The name of the Department of Community Services (CA 2499) was changed to the Department of Community and Social Development on 19 September 1977 (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 37A, 19 Sept. 1977 p. 2)
 
At its creation the Department was responsible for the following functions:-
 
- Social Welfare
- Sport and Recreation
- Local Government
- Correctional Services (including Parole)
- Education
- Emergency Services
- Civil Defence
- Consumer Protection
- Museums and Art Galleries
- Libraries
- Community Grants
- Weights ad Measures
 
and for the following Ordinances:
 
- Alice Springs Administration Ordinance
- Alsatian Dogs Ordinance
- Cemeteries Ordinance
- Consumers Protection Council Ordinance
- Crown Lands Ordinance (Section 103c)
- Darwin Rates Ordinance
- Katherine Town Management Ordinance
- Litter Ordinance
- Local Government Ordinance
- Local Government (Post-Cyclone Elections) Ordinance
- Museums and Art Galleries Ordinance
- Northern Territory Disasters Ordinance
- Parole of Prisoners Ordinance
- Place Names Ordinance
- Nudity Ordinance
- Pounds Ordinance
- Prisons Ordinance (except Part IIA)
- Registration of Dogs Ordinance
- Tennant Creek Town Management Ordinance
- Weights and Measures Ordinance
- Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Ordinance
(Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 37B, 19 Sept. 1977, p.3)  
The Department gained from the former Department of Community Services (CA 2499) the functions relating to social welfare, consumer
protection, museums, art galleries, libraries, community grants, weights and measures, and (?) trustees of recreation reserves, plus the related Ordinances . From Finance and Local Government (CA 2496) came the function local government, and related Ordinances including Ordinances dealing with specific towns' management. From Law (CA 2497) came correctional services and the parole function, civil defence and emergency services plus ordinances pertaining to those functions. The Department appears to have gained responsibility for some ordinances from the Department of Northern Territory [II] (CA 1958) eg ordinances relating to dogs, and cemeteries. This is still subject to research however. Also, the function of 'Education' may have involved the transfer of some education responsibility from the Department of Education (CA 1478). This is still subject to research.Also the function of 'education' may have involved the transfer of some education responsibilities from the Department of Education (CA 1478) (see Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 37B, 19 Sept. 1977, p.3)
 
Mr James Murray Robertson was appointed Cabinet Member for this Department, and was also appointed Manager of the Business in the House. It was his first Cabinet post. (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No.37A, 19 Sept.  1977, p.1).
 
The name of the Departmental head is still subject to research.  
On 19 December 1977, a new Administrative Arrangements Order
was published to take effect from 1 January 1978. The Department of Community and Social Development gained the ethnic affairs function from the Department of the Chief Secretary (CA 2495) and Department of Law (CA 2497) (in previous Order, these two Departments were grouped together; further research is required to establish which department this function came from); and from the Department of Transport and Industry (CA 2498) came rent and price control. Ordinances gained related to churches in the Territory, sales and advertising, films, and the National Trust. These may have been new ordinances or transferred from the Department of the Northern Territory [II] (CA 1958)- this is subject to research  t of Education (CA 1478).(see Northern Territory Government Gazette, No. 50B, 19 Dec. 1977, P. 6 and 7).
 
On 1 July 1978, a new Administrative Arrangements Order was published (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No.26C, 1 July 1978, p. 1-8). All previously existing Northern Territory Departments of State, apart from the Department of Law, were abolished.
 
The Department of Community and Social Development transferred most of its functions to the new Department of Community Development (CA 2661),.eg. social welfare, sport and recreation, local government, correctional services (including parole), ethnic affairs, consumer protection, museums and art galleries, libraries, community grants, weights and measures, and rent and price control. The Department of the Chief Minister (CA 2660) received the functions of emergency services, and civil defence (this is subject to further research); and to the New Department of Education (CA 2662) went education. [In the Northern Territory Government Directory for 1978 page 21, education is listed as being a responsibility of the Commonwealth Department of Education (CA 1478). It would appear, therefore, that although the function of education is listed in the September 1977 and January 1978 Administrative Arrangements Order as a responsibility of the Department of Community and Social Development, the function involved liaison responsibilities only].
 

Historical agency address
Darwin