The function of publicity for Australian Trade was, prior to 1951, carried out by the Trade Promotion Section of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture. By 1951 a separate Trade Publicity Directorate was established, initially operating with a block allocation of file numbers within the Trade Promotion Section registry.

In 1956, the Department of Trade was established and the Trade Promotion Section, the Trade Publicity Directorate and the Division of Industrial Development of the Department of National Development formed the Industries Division of the new Department, all being located in Melbourne.

In 1958 a re-organisation of the Trade Services Branch in Canberra of which the Industries Division was a part, resulted in the Sections in Melbourne becoming responsible direct to the Central Office, Canberra. The resultant reallocation of responsibilities had most impact on the Industries and Trade Promotion Section as one aim of the re-organisation was to assist the Branch in making an impact on the secondary industry field.

The Trade Publicity Directorate retained its same general functions which in November 1958 were detailed as:

. the provision of advertising and publicity measures to stimulate 
  and develop overseas investment and tourism in Australia, and the
  export of Australian primary and manufactured products, 
. the preparation of trade publications leaflets, press articles 
  etc for issue in Australia and overseas,
. liaison with the media to organise publicity to stimulate
  Australia's export trade,
. the planning and organisation of trade exhibitions, fairs and 
  displays in Australia and abroad,
. the production of publicity material on behalf of other Divisions 
  of the Department, Marketing Boards and the Department of Primary
  Industry, and
. to direct the trade publicity activities of Trade Commissioners.

In 1960, all the Central Office functions other than Trade Publicity moved to Canberra. The Trade Publicity Directorate did not transfer because it was thought that effective Trade Publicity could not be carried out so far away from the centre of commercial publicity. Support services for the Trade Publicity Directorate were provided by the Victorian Office of the Department.

By 1964, the Directorate's operations had expanded and staff numbers had rapidly increased. The Director was reclassified as Assistant Secretary and the Directorate was then referred to as a "Branch", within the Export Development Division of the Department in Canberra.  The Branch continued to expand during the 1960s and early 1970s and remained organisationally part of Central Office with all policy lines of communication direct to Central Office.  The Branch was in a rather unusual position in the Public Service in that it employed a high proportion of people from outside in the form of journalists, commercial artists and advertising specialists.

The Trade Publicity Branch was divided into three main sections:

1. Publicity - this had two main elements; Press and Publications.
   The Press Section was responsible for preparing editorial material
   on individual companies and industries and organising films and
   photographs for distribution through overseas press agencies. 
   Contact with these agencies was through the Trade Commissioners
   Offices.  The Publication Section was responsible for the
   production of three specific types of publications:  Overseas
   Trading (the Department's official journal), "Australian Trading
   News", and ad hoc publications such as "Guides to the Market".
 
2. Exhibitions - responsible for technical aspects in the staging and
   organisation of Australian participation in Trade Fairs,
   Exhibitions and displays in Australia and overseas.
 
3. Advertising and Administration (formerly "Services") - the
   Advertising section produced brochures, store promotion guides,
   artwork and other such material to advertise products, firms,
   trade displays etc. The Administration Section was responsible for
   all administration, finance, programming, distribution and for the
   photographic library.

A small section dealing with the Overseas Trade Publicity Committee (OTPC) which serviced the Statutory Marketing Board was relocated in Canberra in 1979.

The functions of this agency were taken over by the Australian Trade Commission on 6 January 1986.

Historical agency address
1951-1957: 301 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
1957-1960: 83A Queens Road, Melbourne
1966-1976: 424 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
1976-1986: 14 Queens Road, Melbourne

Legislation administered
Abolition: Australian Trade Commission Act 1985