The Australian Development Assistance Bureau was established on 1 July 1977, when the Australian Development Assistance Agency was absorbed into the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Australian Development Assistance Agency had been established as a statutory authority in 1974 by the Australian Development Assistance Agency Act; this Act was repealed in 1977 and the Bureau established within the Department of Foreign Affairs.
 
ADAB advised the Minister for Foreign Affairs on matters relating to aid for developing countries and administered Australian aid. It was also responsible for formulating overall aid policy and for
appraising, administering and evaluating the aid program.
 
In December 1985 ADAB became an autonomous Bureau within the
Department of Foreign Affairs. The Director-General of ADAB became responsible for the resources necessary to manage the program. The corporate support functions of ADAB's central office were also progressively transferred from the Department.
 
At 30 June 1986 ADAB staff totalled 476, including 135 staff at ADAB's offices in the State capitals and at the International Training Institute in Sydney. ADAB also had 36 staff serving at overseas missions. ADAB was divided into three divisions: Policy, Planning and Management; Country Programs and Community, Commercial and International Programs.
 
The Policy, Planning and Management Division was responsible for research, development, co-ordination and review of overall aid policy; corporate planning; central program quality control,
including appraisal, evaluation and effectiveness review and feedback to the relevant areas in the Bureau; and provision of ADP and other resource management activities to the rest of the Bureau.
 
The Country Programs Division was responsible for the programming, implementation , monitoring and co-ordination of all aspects of the bilateral aid program. The Community, Commercial and International Programs Division was responsible for development, management and monitoring of international aid programs, including major
international financial institutions, Commonwealth and UN bodies involved in aid, and sectoral international aid bodies.
 
The Australian Development Assistance Bureau ceased to exist on 17 August 1987, when the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Bill Hayden, announced that as of 17 August 1987 ADAB would be known as the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau. The minor change to the title would better reflect the Bureau's work which comprised the management of Australia's overseas aid program. All functions that were the responsibility of ADAB are carried out by the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (CA 6679).  


Sources
 
Commonwealth Government Directory, Volume 2, February 1983, Foreign
 Affairs Portfolio.
Department of Foreign Affairs Annual Report 1985-1986.
Historical agency address
Hobart Place, University Ave & Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra