Agency number |
CA 3067 |
Title |
Department of Communications [I], Central Office, Canberra |
Date range |
03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 |
Series recorded by this agency |
Series |
Organisation controlling |
|
Location |
Australian Capital Territory |
Agency status |
Department of State |
Function |
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Agency note |
The Postal and Telecommunications Department (CA 1959) was re-named the Department of Communications on 3 November 1980. The new department inherited all the functions and legislative
responsibilities of the former department. The functions of the Department of Communications as set out in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 3 November 1980 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S250, 3 November, 1980) were:
. Postal, telegraphic, telephonic and other like services
including television and radio.
The Acts administered by the Minister, cited in the same Administrative Arrangements Orders were:
. Broadcasting and Television Act 1942
. Broadcasting Stations Licence Fees Act 1964
. Overseas Telecommunications Act 1946
. Parliamentary Proceedings Broadcasting Act 1946
. Postal and Telecommunications Commissions (Transitional Provisions)
Act 1975
. Postal Services Act 1975
. Telecommunications Act 1975
. Television Stations Licence Fees Act 1964
. Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905
. Wireless Telegraphy Regulations Act 1970.
The Department was initially organised upon functional lines into five divisions and one branch. These were:
. Broadcasting Development Division
. Broadcasting Planning and Operations Division
. Policy Division
. Radio Frequency Management Division
. Satellite Policy and Co-ordination Division
. Management Services Branch.
The main central office was located in Canberra, but the Department also had a central office in Melbourne where several major
departmental elements were located. These had been re-located to Canberra by l985. In addition, the Broadcasting Planning and
Operations Division had engineering representatives in the six states and the Radio Frequency Management Division also maintained offices in all capital cities and in many major provincial cities (Commonwealth Government Directory, Vol 1, 1981, pp 119-121; Vol 1, 1985, pp 99-101).
In the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 11 March 1983
(Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S46, 11 March 1983) the Department became responsible for:
. Radiocommunications Licence Fees Act 1982
. Radiocommunications (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Two new enactments were added in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 1 July l983 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S134, 1 July 1983):
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Transitional Provisions and
Consequential Amendments) Act 1983.
In the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 1 March 1984
(Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S83, 1 March 1984) the Department became responsible for:
. Radiocommunications Act 1983
. Radiocommunications (Frequency Reservation Certificate Tax) Act
1983
. Radiocommunications (Receiver Licence Tax) Act 1983
. Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Act 1983
. Radiocommunications (Temporary Permit Tax) Act 1983
. Radiocommunications (Test Permit Tax) Act 1983
. Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Act 1983.
Another two enactments were added to those administered by the Department of Communications in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 2 July 1984 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S255, 2 July 1984). These were:
. Postal and Telecommunications Amendment Act 1983
. Satellite Communications Act 1984.
The repeal of the Radiocommunications Licence Fees Act 1982 was reflected in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 1 February 1986 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S30, 31 January 1986), and in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 3 February 1987 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S16, 3 February 1987) the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905 was deleted from the list of acts administered by the Department.
As at July 1987 the Minister for Communications was responsible for the following statutory bodies:
. Aussat Pty. Ltd.
. Australian Postal Commission
. Australian Telecommunications Commission
. Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia)
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. Australian Broadcasting Tribunal
. Special Broadcasting Service.
In July 1987, the Prime Minister, the Hon R J L Hawke announced a major re-structuring of the administration, resulting in the
amalgamation of the 28 departments into 16 `super-ministries'. The Department of Communications was abolished on 24 July 1987. All functions and legislative responsibilities of the former Department were assumed by the new Deartment of Transport and Communications (CA 5992) (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S183, 24 July 1987).
For agencies controlled see Inventory of Agencies.
Ministers for Communications were:
3 Nov 1980 - 7 May 1982 : Rt Hon Ian McCahon Sinclair
(CP 426)
7 May 1982 - 11 Mar 1983 : Hon Neil Anthony Brown (CP 287)
11 Mar 1983 - 24 Jul 1987 : Hon Michael John Duffy.
Secretaries to the Department of Communications were:
3 Nov 1980 - 1 Feb 1986 : R B Lansdown (CP 283)
1 Feb 1986 - 24 Jul 1987 : C C Halton.Historical agency address 1980-by1982: Construction House, 217 Northbourne Avenue, Turner ACT
by1982- 1987: Benjamin Offices, Block 7, Cnr Benjamin Way & College
Street, Belconnen ACTLegislation administered
Abolition: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S183, 24 July 1987 |
Previous agency |
03 Nov 1980 CA 1959, Postal and Telecommunications Department, Policy Secretariat, [Canberra] - All functions 03 Nov 1980 CA 2528, Postal and Telecommunications Department, Headquarters (Melbourne) 01 Oct 1986 CA 6065, Department of Communications, Central Office [Melbourne]
|
Subsequent agency |
24 Jul 1987 CA 5992, Department of Transport and Communications, Central Office - All functions
|
Controlled agency |
18 Sep 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 5363, National Satellite Task Force/ (by 1980) Satellite Project Office, Post and Telecommunications Department/ (from 1980) Satellite System Group, Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC)/ (from 1981) Aussat Pty Ltd 01 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2336, Radio Frequency Management Division, State Office, Western Australia/ (by 1987) Transport and Communications, Communications Operation Branch, Perth, Western Australia 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2337, Radio Frequency Management Division, State Office, Tasmania (a) Postal and Telecommunications Department (to 1980) (b) Department of Communications 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 270, Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) (Australia) 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2922, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) 03 Nov 1980 - 31 May 1981 CA 2948, Committee of Review of the Australian Broadcasting Commission 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2335, Radio Frequency Management Division, State Office, South Australia 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2067, Australian Telecommunications Corporation (Telecom) 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2069, Australian Postal Corporation, Headquarters 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2260, Australian Broadcasting Authority, Head Office, Sydney 03 Nov 1980 - 31 Oct 1986 CA 6065, Department of Communications, Central Office [Melbourne] 01 Jan 1981 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 5964, Department of Communications, Headquarters [Melbourne] 14 May 1981 - 24 Jul 1987 23 Sep 1981 - 31 Aug 1982 CA 3405, Committee of Inquiry into the Monopoly Position of the Australian Postal Commission 23 Sep 1981 - 26 Nov 1982 CA 3419, Committee of Inquiry into Telecommunications Services in Australia (also known as the Telecommunications Inquiry) 01 Jul 1983 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 3589, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Head Office 01 Jan 1986 - 24 Jul 1987 CA 2332, Radio Frequency Management Division, State Office, Victoria (from 1987) Radio Communications Operations Branch, Victoria
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Persons associated with agency |
31 Dec 1975 - 31 Mar 1979 CP 549, Frederick John GREEN CBE - SECRETARY 03 Nov 1980 - 07 May 1982 CP 426, The Rt Hon Ian McCahon SINCLAIR AC - Minister 06 Nov 1980 - 06 May 2006 CP 283, Robert Broughton LANSDOWN AO, CBE - Secretary 07 May 1982 - 11 Mar 1983 CP 287, Hon Neil Anthony BROWN QC - Minister 11 Mar 1983 - 13 Dec 1984 CP 341, Hon John Norman BUTTON - Minister assisting the Minister for Communications 11 Mar 1983 - 24 Jul 1987 CP 596, Hon Michael John DUFFY ONZ - Minister 24 Mar 1993 - 23 Dec 1993 CP 495, Hon David Peter BEDDALL
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Date registered |
30 Sep 1987 |
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