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