The Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and
Territories was formed on 24 July 1987 from elements of the
following Departments abolished at the same time.
 
 Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism (CA 3498)
 Department of Arts, Heritage and the Environment (CA 4131)
 Department of Education [II] (CA 4134)
 Department of Territories [II] (CA 4135)
 Department of Science [III] (CA 4136)
 
It also obtained responsibility for numerous Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Taxation Acts from the Department of the Treasury [II] (CA 2141). The Administrative Arrangements Order of 24 July 1987 (published in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 183, 24 July 1987) stated that the Department would deal with the following matters:
 
 Cultural affairs, including support for the arts
 National collections
 National heritage
 Sport and recreation
 Environment and conservation
 Tourism, including the tourist industry
 International expositions and support for international conferences 
  and special events
 Administration of the Australian Capital Territory
 Administration of the Jervis Bay Territory, the Territory of Cocos 
  (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island, the Coral
  Sea Islands Territory, the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier
  Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, and the Territory of
  Heard Island and the McDonald Islands, and of Commonwealth
  responsibilities on  Norfolk Island
 Constitutional development of the Northern Territory of Australia.  

The Department has responsibility for administering the following Acts:

 Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981
 Antarctic Treaty Act 1960
 Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
 Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Act 1933
 Australia Council Act 1975
 Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933
 Australian Antarctic Territory Act 1954
 Australian Capital Territory Electricity Supply Act 1962
 Australian Capital Territory Gaming and Liquor Authority Act 1981 
 Australian Capital Territory Stamp Duty Act 1969
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Cheques) Act 1969
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Hire Purchase Business) Act 1969 
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Insurance Business) Act 1969 
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Life Insurance Business) Act 1981 
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Purchases of Marketable
  Securities) Act 1969
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Sales of Marketable Securities)  
  Act 1969
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Transfers of Marketable
 Securities) Act 1986
 Australian Capital Territory Tax (Vehicle Registration) Act 1981  
 Australian Capital Territory Taxation (Administration) Act 1969 
 Australian Federal Police Act 1979, section 69
 Australian Film Commission Act 1975
 Australian Film, Television and Radio School Act 1973
 Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975
 Australian Institute of Sport Act 1986
 Australian Institute of Sport (Consequential Provisions) Act 1986 
 Australian Sports Commission Act 1985
 Australian Tourist Commission Act 1967
 Canberra College of Advanced Education Act 1967
 Canberra Water Supply (Googong Dam) Act 1974
 Captains Flat (Abatement of Pollution) Agreement Act 1975
 Christmas Island Act 1958
 Christmas Island Agreement Acts
 Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955
 Commonwealth Functions (Statutes Review) Act 1981. Part II
 Commonwealth Teaching Service Act 1972
 Coral Sea Islands Act 1969
 Darwin Lands Acquisition Act 1945
 Environment (Financial Assistance) Act 1977
 Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978
 Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974
 Environment Protection (Nuclear Codes) Act 1978
 Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981
 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975
 Heard Island and McDonald Islands Act 1953
 Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
 Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915
 Koongarra Project Area Act 1981
 Lemonthyme and Southern Forests (Commission of Enquiry) Act 1987 
 National Capital Development Commission Act 1957
 National Fitness Act 1941
 National Gallery Act 1975
 National Library Act 1960
 National Museum of Australia Act 1980
 National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975
 Norfolk Island Act 1979
 Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910
 Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978,except sections 69,70 
 Parliament Act 1974
 Pay-roll Tax (Territories) Act 1971
 Pay-roll Tax (Territories) Assessment Act 1971
 Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986
 Public Lending Right Act 1985
 Removal of Prisoners (Australian Capital Territory) Act 1968 
 Removal of Prisoners (Territories) Act 1923, insofar as it relates 
  to the Northern Territory of Australia (except to the extent 
  administered by the Attorney-General) and to Norfolk Islands, the 
  Territory of Christmas Island, the Coral Sea Islands Territory,
  the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Heard Island and 
  McDonald Islands Territory and the Australian Antarctic Territory  
 Seat of Government Acceptance Acts
 Seat of Government Act 1908
 Seat of Government (Administration) Acts
 States Grants (Air Quality Monitoring) Act 1976
 States Grants (Nature Conservation) Act 1974
 Urban and Regional Development (Financial Assistance) Act 1974,
  insofar as it relates to national estate grants
 Whale Protection Act 1980
 Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982  
 World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983
 
The new super-ministry received all function and legislative
responsibilities of the defunct Territories [II] Department except the Parliament House Construction Authority. Similarly it inherited all of the Arts, Heritage and Environment portfolio's functions except responsibility for the Australian Archives.
 
The new portfolio gained the sport, tourism and expositions functions from the Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism. That transfer covered the National Fitness Act and sports/tourism bodies. It inherited responsibility for numerous ACT taxation acts (eg. the ACT Stamp Duty Act 1969) from Treasury [II], the Canberra College of Advanced Education Act 1967 and elements of the Commonwealth Teaching Service Act 1972 from the abolished Education [II] portfolio and responsibilities in relation to the Antarctic/McDonald and Heard Island territories from Science [III].  

On 24 July 1987, the Department of Science ceased and became the portfolio of "Science and Small Business" which, under the system of dual administration of portfolios, was placed within the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce (CA 4132).
 
As a result of this change, several functions were devolved to the Department of Arts, Sports, the Environment, Tourism and Territories.  

The following table lists the function and the date that the transfer took place:
 
 - Antarctic Division                      14 September 1987
 - Bureau of Meteorology                   27 June 1990
 - Australian Biological Resources Study   
   Advisory Committee                      5 September 1988
 

In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 4 March 1988
(Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 64, 4 March 1988) the Department was given responsibility for the following new
enactments:
 
 Australian Tourist Commission (Transitional Provisions) Act 1987  
 Sea Installations Act 1987
 Sea Installations Levy Act 1987
 
In November 1989, the function relating to the "National Tree Program" was devolved from this Department to "Greening Australia".
 
On 27 June 1990 the Department gained responsibility for meteorology (effective 1 July 1990) from the Department of Administrative Services [III] (CA 5983).
 
As a result of Administrative Arrangements Order dated 27 December 1991 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 370, 27 December 1991) the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories (CA 5984) was abolished. Its functions went to the two new agencies created in the same Administrative Arrangements Order - the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories (CA 7431) and the Department of Tourism (CA 7432).
 
Ministers for the Department have been:

24 Jul 1987 - 18 Dec 1987: Hon John Joseph Brown
18 Dec 1987 -  4 Apr 1990: Senator the Hon Graham Frederick
                            Richardson 
 4 Apr 1990 - 27 Dec 1991: Hon Ros Kelly
  
Secretary to the Department was:

24 Jul 1987 - 27 Dec 1991: A S Blunn
 
 
Sources
 
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No S183, 24 July 1987
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No S64, 4 March 1988
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No S370, 27 December 1991
Historical agency address
1987-1988: Silverton Centre, Cnr Moore & Rudd Streets, Canberra
1988-1991: Tobruk House, 15 Moore Street, Canberra
Legislation administered
Creation: Notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S 183, 24 July 1987

Abolition: Notified in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S 370, 27 December 1991