The Department of Transport [III] was created by the Executive Council Meeting No 55 of 19 December 1972. (1) It took over nearly all the functions of the abolished Department of Shipping and Transport (CA 59):  navigation and shipping; lighthouses, lightships, beacons and buoys; land transport. The administration of shipbuilding passed to the Department of Secondary Industry (CA 1487). (2) The new Department inherited the basic administrative structure of the Central Office of the Department of Shipping and Transport, which had comprised five Divisions:
 
 Land Transport Polic
 Sea Transport
 Marine Standards
 Coastal Services
 Shipbuilding
 
and the Bureau of Transport Economics, the Management Service Branch and the Secretariat to the Australian Transport Advisory Council (located in the Land Transport Policy Division). (3)
 
At the creation of the Department of Transport [III], its Minister was entrusted with the administration of the following legislation:  

 Australian Coastal Shipping Agreement Act 1956
 Australian Coastal Shipping Commission Act 1956-1969
 Beaches, Fishing Grounds and Sea Routes Protection Act 1932-1966, 
  except Section 3
 Brachina to Leigh Creek North Coalfield Railway Act 1950-1952  
 Commonwealth Aid Roads Acts 
 Commonwealth Bureau of Roads Act 1964
 Commonwealth Railways Act 1917-1968
 Explosives Act 1961-1966
 Grafton to South Brisbane Railway Act 1924-1930
 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Act 1911-1950
 Leigh Creek North Coalfield to Marree (conversion to standard 
  gauge) Railway Act 1954
 Lighthouses Act 1911-1971
 Navigation Act 1912-1972
 Northern Territory Railway Extension Act 1923-1950
 Northern Territory Railway Extension Act 1971
 Oodnadatta to Alice Springs Railway Act 1926-1950
 Pine Creek to Katherine River Railway Act 1913-1950
 Pollution of the Sea by Oil Act 1960-1972
 Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (alteration of route) Act
  1950  
 Port Augusta to Port Pirie Railway Act 1935-1950
 Port Augusta to Whyalla Railway Act 1970
 Railway Agreement (New South Wales) Act 1968
 Railway Agreement (New South Wales and South Australia) Act 1968    
 Railway Agreement (Tasmania) Act 1971
 Railway Agreement (Western Australia) Act 1961-1971
 Railway Equipment Agreement (South Australia) Act 1961
 Railway Standardisation (New South Wales and Victoria) Agreement
  Act 1958
 Railway Standardisation (South Australia) Agreement Act 1958
 Railway (South Australia) Agreement Act 1926
 Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1971-1972, Part XII and Sections  
  155-159 (inclusive)
 Sea Carriage of Goods Act 1924
 Seamen's Compensation Act 1911-1972
 Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act 1940-1972, except to the 
  extent to which it is administered by the Minister for
  Repatriation  
 Seat of Government Railway Act 1928
 Stirling North to Brachina Railway Act 1952-1954
 Submarine Cables and Pipelines Protection Act 1963-1966
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 5 March 1973 announced the transfer of control of shipbuilding from the Department of Secondary Industry (CA 1487) to the Department of Transport [III].(4) The same Administrative Arrangements Order transferred the administration of the following Act from Secondary Industry to Transport [III]:
 
 Supply and Development Act 1939-1966, so far as it relates to the  
 building, repair and maintenance of merchant ships; the building,
 extension, operation, repair and maintenance of shipyards, dry-docks
 and facilities for the repair of merchant ships; research in
 relation to matters connected with or incidental to the building of 
 merchant ships; the requisitioning, and the acquisition, whether
 compulsory or otherwise, of ships required for purposes of defence;
 and payment of compensation for any loss, injury or damage suffered
 by any person by reason of anything done in relation to the
 requisitioning or compulsory acquisition of ships for purposes of
 defence.
 
The Department also gained control of the Australian Shipbuilding Board.
 
On 28 May 1973 the Cabinet agreed that the Departments of Civil Aviation (CA 29) and Transport [III] 

 "be amalgamated to achieve closer co-ordination of policies in the 
 transport field, so as to facilitate a more effective determination
 of the expenditure priorities and resources allocation and promote
 harmony between transport policy and the government's other social
 and economic objectives." (5) 

On 30 November 1973, the Department of Civil Aviation was abolished and its functions absorbed into the Department of Transport [III]. The Administrative Arrangements Order of that date (6) transferred responsibility for the function of Civil Aviation and the following legislation from the defunct Department of Civil Aviation (CA 29):
 
 Airlines Agreements Act 1952-1972
 Airlines Equipment Act 1958
 Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1968
 Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1969
 Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1972
 Air Navigation Act 1920-1973
 Air Navigation (Charges) Act 1952-1972
 Airports (Business Concessions) Act 1959-1966
 Airports (Surface Traffic) Act 1960-1966
 Australian National Airlines Act 1945-1973
 
As an interim step the enlarged Department established an Air Transport Group and a Surface Transport Group, each under the general supervision of a Deputy Secretary.(7) The divisional structure established within each Group consisted of separate operational/
technical divisions, policy divisions and management structures.
 
The following legislation was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1973:
 
 Brachina to Leigh Creek North Coalfield Railway Act 1950-1952 
 Commonwealth Aid Roads Acts
 Grafton to South Brisbane Railway Act 1924-1930
 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Act 1911-1950
 Leigh Creek North Coalfield to Marree (conversion to standard gauge)
  Railway Act 1954
 Northern Territory Railway Extension Act 1923-1950
 Oodnadatta to Alice Springs Railway Act 1926-1950
 Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (alteration of route) Act
  1950  
 Port Augusta to Port Pirie Railway Act 1935-1950
 Railway Agreement (New South Wales) Act 1968
 Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1971-1972, Part XXII and Sections 
  155-159 (inclusive)
 Stirling North to Brachina Railway Act 1952-1954
 
As at March 1974, the Divisions in Surface Transport Group were:  

 Land Transport Policy Division (Canberra and Melbourne)
 Sea Transport Policy Division (Canberra and Melbourne)
 Marine Standards Division (Canberra and Melbourne)
 Coastal Services Division (Canberra and Melbourne)
 Shipbuilding Division (Sydney)
 Management Services Branch (Canberra and Melbourne)
 
and in the Air Transport Group were:
 
 Air Transport Policy Division (Melbourne)
 International Relations Policy Division (Melbourne)
 Ground Facilities Division (Melbourne)
 Flying Operations and Airworthiness Division (Melbourne)
 Airways Operations and Noise Abatement Division (Melbourne)
 Planning Sydney Airport (Melbourne). (8)
 
Activities related to road safety were to be transferred from the Department proper to a new autonomous body - the Road Safety and Standards Authority - starting in 1974. The Fraser Government later abolished the Authority, which had been responsible to
Transport [III], transferring its staff back to the Department. (9) The relationship between the Department and the Authority is subject to further research.
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 2 October 1974 (10)
transferred administration of the Seamen's War Pensions and
Allowances Act 1940-1973 to the Department of Repatriation and Compensation (CA 1771). The same Order attributed to the Department of Transport [III] the following new enactments, or legislation appearing for the first time:
 
 King Island Harbour Agreement Act 1973
 National Roads Act 1974
 Pollution (Shipping Levy) Act 1972
 Pollution (Shipping Levy Collection) Act 1972
 Roads Grants (Urban Public Transport) Act 1974
 Trade Practices Act 1974, Part X and Sections 150-154 inclusive  
 Transport (Planning and Research) Act 1974
 
In July 1975 the titles 'Air Transport Group' and 'Surface Transport Group' were discontinued. The operational and technical functions were divided between surface and air, each under a Deputy Secretary who had broad functional responsibility for the activities of his respective Divisions as follows:
 
 Deputy Secretary (Air):
  Ground Facilities
  Airways Operations
  Flying Operations and 
  Airworthiness
 
 Deputy Secretary (Surface):
  Coastal Services
  Marine Standards
  Ships and
  Roads
 
The air and surface policy and planning functions were brought together to form a common multi-modal departmental policy and planning group under a Deputy Secretary (Policy and Planning) who was responsible for the following Divisions:
 
 Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation
 Air Transport Policy
 Land Transport Policy
 Sea Transport Policy
 International Policy
 Major Projects. (11)
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 10 February 1975 (12) attributed the following new enactments to the Department:
 
 Adelaide to Crystal Brook Railway Act 1974
 Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1974
 Australian Shipping Commission Act 1956-1974
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 July 1975 (13) transferred administration of the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959-1973 and the Civil Aviation (Damage by Aircraft) Act 1958-1973 from the Attorney-General's Department (CA 5) to the Department of Transport [III]. The same Order attributed the following new
legislation to Transport [III]:
 
 Australian National Railways Acts 1945-1975, 1917-1975
 Railways (South Australia) Act 1975
 Railways (Tasmania) Act 1975
 Road Safety and Standards Authority Act 1975
 Ship Construction Bounty Act 1975
 
The two Railways Acts represented the transfer of non-metropolitan rail transport functions from the specified States to the
Commonwealth. The Administrative Arrangements Order of 7 October 1975 (14) transferred administration of the Railway Agreement (Queensland) Act 1961 and the Railway Agreement (Queensland) Act 1968 from the Department of Northern Australia (CA 1889).
 
From 30 October 1975 the term 'Central Office' was used in lieu of 'Head Office'.
 
The Administrative Arrangements of 22 December 1975 (15) transferred the shipbuilding function and administration of the following acts from Transport [III] to the Department of Industry and Commerce (CA 1956):
 
 Ship Construction Bounty Act 1975
 Supply and Development Act 1939-1966, so far as it relates to the 
  building, repair and maintenance of merchant ships; the building, 
  extension, operation, repair and maintenance of shipyards, dry-
  docks and facilities for the repair of merchant ships; research
  in relation to matters connected with or incidental to the building
  of merchant ships; the requisitioning, and acquisition, whether 
  compulsory or otherwise, of ships required for purposes of
  defence;  and the payment of compensation for any loss, injury or
  damage suffered by any person by reason of anything done in
  relation to the requisitioning or compulsory acquisition of ships
  for purposes of defence.
 
The Department of Transport [III] received responsibility for the Interstate Commission Act 1975 (a new enactment) and assumed
administration of the Queensland Beef Cattle Roads Agreement Act 1962-1973 from the defunct Department of Northern Australia (CA 1889).
 
Two new enactments were added by the Administrative Arrangements of 5 October 1976 (16) to the list of legislation administered by the Department. These enactments were the Roads Act Amendment Act 1976 and the Road Safety and Standards Authority (Repeal) Act 1976 which deleted the previous reference to the Road Safety and Standards Authority Act 1975.
 
On 20 May 1976, the Treasurer and the Minister for Transport
announced that the Government had decided to amalgamate the
Commonwealth Bureau of Roads and the Bureau of Transport Economics. (17) The Commonwealth Bureau of Roads (CA 2343) was formally
absorbed by the Bureau of Transport Economics on 17 November 1976, following passage of the Commonwealth Bureau of Roads (Repeal) Act 1976.
 
With the creation on 8 November 1976 of the Department of
Productivity (CA 2129) the responsibility for materials handling, the Materials Handling Branch of the Bureau of Transport Economics and the Materials Handling Advisory Committee were transferred to it. (18)
 
In the Administrative Arrangements of 8 September 1977 (19) the following new enactments were attributed to the Department:
 
 Appropriation (Urban Public Transport) Act 1976
 Commonwealth Bureau of Roads (Repeal) Act 1977
 Roads Acts Amendment Acts
 States Grants (Roads Interim Assistance) Act 1977
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 20 December 1977 (20) added the following new legislation:
 
 Port Statistics Act 1977
 States Grants (Raods) Act 1977
 Transport Planning and Research (Financial Assistance) Act 1977  

The Administrative Arrangements Order of 12 September 1979 (21) added the newly enacted National Railway Network (Financial
Assistance) Act 1979 to the Department's legislation. 

The 'Principal Matters Dealt with' by the Department were now described as being:
 
 Civil aviation and air navigation
 Shipping and marine navigation (including lighthouses, lightships, 
  beacons and buoys)
 Land transport
 
The Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 December 1981 (22) listed the following new enactments administered by the Department:  

 Airlines Agreement Act 1981
 Australian National Airlines Repeal Act 1981
 Independent Air Fares Committee Act 1981
 Protection of the Sea (Civil Liability) Act 1981
 Protection of the Sea (Discharge of Oil from Ships) Act 1981
 Protection of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981
 Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy) Act 1981
 Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy Collection) Act 1981
 Shipping Registration Act 1981
 
The following repealed legislation was omitted from that Order:  

 Adelaide to Crystal Brook Railway Act 1974
 Australian National Airlines Act 1945
 Commonwealth Bureau of Roads (Repeal) Act 1977
 Road Safety and Standards Authority (Repeal) Act 1976
 
On 7 May 1982 the Prime Minister announced that, as part of a general re-organisation of Commonwealth Departments and ministerial responsibilities, the Department of Transport [III] had been
abolished. This change was formally notified in Commonwealth
Gazette, No S94 of 7 May 1982, which also notified the abolition of the Department of Housing and Construction [II] (CA 2747) and the creation of the new Departments of Aviation (CA 3253) and Transport and Construction (CA 3257). In his Press Release of 7 May the Prime Minister stated that:
 
 "the functions of the Department of Transport will be divided
 between the two new Departments of Aviation and of Transport and
 Construction. The re-establishment of an Aviation Department
 recognizes the importance of civil aviation to the economy and to
 the community at large. It is a distinct area which presents
 particular issues of its own and its importance warrants individual 
 ministerial attention.
 
 The new Department of Transport and Construction will carry out
 functions relating to road, rail and sea transport and assume
 responsibility for the Commonwealth construction activities of the
 (abolished) Department of Housing and Construction."
  
Ministers for Transport [III] were:
 
19 Dec 1972 - 12 Nov 1975  : Hon Charles Keith Jones (CP 117) 
12 Nov 1975 -  8 Dec 1979  : Hon Peter James Nixon (CP 83)
 8 Dec 1979 -  7 May 1982  : Hon Ralph James Dunnett Hunt (CP 311)  

Secretaries to the Department were:
 
20 Dec 1972 -    Jan 1973  : N G Jenner (Acting)
 3 Jan 1973 - 30 Sep 1973  : M M Summers
 1 Oct 1973 -  4 Nov 1973  : N G Jenner (Acting)
 5 Nov 1973 -  7 May 1982  : C C Halton
 

Sources
 
 1. Executive Council Meeting No 55 (Public Service Board Minute, 
    No 48) of 19 December 1972, see Commonwealth of Australia
    Gazette, No 129A, 19 December 1972, p 1.
 2. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 131, 20 December 1972,
    p 10-11.
 3. C C Halton "The Australian Department of Transport" (Paper given
    at the Royal Institute of Public Administration Annual Conference
    1975, Canberra), p 3.
 4. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 28, 5 March 1973, p.1.  
 5. C C Halton "The Australian Department of Transport",
    (op cit) p 3.
 6. Australian Government Gazette, No 183, 30 November 1973, 
     pp 1, 5.  
 7. C.C. Halton "The Australian Department of Transport", (op cit), 
    p 4.
 8. Australian Government Directory, 1974, pp 343-346.
 9. See Sydney Morning Herald, 18 March 1976, p 8 and Australian, 
    29 April 1976, p 4. 
10. Australian Government Gazette, No 80B, 2 October 1974, p 13.  
11. C C Halton "The Australian Department of Transport", (op cit),
    pp 4-5.
12. Australian Government Gazette, No S21, 10 February 1975, p 14.  
13. Australian Government Gazette, No S128, 1 July 1975, p 10.  
14. Australian Government Gazette, No S200, 7 October 1975, p 2.  
15. Australian Government Gazette, No 262, 22 December 1975, p 16.  
16. Australian Government Gazette, No S175, 5 October 1976, p 13.  
17. Public Service Board Annual Report, 1976, p 104. 
18. The Canberra Times, 8 November 1976, p 1.
19. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S188, 8 September 1977,
    p 15.  
20. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S289, 20 December 1977,
    p 15.  
21. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S181, 12 September 1979,
    p 16.  
22. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S268, 23 December 1981,
    p16.  

Historical agency address
1972-1973: Childers St, Turner ACT
1972-1974: 35 Elizabeth St, Melbourne Vic
1973-1974: 68 Alfred St, Milson's Point NSW
1973-    : Civic Permanent Centre, Allara St, Canberra City ACT
1973-1975: Aviation House, 188 Queen St, Melbourne Vic
Legislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Meeting No. 55 (Public Service Board Minute No. 48) of 19 Dec 1972
Abolition: Executive Council Meeting No.   (Public Service Board Minute No.   ) of 7 May 1982