The Department of Home and Territories was created on 14 November 1916 and notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 30, 22 February 1917. It took half of its functions from the Department of Home Affairs [I] (CA 8) which was abolished on that date, these being astronomy, census and statistics, elections, franchise, lands and surveys, meteorology, and seat of government. The remaining functions came from the Department of External Affairs [I] (CA 7) which was also abolished on 14 November 1916.
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 December 1916, notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 188, 21 December 1916 lists the matters dealt with by the Department of Home and Territories as:
 
 Astronomy
 Census and Statistics
 Elections
 Franchise
 Immigration and Emigration
 Influx of Criminals
 Lands and Surveys
 Meteorology
 Naturalization and Aliens
 Pearl Shelling and Trepang fisheries in Australian waters beyond
  Territorial limits
 People of races (other than the aboriginal races in any State) for
  whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws
 Seat of government
 Territories forming part of the Commonwealth
 
The following changes in responsibility were notified in the
Administrative Arrangements Order of 18 July 1918, notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 105, 18 July 1918. The Department of Home and Territories gained responsibility for:
 
 Papua,
 and administration of the Papua Act 1905
 
from the Prime Minister's Department. Home and Territories lost responsibility for the:
 
 River Murray Commission (CA 246)
 and administration of the River Murray Waters Act 1915
 
to the Department of Works and Railways (CA 14). Home and Territories also gained the function of:
 
 Passports
 
from the Prime Minister's Department (CA 12).
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 15 March 1923, notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 19, 5 March 1923, lists the following changes in the responsibilities of the Department of Home and Territories. The Department gained responsibility for:
 
 Australian War Museum
 Commonwealth Literary Fund
 Indentured Coloured Labour
 Norfolk Island
 Northern Territory
 0il
 
In the same order, the Department lost some immigration functions to the Prime Minister's Department (CA 12).
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 2 July 1925, notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette no 53, 2 July 1925, lists the following changes in the responsibilities of the Department of Home and Territories. The Department gained responsibility for:
 
 Actuarial matters
 Cotton research
 Forestry
 Geodesy
 Immigration restriction
 National Museum of Australian Zoology
 0il investigation
 Properties (transferred and acquired)
 Rental of buildings for Commonwealth purposes
 Solar observatory
 
The Department gained responsibility for the following functions, transferred from the Prime Minister's Department (CA 12):
 
 Pacific Islands Mail Services
 Territory of New Guinea
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 5 November 1925, notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 94, 5 November 1925, lists the following changes in responsibility of the Department of Home and Territories. The Department lost responsibility for:
 
 Geodesy
 Lands and Surveys
 Properties, transferred and acquired
 Rental of buildings for Commonwealth purposes
 
These functions were transferred to the Department of Works and Railways (CA 14).
 
The Acts administered by the Department of Home and  Territories as listed in the Administrative Arrangements Order of 5 November l925 were:
 
 Australian War Memorial Act 1925
 Census and Statistics Act 1905 - 1920
 Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 - 1925
 Contract Immigrants Act 1905
 Emigration Act 1910
 Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915
 Meteorology Act 1906
 Nationality Act 1920 - 1925
 New Guinea Act 1920
 Norfolk Island Act 1913
 Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910 - 1919
 Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910 
 Northern Territory Representation Act 1922 - 1925
 Papua Act 1905 - 1924
 Passports Act 1920
 Referendum (Constitution Alteration) Act 1906 - 1919
 Representation Act 1905 - 1916
 Seat of Government Act 1908
 Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910
 Seat of Government (Acceptance) Act 1922
 Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1924
 Senate Elections Act 1903 - 1922
 Statistical Bureau (Tasmania) Act 1924
 War Census Act 1915 - 1916
 Zoological Museum Agreement Act 1924
 
The functions of the Department as outlined in that Administrative Arrangements Order were:
 
 Actuarial matters
 Astronomy
 Australian War Memorial
 Census and Statistics
 Commonwealth Literary Fund
 Cotton research
 Elections
 Forestry
 Franchise
 Immigration Restriction
 Indentured Coloured Labour
 Meteorology
 National Museum of Australian Zoology
 Naturalization
 New Guinea
 Norfolk Island
 Northern Territory
 0il investigation
 0il Prospecting - Encouragement of
 Pacific Islands Mail Services
 Papua
 Passports
 Pearl Shelling and Trepang Fisheries in Australian waters  beyond
  Territorial limits
 People of races (other than the aboriginal races in any state) for
  whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws
 Prospecting for precious metals - Assistance for
 Seat of Government
 Solar Observatory

In February 1928, the Department of Health (CA 17) inherited the National Museum of Australian Zoology from the Department of Home and Territories, a function which had not appeared in the preceding Administrative Arrangements Order.  On 10 December 1928 the Department of Home and Territories was renamed the Department of Home Affairs [II] (CA 24) (notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 136 of 13 December 1928).  The control of the Repatriation Commission inherited from the Department of Defence [II] (CA 19) in 1927 went to the Department of Health.  All other functions were assumed by the Department of Home Affairs [II] (CA 24).

It should be noted that the Department of Home and Territories was established on 14 November 1916, but its creation was not formally notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette until 22 February 1917 (Gazette No 30).  It appears that the Department was established retrospectively;  although in the Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 December 1916 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 188, 21 December 1916) the Order lists the Department of Home and Territories, prior to the Gazettal of 22 February 1917.
 
The Ministers for Home and Territories were:
 
14 Nov 1916 - 17 Feb 1917   : Hon Frederick William Bamford
17 Feb 1917 -  3 Feb 1920   : Hon Patrick McMahon Glynn
 4 Feb 1920 - 21 Dec 1921   : Hon Alexander Poynton
21 Dec 1921 - 18 Jun 1926   : Senator the Hon George Foster Pierce
18 Jun 1926 -  2 Apr 1927   : Senator the Hon Sir Thomas William
                              Glasgow
 2 Apr 1928 - 24 Feb 1928   : Hon Charles Wiliam Clanan Marr
24 Feb 1928 - 29 Nov 1928   : Hon Sir Neville Reginald House
 1 Dec 1928 - 10 Dec 1928   : Hon Charles Lydiard Aubrey Abbott
 
The Permanent Heads of the Department were:
 
14 Nov 1916 - 17 Feb 1921   : A A Hunt, CMG
18 Mar 1921 - 10 Jun 1928   : Sir John J McLaren
11 Jun 1928 -  9 Dec 1928   : Sir William J Clemens, CMG, ISO
Historical agency address
  1916-  1928: Cnr Collins & Spring Streets, Melbourne
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.30, 22 February 1917. Abolition: Executive Council Meeting No. 59 (Prime Minister's Department Minute No.101) 10 December 1928 notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.136, 13 December 1928.