The Department of Community Development was established on 1 July 1978 (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No 26B, 30 June 1978, p 1). At the time of its creation, the Department was responsible for the following functions:
 
- Social Welfare
- Sport and Recreation
- Local Government
- Correctional Services (including Parole)
- Ethnic Affairs
- Consumer Affairs
- Museums, Art Galleries and Libraries
- Community Grants
- Weights and Measures
- Rent and Price Control
 
and the following ordinances:
 
- Adoption of Children Ordinance
- Alice Springs Administration Repeal Ordinance
- Anglican Church of Australia Ordinance
- Alsatian Dogs Repeal Ordinance
- Cemeteries Ordinance
- Child Welfare Ordinance
- Consumer Protection Ordinance
- Criminal Law (Conditional Release of Offenders) Ordinance
- Crown Lands Ordinance (Section 103C)
- Darwin Rates Ordinance
- Door to Door Sales Ordinance
- False Advertising Ordinance
- Film Classification Ordinance
- Guardianship of Infants Ordinance
- Hawkers Ordinance
- Hire Purchase Ordinance
- Katherine Town Management Ordinance
- Landlord and Tenant (Control of Rents) Ordinance
- Litter Ordinance
- Local Government Ordinance
- Local Government (Post-Cyclone Elections) Ordinance
- Local Government Elections (1978) Validating Ordinance
- Museums and Art Galleries Ordinance
- National Trust (Northern Territory)Ordinances
- Native and Historical Objects and Areas Preservation Ordinance 
- Nudity Ordinance
- Parole of Prisoners Ordinance
- Place Names Ordinance
- Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance
- Pounds Ordinance
- Prices Regulations Ordinance (except part IIA)
- Registration of Dogs Ordinance
- Rent for Agricultural and Miscellaneous Leases (Darwin Town
  Area) Ordinance
- Salvation Army (Northern Territory) Property Trust Ordinance 
- Social Welfare Ordinance
- Tennant Creek Town Management Ordinance
- Uniting Church in Australia Ordinance
- Unordered Goods and Services Ordinance
- Weights and Measures Ordinance
- Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Ordinance
 
Although in some instances, the description of functions is different, all functions were transferred to the Department from the NT Department of Community and Social Development (CA 2659) as were the related Ordinances. The Hawkers Ordinance was transferred from the NT Department of the Chief Secretary (CA 2495).
 
There are many new Ordinances which had not appeared in the previous Administrative Arrangement Order of 19 December 1977; these were the Ordinances relating to adoption of children, child welfare,
guardianship of infants, landlord and tenant (control of rents), local government elections (1978) validation, native and historical objects and area preservation, prices regulation, rent for agricultural and miscellaneous leases, and social welfare. These may be new ordinances or have been transferred from the Department of the Northern Territory [II] (CA 1958). This is still subject to research.
 
According to the January 1979 Administrative Arrangement Order (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No.S2, 2 Jan 1979, pp7-9) the functions of Sport and Recreation and Ethnic Affairs were no longer attributed to the Department of Community Development but were listed as the responsibilities of the Minister for Youth Sport and Recreation who appears to have administered these matters through the Department of Community Development.  The correctional services function appears to have been enlarged to include probation.  Several enactments were transferred to other departments:  Hire purchase to the NT Department of Law (CA 2497); Place Names to the NT Department of Lands and Housing (CA 2665).  Responsibility for the Early Closing Act was inherited from the NT Department of Industrial Development (CA 2664).
 
Several new statutory bodies were included in the July 1979
Administrative Arrangement Order (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No S8, 2 July 1979).  As they apparently reported directly to the Minister responsible they were attributed to that Minister rather than to the Department which had previously administerd the functions involved. Therefore, from July 1979 these were separate entries on the Administrative Arrangement Order for the Minister and for the Department of Community Development.  Accordingly the Museums and Art Galleries Board which administered museums and art galleries was listed as a responsibility of the Minister.  The Department became responsible for legislation dealing with Araluen Arts and Cultural Trust and Motor Vehicle Dealers. It lost responsibility for Rent and Price Control, and for Landlord and Tenant (Control of Rents) and Prices Regulation legislation to the NT Department of the Treasury (CA 2668).
 
On 1 July 1980 (Administrative Arrangement Order, Northern Territory Government Gazette, No S17, 1 July 1980, pp 8-9) the Department acquired Sport and Recreation, Ethnic Affairs, Youth Affairs and Community Grants for Youth and Sport Associations.  These functions had previously been the direct responsibility of the Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation and the Minister assisting the Chief Minister.  He had apparently administered Sport and Recreation, Ethnic Affairs and Youth affairs through the Department of Community Development and had administrated Community Grants for Youth and Sport Associaitons through the Department of the Chief Minister (CA 2660).
 
However, in the December 1980 Administrative Arrangement Order (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No S39, 31 December 1980, 
pp 7-9) these functions became the responsibility of the Minister for Youth Sport and Recreation and the Minister Assisting the Chief Minister, but were seemingly administered through the Department of Community Development.  

The first appointment to the position of Minister for Community Development was Mr J M Robertson, MLA (Northern Territory Government Gazette, No 26B, 30 June 1978, p 1), who had previously been Cabinet Member for Community and Social Development (CA 2659) and Manager of the Business in NT Legislative Assembly. Mr Robertson was also appointed Minister of Education (see CA 2662, Department of Education).  

The first Secretary of the Department was Mr R McHenry (Northern Territory Government Directory, 1978, p 19).
 

Historical agency address
Block 8, Mitchell street, Darwin
Legislation administered
Creation: NT Executive Council No. 880/78, Northern Territory Government Gazette No. 26C of 1 July 1978