On 1 January 1977, the first functions of government were transferred from the Commonwealth Public Service to the Northern Territory. Five new Departments of State were created within the new Northern Territory Administration, the Department of Community Service being one of those departments.
The functions of the Department were:
- matters relating to public health and to welfare services arising under the laws of the Northern Territory
- consumer protection
- libraries, museums and art galleries
- lottery and gaming
- liquor and licensing
- weights and measures
- community grants
- recreation reserves(Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 54, 31 Dec. 1967, p. 1580)
The new Department was responsible for the registration boards of the Northern Territory (Dental, Medical, Nurses, Optometrists and Pharmacy Boards) which it inherited from the Commonwealth Deportment of Health (CA 17) and the Consumer Protection Council, Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory [II] (CA 1958).
At its creation, the Department was responsible for the following Ordinances:
- Consumers Protection Council Ordinance
- Crown Lands Ordinance, Section 103c (6)
- Dentists Registration Ordinance
- Licensing Ordinance
- Lottery and Gaming Ordinance
- Medical Practitioners Registration Ordinance
- Museums and Art Galleries Ordinance
- Northern Territory Lotteries Ordinance
- Nursing Ordinance
- Optometrists Ordinance
- Pharmacy Ordinance
- Weights and Measures Ordinance
- Weights and Measures (Packages Goods) Ordinance
The first Cabinet Member for this Department was Mr I.L. Tuxworth, who had been Executive Member for Resource Development prior to 1 January 1977 (Northern Territory Government Gazette No. 54, 31 Dec. 1976 p. 1582).
On 19 September 1977, after the August elections for the Legislative Assembly, the name of the Department was changed to the Department of Community and Social Development (CA 2659) (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 37A, 19 Sept. 1977, p. 2). Under theAdministrative Arrangements Order of 19 Sept. 1977, responsibility for Social Welfare, Consumer Protection, Libraries, Museums and Art Galleries, Weights and Measures, Community Grants (? and Trustees of Recreation Reserves) passed to the Department of Community and Social Development (CA 2659) and responsibility for Health, Lottery and Gaming, Liquor and Licensing passed to the new Department of Resources and Health (CA 2670) (Northern Territory Government Gazette No. 37B, 19 Sept. 1977, p. 1-4)
Historical agency address
Darwin
Legislation administered
Creation: Northern Territory Ordinance, No. of 1976, Public Service Ordinance 1976Abolition: [Subject to research]