The Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development was established on 24 March 1993 pursuant to Executive Council Minute 
No 5 of that date (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S91, 24 March 1993).
 
The Department inherited all matters and legislation from the abolished Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce (CA 4132), and also gained the matter of regional development from the abolished Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (CA 5988).  

In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 24 March 1993 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S91, 24 March 1993) the Matters dealt with by the Department were listed as:
 
 Manufacturing and commerce including industries development  
 Science and technology
 Export services
 Marketing, including export promotion, of manufactures and 
  services
 Small business
 Construction industry (excluding residential construction)  
 Duties of customs and excise
 Bounties on the production of goods
 Offsets, to the extent not dealt with by the Department of Defence
 Patents of inventions and designs, and trade marks
 Weights and measures
 Civil space program
 Commission for the future
 Regional development.
 
Legislation administered by the Minister was listed as:
 
 Advance Australia Logo Protection Act 1984
 Anti-dumping Authority Act 1988
 Australian Industry Development Corporation Act 1970
 Australian Institute of Marine Science Act 1972
 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987    
 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Transitional
  Provisions) Act 1987
 Automotive Industry Authority Act 1984
 Beer Excise Act Repeal Act 1968
 Bounty (Bed Sheeting) Act 1977
 Bounty (Books) Act 1986
 Bounty and Capitalisation Grants (Textile Yarns) Act 1981
 Bounty (Citric Acid) Act 1991
 Bounty (Computers) Act 1984
 Bounty (Metal Working Machines and Robots) Act 1985
 Bounty (Photographic Film) Act 1989
 Bounty (Printed Fabrics) Act 1981
 Bounty (Ship Repair) Act 1986
 Bounty (Ships) Act 1989
 Canned Fruit Excise Act Repeal Act 1968
 Coal Excise Act 1949
 Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905
 Customs Act 1901, except to the extent administered by the 
  Attorney-General
 Customs Administration Act 1985
 Customs Administration (Transitional Provisions and Consequential
  Amendments) Act 1985
 Customs Securities (Penalties) Act 1981
 Customs Tariff Act 1987
 Customs Tariff (Anti-Dumping) Act 1975
 Customs Tariff (Rate Alteration) Act 1988
 Customs Tariff (Uranium Concentrate Export Duty) Act 1980
 Customs Tariff Validation Acts
 Customs Undertakings (Penalties) Act 1981
 Defence (Transitional Provisions) Act 1946 and Defence Transition   
  (Residual Provisions) Act 1952, in relation to the National
  Security (Industrial Property) Regulations and regulation 62 of the
  National Security (Supplementary) Regulations
 Designs Act 1906
 Diesel Fuel Tax Acts
 Diesel Fuel Taxation (Administration) Act 1957
 Distillation Act 1901
 Excise Act 1901
 Excise Tariff Act 1921
 Excise Tariff Validation Acts
 Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Act 1991
 Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Transitional Provisions   
  and Consequential Amendments) Act 1991
 Foreign Corporations (Application of Laws) Act 1989
 Industrial Research and Development Incentives Act 1976
 Industry Research and Development Act 1986
 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
 National Measurement Act 1960
 Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987
 Patents Act 1900
 Patents, Trade Marks, Designs and Copyright Act 1939
 Petroleum Retail Marketing Franchise Act 1980
 Petroleum Retail Marketing Sites Act 1980
 Pooled Development Funds Act 1992
 Psychotropic Substances Act 1976
 Science and Industry Endowment Act 1926
 Science and Industry Research Act 1949
 Scout Association Act 1924
 Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Act 1970
 Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (Conversion into Public   
  Company) Act 1989
 Spirits Act 1906
 States Grants (Petroleum Products) Act 1965
 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No 1) Act 1982, sections   
  191 and 192
 Steel Industry Authority Act 1983
 Structural Adjustments (Loan Guarantees) Act 1974
 Subsidy (Cultivation Machines and Equipment) Act 1986
 Subsidy (Grain Harvesters and Equipment) Act 1985
 Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Development Authority Act 1988  
 Trade Marks Act 1955.
 
In addition, the Office of Northern Development has moved from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (CA 1401) to this Department and the Hon Ted Lindsay, Parliamentary Secretary, will now have special responsibility for Northern Development issues.
 
The Department was abolished on 25 March 1994 pursuant to Executive Council Minute No 9 of that date. It was replaced by the new Department of Industry, Science and Technology (CA 7902) inheriting all functions except regional development, which became the responsibility of the new Department of Housing and Regional Development (CA 7901).
 
Ministers of the Department were:
 
24 Mar 1993 - 23 Jan 1994  : Hon Alan Griffiths
30 Jan 1994 - 25 Mar 1994  : Senator the Hon Peter Cook  
 
The Secretary of the Department was:
 
24 Mar 1993 - 19 Dec 1993  : N R Stevens
20 Dec 1993 - 25 Mar 1994  : D A Hollway
 
 
Sources
 
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S91, 24 March 1993
Press Release by the Prime Minister, 24 March 1993
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No S31, 3 February 1994
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No GN13, 6 April 1994
Historical agency address
Edmund Barton Building, Barton ACT
Legislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Minute No. 5, 24 March 1993 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S91, 24 March 1993)
Abolition: Executive Council Minute No. 9, 25 March 1994 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 13, 6 April 1994)