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Agency details for: CA 3067
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
  • 03 Nov 1980 - 24 Jul 1987
    CO 1, COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Location
Australian Capital Territory
Agency status
Department of State
Function
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 ACT

Legislation 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
    CA 3821, Broadcasting Council
  • 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
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
Date registered
30 Sep 1987

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