Creation
The name of the Department of Repatriation [II] (CA 1961) was changed to the Department of Veterans' Affairs on 5 October 1976 (Australian Government Gazette, No S175 of 5 October 1976).
Functions
As well as assuming all functions previously carried out by the Department of Repatriation [II], the new Department also assumed functions previously carried out by the Departments of Defence [III] (CA 46), Environment, Housing and Community Development (CA 1954) and Administrative Services [II] (CA 1964)
The Department of Veterans' Affairs assumed the responsibility for providing: repatriation; compensation (by way of pensions and allowances); medical treatment to those veterans injured as a result of service and to the dependants of those whose death was attributed to service; and, war graves. This was previously a function of the Department of Repatriation [II].
From the Department of Administrative Services [II], the new Department received the responsibility of caring for war graves (War Graves Commission); from the Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development it received the control of the Australian Housing Corporation and the administration of defence and war service homes; from the Department of Defence [III] it took over the administration of part of the Defence Act 1903, this being:
the provision and maintenance of, and the execution of work in connection with, the graves of persons who have died:
(i) while on service as members of the Defence Force; or
(ii) as a result of service as members of the Defence Force
The Acts administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs on its creation were:
Australian Housing Corporation Act 1975
Defence Act 1903, in relation to paragraph 124(1) (qba)
Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, except in relation to agricultural occupations, Part IV and VI and section 59 in so far as it related Parts IV and VI
Defence Service Homes Act 1918
Interim Forces Benefits Act 1947, except section 8
Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957
Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945, Part I; Division 3 of Part II; section 43 and section 44 in relation to section 43; Division 4 of Part II; Part V; Division 1 and 2 of Part VI, Division 1 of Part XI in so far as it extends to the foregoing; and Part XII to theextent to which it applies or may be applied in relation to the foregoing
Repatriation Act 1920
Repatriation (Far East Strategic Reserve) Act 1956
Repatriation (Special Overseas Service) Act 1962
Repatriation (Torres Strait Islanders) Act 1972
Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act 1940
War Service Homes Agreement Act 1922
War Service Homes (South Australia) Agreement Act 1934
On 5 September 1977 a new enactment - the Defence Service Homes Corporation Act 1976which amended the Australian Housing Corporation Act 1975 - appeared in the Administrative Arrangements Orders as a responsibility of the Minister of Veterans' Affairs.
On 8 December 1979 the Department became responsible for the War Graves Act 1980.
In 1983, the Administrative Arrangements Orders show Defence Service Homes, previously an implicit function of the Department, as a principal matter listed under the portfolio of Veterans' Affairs.
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 2 July 1984, the Department gained responsibility for the agricultural occupations function of the Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, previously administered by CA 1960, Department of Primary Industry [II]. The Act then read Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, Parts IV and VI and section 59 insofar as it relates to Parts IV and VI.
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 December 1984 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S521, 13 December 1984), the Department gained responsibility for the following acts from the Department of Home Affairs (CA 3068):
Australian War Memorial Act 1980
War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920, paragraph22(e)
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 30 July 1985 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S370, 1 August 1985) the remainder of the War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920, other than paragraph 22(e) was transferred from the Department of Defence (CA 46).
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 February 1987 (Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette dated 3 February 1987) the following Acts were repealed by the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986:
Interim Forces Benefits Act 1947, except section 8
Repatriation Act 1920
Repatriation (Far East Strategic Reserve) Act 1956
Repatriation (Special Overseas Service) Act 1962
Repatriation (Torres Strait Islanders) Act 1972
There were two new Acts:
Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Veterans' Entitlements (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986.
On 24 July 1987 the Department became part of the new "super" Department of Community Services and Health (CA 5985) but retained its own Minister, Hon Ben Humphreys.
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 31 January 1992 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S 37, 5 February 1992) the Department gained the following new enactment:
Veterans' Entitlements (Rewrite) Transition Act 1991.
Also the Principal Matters dealt with by the Department were listed as:
Repatriation income support, compensation and health programs for veterans, members of the Defence Force, certain mariners and their dependants
War graves
Defence Service Homes
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 24 March 1993 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S91, 24 March 1993) the Department gained the following new legislation:
Repatriation Institutions (Transfer) Act 1992.
The same Administrative Arrangements Order also indicated that the Department was part of the Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services Portfolio, later to be known as Human Services and Health (December 1993).
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 25 March 1994 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. GN13, 6 April 1994) the Department was listed as being part of the Defence portfolio.
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 11 March 1996, (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S93, 11 March 1996) three Acts previously administered by the Department were repealed. They were:
Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act 1940
War Service Homes Agreement Act 1932
War Service Homes (South Australia) Agreement Act 1934.
In the same Administrative Arrangements Order, the Department gained responsibility for the following new legislation:
Anzac Day Act 1995,
and as well, responsibility for the following existing legislation was slightly amended, as worded below:
Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945, Part 1; section 43 and section 44 in relation to section 43; Division 4 of Part II; Part V; Division 1 of Part XI insofar as it extends the foregoing; and Part XII insofar as it applies or may be applied in relation to foregoing
As agreed between the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in December 1999, management of the Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Scheme (MCRS) has been transferred to Veterans’ Affairs. The MCRS administers the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 to provide services to current and ex-members of the Australian Defence Forces. Under this agreement Veterans’ Affairs will be responsible for providing claims management and rehabilitation services for the MCRS, while policy and Defence safety management issues remain the responsibility of the Department of Defence.
As a result of this administrative change of function, as of 3 December 1999 ownership and control of active operational policy and administrative files, and any open client files created under the MCRS, have been transferred from the Department of Defence to Veterans’ Affairs. In addition, all new client and policy files created under the MCRS will be controlled by Veterans’ Affairs. All inactive client and policy files created under the MCRS are to remain in the control of the Department of Defence. Physical transfer of files occurred throughout 2000 as MCRS offices moved from the Defence Corporate Support Centres to Veterans’ Affairs offices.
In the Administrative Arrangement Order of 26 November 2001, (Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette No. S 468, 26 November 2001), the principal matters dealt with by the Department were outlined as follows:
Repatriation income support, compensation and health programmes for veterans, members of the Defence Force, certain mariners and their dependants
War Graves
Defence Service Homes
In the same Order the following legislation was outlined as being administered by the Department:
A New Tax System (Bonuses for Older Australians) Act 1999, Parts 1 and 5 insofar as they relate to Veterans’ Affairs customers and Part 3
Anzac Day Act 1995
Australian War Memorial Act 1980
Compensation (Japanese Internment) Act 2001
Defence Act 1903, in relation to paragraph 124(1)(qba)
Defence Service Homes Act 1918
Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957
Repatriation Institutions (Transfer) Act 1992
Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
Veterans’ Entitlements (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986
Veterans’ Entitlements (Rewrite) Transition Act 1991
War Graves Act 1980
War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920
In the Administrative Arrangement Order of 16 Dec 2004, responsibility for administering the following legislation was removed from the Department:
Veteran’s Entitlements (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986
The following legislation was added to those previously administered by the Department:
Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Defence
Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2004
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, Part XI except for sections 143(2) and (3), 144(4), 149, 150, 153(2), 156, 158 and 159
Administrative Arrangements Order made on the 14th September 2010, the Department was officially given the function of ‘Commemorations’, a previously unstated matter already administered by them but also an articulation of their specific responsibility for the Centenary of Anzac – 2014-2018.
Ministers for the Department of Veterans' Affairs have been:
5 Oct 1976 - 6 Sep 1977 : Senator the Hon Peter Drew Durack (CP 155)
6 Sep 1977 - 1 Jun 1978 : Hon Sir Ransley Victor Garland KBE (CP 70)
1 Jun 1978 - 3 Nov 1980 : Hon Albert Evan Adermann
3 Nov 1980 - 11 Mar 1983 : Senator the Hon Anthony John Messner (CP 232)
11 Mar 1983 - 11 Jul 1987 : Senator the Hon Arthur Thomas Gietzelt
11 Jul 1987 - 24 Mar 1993 : Hon Ben Humphreys
24 Mar 1993 - 25 Mar 1994 : Senator the Hon John Faulkner (CP 661)
25 Mar 1994 - 11 Mar 1996 : Hon Con Sciacca
11 Mar 1996 – 23 Nov 2001 : Hon Bruce Scott
23 Nov 2001 – 22 Oct 2004 : Danna Vale MP
22 Oct 2004 – 27 Jan 2006 : De-Anne Kelly
27 Jan 2006 – 3 Dec 2007 : Bruce Billson
3 Dec 2007 – 14 Sept 2010 : Alan Griffen
14 Sept 2010 - 18 Sep 2013 : Hon Warren Snowdon MP
18 Sep 2013 - 21 Sept 2015 : Michael Ronaldson
21 Sept 2015 - 18 Feb 2016 : Stuart Robert
18 Feb 2016 - 20 Dec 2017 : Dan Tehan
20 Dec 2017 - 5 Mar 2018 : Michael McCormack
5 Mar 2018 - 2 Jul 2021 : Darren Chester
2 Jul 2021 - 23 May 2022 : Andrew Gee
1 Jun 2022 - Hon Matt Keogh
Secretaries of the Department have been:
5 Oct 1976 - 1 Oct 1981 : Sir Richard Kingsland CBE
19 Oct 1981 - 30 Nov 1986 : D Volker
18 Dec 1986 - 1 Mar 1989 : N J Tanzer
1 Mar 1989 - 20 Apr 1994 : L B Woodward
26 Apr 1994 - 11 Mar 1996 : A D Hawke
11 Mar 1996 – 30 Sep 2004 : Dr N Johnston
30 Sep 2004 – 22 Sep 2008 : Mark Sullivan
22 Sep 2008 - 10 May 2013 : Ian Campbell
10 May 2013 - 18 May 2018 : Simon Lewis
19 May 2018 - : Liz Cosson
Sources
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S83, 1 March 1984
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S255, 2 July 1984
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S521, 13 December 1984
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S135, 13 April 1994
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S93, 11 March 1996
Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette No. S 468, 26 November 2001
Historical agency address
MLCTower, Keltie St, Phillip ACT
Legislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Meeting No.74 (P.S.B. Minute No. 1976/32) of 5 October 1976