australia
HeadquartersAustralian Capital Territory
Minister responsible
Department executive

History

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The Department of National Development was established in March 1950, with Richard Casey, Baron Casey as its Minister. Media reported that the new Department would plan for the supply of basic commodities, promote decentralisation and regional development and plan for the development of primary and manufacturing industries and the stimulation of housing construction.[4]

By 1969, the Department consisted of five divisions: the resources policy division; the northern development division; the Bureau of Mineral Resources; the Forestry and Timber Bureau; and the division of national mapping.[5]

The Department was one of six abolished by the Whitlam government in December 1972.[6] It functions were split between four new departments, namely the Department of Environment and Conservation, the Department of Minerals and Energy and the Department of Northern Development, as well as two established departments—the Department of Works and the Department of Primary Industry.[1]

The department was created for the second time on 20 December 1977, by the Fraser government, before it was abolished two years later in 8 December 1979.[3]

Scope

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Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports.

At its first creation, the Department was responsible for the following:[1]

  • Survey of immediate shortages in basic commodities and planning of improvements by increased production or import
  • Promotion of decentralisation and regional development throughout the Commonwealth and the Territories of the Commonwealth
  • Surveys of natural resources and development
  • Planning the development of national resources generally, and in particular the development of primary and manufacturing industries and the stimulation of housing and building construction
  • Administration of Commonwealth-State Housing Agreements
  • Development planning in conjunction with the various States and, where necessary, co-ordination of such development planning, including the investigation of such national works as are referred to the Department by the Government
  • In conjunction with Treasury and other interested Departments, to make arrangements with the respective States and Other Governmental authorities with regard to the cost and execution of development projects
  • To control funds required for the approved programme of development work

At its second creation in 1979, the Department was responsible for the following:[3]

  • National energy planning and research
  • Minerals exploration and resource assessment
  • Water resources and electricity
  • Geodesy and mapping
  • Decentralisation

Structure

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The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for National Development.[1] In order of appointment, the Department's Ministers were: Richard Casey, Bill Spooner, David Fairbairn, Reginald Swartz and Lance Barnard,[1] and Kevin Newman between 1977 and 1979.[3] The Secretary of the Department was A.J. Woods.[3]

List of national development ministers

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Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 John Dedman Labor Curtin Minister for Postwar Reconstruction 2 February 1945 6 July 1945 4 years, 320 days
Forde 6 July 1945 13 July 1945
Chifley 13 July 1945 19 December 1949
2 Eric Harrison   Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 17 March 1950 88 days
3 Richard Casey   Minister for National Development 17 March 1950 11 May 1951 1 year, 55 days
4 Bill Spooner   11 May 1951 10 June 1964 13 years, 30 days
5 David Fairbairn   10 June 1964 21 January 1966 5 years, 155 days
  Holt 26 January 1966 19 December 1967
  McEwen 19 December 1967 10 January 1968
  Gorton 10 January 1968 12 November 1969
6 Reginald Swartz   12 November 1969 10 March 1971 3 years, 23 days
  McMahon 10 March 1971 5 December 1972
7 Lance Barnard Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 19 December 1972 14 days
8 Rex Patterson Minister for Northern Development 19 December 1972 11 November 1975 2 years, 327 days
9 Kevin Newman   Liberal Fraser Minister for National Development 20 December 1977 8 December 1979 1 year, 353 days
10 John Carrick   Minister for National Development and Energy 8 December 1979 11 March 1983 3 years, 93 days

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "CA 56: Department of National Development [I], Central Office", National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 February 2021
  2. ^ Mitcham, Chad J."Sir Robert Gillman Jackson (1911-1991)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "CA 2475: Department of National Development [II], Central Office", National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 February 2021
  4. ^ "National Development: New Department gazette". Kalgoorlie Miner. WA. 21 March 1950. p. 5.
  5. ^ Juddery, Bruce (19 November 1969). "Sitting on a gold mine: Bruce Juddery looks at what could become of the Department of National Development". The Canberra Times. ACT. p. 2.
  6. ^ "Portfolios announced". The Canberra Times. ACT. 19 December 1972. p. 1.
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