On 13 December 1984, the Department of Industry and Commerce [II] (CA 3256) was abolished and the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce was established, by a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (as notified in Commonwealth Gazette, No S 520, 13 December 1984). In a media release of 11 December 1984, the Prime Minister described the change as "a reordering of industry and technology policy functions to reflect the Government's priorities for industry development, to ensure the achievement of continued high growth and employment".
 
He commented on the expansion of the former Department of Industry and Commerce as follows:
 
 "The inclusion in this Department of responsibility for technology
 and civil offsets, and for the implementation of the Government's
 deregulation initiatives, will enable a better integration of our
 industry and technology policies and should increase the
 competitiveness of Australian industry stimulating growth and
 greater employment opportunities. The Department will work closely
 with the Departments of Trade and of Employment and Industrial
 Relations to promote the Government's competitiveness, growth and
 employment objectives."  

The majority of the functions of the new department were inherited from the Department of Industry and Commerce [II] (CA 3256). The technology and industrial research and development functions were passed from the Department of Science and Technology (CA 3069) and part responsibility for offsets was inherited from the former Department of Defence Support (CA 3254). 

The principal matters dealt with by the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce as listed in the Administrative Arrangements Orders (notified in Commonwealth Gazette, No S521, 13 December 1984) were:
 
. Manufacturing and Commerce (including industries development) 
. Technology and industrial research and development
. Small business
. Duties of customs and excise
. Bounties on the production or export of goods
. Offsets, to the extent not dealt with by the Department of Defence
  (CA 46).
 
The enactments administered by the Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce were:
 
  Advance Australia Logo Protection Act 1984
  Australian Industry Development Corporation Act 1970
  Automatic Data Processing Equipment Bounty Act 1977
  Automatic Industry Authority Act 1984
  Bass Strait Freight Adjustment Levy Collection Act 1984
  Beer Excise Act Repeal Act 1968
  Bounty (Agricultural Tractors) Act 1966
  Bounty (Bed Sheeting) Act 1977
  Bounty (Berry Fruits) Act 1982
  Bounty (Books) Act 1969
  Bounty (Commercial Motor Vehicles) Act 1978
  Bounty (Computers) Act 1984
  Bounty (Electric Motors) Act 1984
  Bounty (High Alloy Steel Products) Act 1983
  Bounty (Injection-moulding Equipment) Act 1979
  Bounty (Metal-working Machine Tools) Act 1978
  Bounty (Paper) Act 1979
  Bounty (Penicillin) Act 1980
  Bounty (Printed Fabrics) Act 1981
  Bounty (Room Air Conditioners) Act 1983
  Bounty (Ships) Act 1980
  Bounty (Steel Mill Products) Act 1983
  Bounty (Textile Yarns) Act 1981
  Bounty (Tractor Cabs) Act 1983
  Bounty (Two-stroke) Engines Act 1984
  Canned Fruit Excise Act Repeal Act 1968
  Coal Excise Act 1949
  Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905, insofar as it relates to  
   imports
  Customs Act 1901, except to the extent administered by the
   Attorney-General and by the Special Minister of State
  Customs Securities (Penalties) Act 1981
  Customs Tariff Act 1966
  Customs Tariff Act 1982
  Customs Tariff (Anti-dumping) Act 1975
  Customs Tariff (Coal Export Duty) Act 1975
  Customs Tariff (Uranium Concentrate Export Duty) Act 1980
  Customs Tariff Validation Acts
  Customs Undertakings (Penalties) Act 1981
  Diesel Fuel Tax Acts
  Diesel Fuel Taxation (Administration) Act 1957
  Distillation Act 1901
  Excise Act 1901
  Excise Tariff Act 1921
  Excise Tariff Validation Acts
  Industrial Research and Development Incentives Act 1976
  Industries Assistance Commission Act 1973
  Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Grants) Act 1980
  Management and Investment Companies Act 1983
  Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, sections 12 and 22 and sub-section 24(2),
   and so much of the remaining provisions of that Act (other than  
   sections 9, 10, 11, 13, 19 and 23 and sub-section 24 (1) as
   relates to powers and functions under those sections
  Nitrogenous Fertilizers Subsidy Act 1966
  Petroleum Retail Marketing Franchise Act 1980
  Petroleum Retail Marketing Sites Act 1980
  Phosphate Fertilizers Subsidy Act 1963
  Psychotropic Substances Act 1976
  Ship Construction Bounty Act 1975
  Spirits Act 1906
  States Grants (Petroleum Products) Act 1965
  Steel Industry Authority Act 1983
  Structural Adjustments (Loan Guarantees) Act 1974.
 
In the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 30 July 1985 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S320, 1 August 1985) the Department received two new enactments:
 
  Customs Administration Act 1985
  Customs Administration (Transitional Provisions and Consequential  
   Amendments) Act 1985.
 
In the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 1 February 1986
(Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S30, 31 January 1986) the Department gained four new enactments:
 
  Bounty (Agricultural Tractors and Equipment) Act 1985
  Bounty (Metal Working Machines and Robots) Act 1985
  Customs Tariff (Stand By) Duties Act 1985
  Subsidy (Grain Harvesters and Equipment) Act 1985.
 
The Administrative Arrangements Orders of 3 February 1987 (Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette, 3 February 1987) amended the following Acts by the Customs Administration (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986:
 
  Commerce (Trade Descriptions Act 1905, insofar as it relates to  
   imports
  Customs Administration (Transitional Provisions and Consequential  
   Amendments) Act 1985
  Customs Tariff Act 1966
  Customs Tariff Act 1982.
 
It also received the following new Acts:
 
  Bounty (Books) Acts
  Bounty (Ship Repair) Act 1986
  Customs Administration (Transitional Provisions and Consequential  
   Amendments) Acts
  Custom Tariff Acts
  Fertilisers Subsidy Act 1986
  Industrial Research and Development Act 1986
  Subsidy (Cultivation Machines and Equipment) Act 1986.
 
From the Department of Science [III] (CA 4136) it received the Trade Marks Act, 1955, sections 103, 104 and 105.
 
In the administrative rearrangements of July 1987 the Department became a "super-ministry". It gained the building industry function from the abolished Department of Housing and Construction [III] (CA 3495); from Department of Trade [II] (CA 3500) it gained the responsibility from the export services/promotion function, export expansion and market development; from Department of Science [III] (CA 4136) it received the functions of Science, patents, weights and measures, civil space program and the Commission for the Future.
 
The Department of Science became the portfolio of 'Science and Small Business' which, under the system of dual administration of portfolios, was placed within the Department.
 
As a result of this change, several functions were devolved to other departments.
 
The following table lists the department that received the function, the function, and the date that the transfer took place:
  
 Department of Employment, Education and Training (CA 5986):
     
  Australian Research Grants Committee
  National Research Fellowship Advisory Committee
  Queen Elizabeth II Awards
  Anglo Australian Telescope Board
  Australian Marine Science & Technologies Advisory Committee -     
   Funding Allocation Panel (AMSTAC)
  Marine Sciences and Technologies Grants Scheme (formerly AMSTAC -
   FAP) [ceased 26/02/1988]
 
 Department of Arts, Sports, the Environment, Tourism and
 Territories (CA 5984):
     
  Antarctic Division
  Australian Biological Resources Study Advisory Committee     
   Office of the Supervising Scientist (formerly Department of Home
   Affairs and Environment)
 
 Department of Administrative Services [III] (CA 5983):
     
  Australian Analytical Laboratories
  Bureau of Meteorology
  Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (formerly Recombinant DNA
   Monitoring Committee as of 15/09/1987)
 
The portfolio of 'Science and Small Business' changed name to 'Science, Customs and Small Business' on 14 February 1988 but still remained within the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce (as at December 1989).
 
In the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 24 July 1987 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S183, 24 July 1987) the Department gained the following Acts from the abolished Department 
of Trade [II] (CA 3500):  
  
 Australian Trade Commission Act 1985
 Australian Trade Commission (Transitional Provisions and
  Consequential Amendments Act 1985
 Export Expansion Grants Act 1978
 Export Market Development Grants Act 1974.
 
From the abolished Deparment of Science [III] (CA 4136) it received the following Acts:
 
 Designs Act 1906
 Patents Act 1952
 Patents Trade marks, Designs and Copyright Act 1939
 Science and Industry Endowment Act 1926
 Science and Industry Research Act 1949.
 
From the abolished Department of Housing and Construction [III] (CA 3495) it received the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Act 1970.  

There were also three new enactments viz:
 
 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987   
 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Transitional
  Provisions) Act 1987
 Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987.
 
In the Customs Act 1901, the words "and by the Special Minister of State" were removed. The Department also lost the Industries Assistance Commission Act of 1973 to the Department of Treasury [II] (CA 2141).  

According to the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 4 March 1988 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S 64, 4 March 1988) the Department gained the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No 1) Act 1982, sections 191 and 192 from the Attorney-General's Department (CA 5) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science Act 1972 from the Department of Primary Industries and Energy (CA 5990).
 
In the Administrative Arrangement Orders effective on 7 June 1991 (in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S 158, 20 June 1991) the Department lost the 'residential' part of its responsibility for the construction industry to the new Department of Health, Housing and Community Services (CA 7297) which was also created on 7 June 1991.  
In the Administrative Arrangement Orders, approved 29 October 1991, effective on 1 November 1991, the Department lost the responsibility for Austrade to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (CA 5987).  
 
Enactments which were transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were:
 
 Australian Trade Commission Act 1985
 Australian Trade Commission (Transitional Provisions and
  Consequential Amendments) Act 1985
 Export Expansion Grants Act 1978
 Export Market Development Grants Act 1974
 
 
Also in the same Administrative Arrangements Orders, approved 29 October 1991, effective 1 November 1991, the Department gained responsibility for two new enactments:
 
 Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Transitional Provisions  
  and Consequential Amendments) Act 1991
 Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Act 1991
 
This, in fact, means that the Department still controlled the finance arm of Austrade, although it had lost all other responsibilities to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
 
In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 31 January 1992 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S 37, 5 February 1992) the Department experienced a number of changes. Firstly, the changes to Austrade as detailed above were re-affirmed. Secondly, the function of construction/building industry was now shown to be a shared function with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services (CA 7297) having responsibility for residential construction (listed as Housing) and the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce (CA 4132) having responsibility for the principal matter of the 'Construction industry (excluding residential construction)', previously listed as the 'building industry'.
 
The following Act was repealed by the Department of Primary Industry and Energy Legislation Amendment Act (No 3) 1989:
 
 Bass Strait Freight Adjustment Levy Collection Act 1984.
 
The following Acts were repealed by the Bounty Legislation Amendment Act 1990:
 
 Bounty (Agricultural Tractors and Equipment) Act 1985
 Bounty (Berry Fruits) Act 1982
 Bounty (Books) Acts
 Bounty (Commercial Motor Vehicles) Act 1978
 Bounty (High Alloy Steel Products) Act 1983
 Bounty (Injection-moulding Equipment) Act 1979
 Bounty (Metal-working Machine Tools) Act 1978
 Bounty (Paper) Act 1979
 Bounty (Ships) Acts
 Bounty (Steel Mill Products) Act 1983
 Fertilizers Subsidy Act 1986
 Nitrogenous Fertilizers Subsidy Act 1963
 Phosphate Fertilizer Subsidy Act 1963
 Ship Construction Bounty Act 1975.
 
In the same Administrative Arrangements Order the Bounty (Textile Yarns) Act 1981 became the Bounty and Capitalisation Grants (Textile Yarns) Act 1981 and the Patents Act 1952 was repealed by the Patents Act 1990.
 
The Department also gained the following new Acts:
 
 Bounty (Books) Act 1986
 Bounty (Citric Acid) Act 1991
 Bounty (Ships) Act 1989
 Patents Act 1990.
 
The Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce was abolished on 24 March 1993, pursuant to the Administrative Arrangements Order of that date. All of its functions passed to the new Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development (CA 7659).
 
The Minister of the Department was:
 
13 Dec 1984 - 24 Mar 1993   : Senator the Hon John Norman Button 
                              (CP 341).  

Secretaries to the Department were:
 
13 Dec 1984 - 12 Mar 1985   : T P Hayes
13 Mar 1985 - 30 Jun 1990   : Dr D Charles
 1 Jul 1990 - 24 Mar 1993   : Dr M Macintosh
Historical agency address
Edmund Barton Building, Kings Avenue, Barton ACT
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 250, 13 December 1984
Abolition: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 91, 24 March 1993