The name of the Department of Fuel, Shipping and Transport (CA 55) was changed to the Department of Shipping and Transport on 11 May 1951 (Executive Council Minute No 50).  This followed from the transfer of the functions of the Fuel Branch of Fuel, Shipping and Transport to the Department of National Development [I] (CA 56).  The Department of Shipping and Transport also took over responsibility for shipbuilding functions from the Department of Supply (CA 57). (1)  

The functions of the Department of Shipping and Transport as given in the Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 June 1951 were:
 
 Shipping, including the best utilization of the Australian Coastal
  Fleet, the chartering of ships, the operation of Commonwealth-   
  owned and chartered ships.
 Shipbuilding and the repair and maintenance of ships (other than
  naval vessels).
 Movement of Commonwealth explosives.
 Provision of facilities at Australian ports for handling 
  Commonwealth explosives.
 Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool.
 Control and maintenance of coastal lights and other aids to 
  navigation on the sea routes around the Australian coastline.  
 Control of marine services, such as surveys of ships, inspection of
  ships' gear, safe loading of ships, accommodation for ships' crews,
  engagement and discharge of seamen, examinations of masters, mates
  and engineers, licensing of ships to engage in coasting trade, 
  wrecks and salvage, Courts of Marine Enquiry, Seamen's
  Compensation. 
 Collection of Colonial Light Dues and remission of collection to
  United Kingdom.
 Commonwealth Railways.
 Administration of Standardization of Railways Agreements.
 Commonwealth aid for roads and works.
 Australian Transport Advisory Council. (2)
 
In the next full Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 April 1978, the functions of the Department were listed as:

 Navigation and shipping, including Shipbuilding, Lighthouses,
  lightships, beacons and buoys
 Land transport. (3)
 
The listed functions remained the same in subsequent Administrative Arrangements Orders, until the abolition of the Department in 1972. The functions of the Department as given in the Commonwealth Directory, 1972 were:
 
 Railways, including standardisation of railway gauges.
 Road Transport. Road Safety. Commonwealth aid for road
  construction.  
 Coastal and overseas shipping, including the licensing of vessels to
  trade on the Australian Coast.
 Shipbuilding. Including the design and construction of merchant
  ships and the administration of subsidy arrangements.
 Transport of Commonwealth explosives.
 Maritime Navigational Aids.
 Marine services, including surveys of ships, manning, examinations 
  of sea-going personnel, wrecks and salvage.
 Objective appraisals and studies of the economics of transport.   
 Project analyses, investigations of costs and of prospective
  developments in transport. (4)

Legislation administered by the Minister for Shipping and Transport as at 21 June 1951:

 Beaches, Fishing Grounds and Sea Routes Protection Act 1932 (except
  Section 3)
 Brachina to Leigh Creek North Coal-field Railway Act 1950
 Colonial Light Dues Collection Act 1932-1936
 Colonial Light Dues (Rates) Act 1932-1936
 Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1950
 Commonwealth Railways Act 1917-1950
 Defence (Transitional Provisions) Act 1946-1950, insofar as it
  related to the following Regulations:
   National Security (General) Regulations 66
   National Security (Medical Benefits for Seamen) Regulations
   National Security (Shipping Co-ordination) Regulations
 Grafton to South Brisbane Railway Act 1924-1930
 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Act 1911-1950
 Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Lands Act 1918-1920
 Lighthouse Act 1911-1949
 Navigation Act 1912-1950
 Northern Territory Railway Extension Act 1923-1950
 Oodnadatta to Alice Springs Railway Act 1926-1950
 Pine Creek to Katherine River Railway Act 1913-1950
 Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (Alteration of Route) Act
  1950  
 Port Augusta to Port Pirie Railway Act 1935-1950
 Railway Standardization (South Australia) Agreement Act 1949
 Sea-Carriage of Goods Act 1924
 Seamen's Compensation Act 1911-1949
 Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act 1940-1950 (except pensions
  and allowances provisions administered by the Repatriation
  Department)
Seat of Government Railway Act 1928 (5)
 
On 19 December 1972, the Department of Shipping and Transport was renamed the Department of Transport [III] (CA 1492). (6)  The new Minister for Transport, Hon Charles Keith Jones, was also Minister for Civil Aviation and subsequently, in November 1973, the Departments of Civil Aviation and Transport [III] were amalgamated to achieve closer co-ordination of policies in the transport field. (7)  
Ministers for the Department of Shipping and Transport were:
 
11 May 1951 - 14 Sep 1955: Hon George McLeay (CP 206)(8)
15 Sep 1955 - 27 Sep 1955: Senator the Hon John Armstrong Spicer
27 Sep 1955 -  5 Feb 1960: Hon Shane Dunn Paltridge (9)
 5 Feb 1960 - 18 Dec 1963: Hon Hubert Ferdinand Opperman (10) 
18 Dec 1963 - 28 Feb 1968: Hon Gordon Freeth (CP 45)(11)
28 Feb 1968 -  5 Feb 1971: Hon Ian McCahon Sinclair (12)
 5 Feb 1971 -  5 Dec 1972: Hon Peter James Nixon (CP 83) (13)
 5 Dec 1972 - 19 Dec 1972: Hon Edward Gough Whitlam (CP99) (14)  

Secretaries to the Department were:
 
11 May 1951 - 29 Oct 1957  : C H McFadyen
29 Oct 1957 - 08 Apr 1969  : D C L Williams (14)
08 Apr 1969 - 19 Dec 1972  : M M Summers (15)
 

References
 
 1. Commonwealth Public Service Board Bulletin, Vol 3, No 3, May-June
    1975, p 1
 2. Commonwealth Gazette, No 46, 2 July 1951, p 1660
 3. Commonwealth Gazette, No 25, 24 April 1958, p 1336
 4. Commonwealth Directory, 1972 (Canberra, February 1972), p 246
 5. Commonwealth Gazette, No 46, 2 July 1951, p 1660
 6. Commonwealth Gazette, No 129A, 19 December 1972, p 1
 7. Halton, C C The Australian Department of Transport (Paper given
    at the Royal Institute of Public Administration Annual Conference
    1975, Canberra) p 1-3
 8. Commonwealth Gazette, No 31, 11 May 1951, p1218
 9. Commonwealth Gazette, No 3, 12 January 1956, p 172
10. Commonwealth Gazette, No 13, 11 February 1960, p 614
11. Commonwealth Gazette, No 106B, 18 December 1963, p 4577D
12. Commonwealth Gazette, No 18B, 28 February 1968, p 1116D
13. Commonwealth Gazette, No 12B, 5 February 1971, p 1049C
14. Commonwealth Gazette, No 58, 24 October 1957, p 2353
15. Commonwealth Gazette, No 23, 13 March 1969, p 1665
 

Historical agency address
  1951-  1966: 497 Collins Street, Melbourne
  1966-by1970: 35 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
by1970-  1972: Childers Street, Turner, Canberra
by1970-  1972: 35 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
by1970-  1972: 58 Margaret Street, Sydney