The Department of Home Affairs was established on 1 January 1901 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 1 of 1 January 1901, p.4). It was one of the first seven Departments of State to be established when Australia became a Commonwealth.

The functions of the Department, as outlined in the first Administrative Arrangements Order on 3 February 1905, were:
 
Old-age pensions
People of special races
Acquisition of property
Acquisition of railways with State consent
Control of railways with State consent
Astronomical
Census and Statistics
Public Works
Federal Capital
Inter-State Commissions
Elections
Public Service
 
The Acts administered by the Department were:
 
Property for Public Purposes Acquisitions Act, 1901
Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902
Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1902
Senate Elections Act 1903
Electoral Divisions Act 1903
Seat of Government Act 1904
Representation Act 1905
Census and Statistics Act 1905
Governor-General's Residences Act 1906
Referendum(Constitution Alteration) Act 1906
Electoral Validating Act 1906
Lands Acquisitions Act 1906
Constitution Alteration (Senate Elections) Act 1906
Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Survey Act 1907
Dispute of Elections and Qualifications Act 1907
Meteorology Act 1906
Seat of Government Act 1908
Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909
Seat of Government(Administration) Act 1910
Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway Act 1911
Pine Creek to Katherine River Railway Survey Act 1912
Pine Creek to Katherine River Railway Act 1913
Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915
War Census Act 1915
Compulsory Voting Act 1915
River Murray Waters Act 1915
Representation Act 1916
Military Service Referendum Act 1916
 
The Central Office of the Department was in Melbourne. The first Minister was the Honourable Sir William John Lyne, KCMG who was appointed by the Governor General on 1 January 1901 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 1 of 1 January 1901, p.4) Walter David Bingle was appointed Senior Clerk and Secretary to the Minister on 5 April 1901 and promoted to the position of Chief Clerk on 1 July 1901 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 62 of 6 December 1901, p.250).
 
The following were Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs [I]: 

 1 Jan 1901 -  6 Aug 1903  : Sir William J Lyne
 7 Aug 1903 - 26 Apr 1904  : Sir John Forrest
26 Apr 1904 - 17 Aug 1904  : Hon E L Batchelor
17 Aug 1904 -  4 Jul 1905  : Hon Duglad Thomson
 4 Jul 1905 - 11 Oct 1906  : Hon L E Groom
11 Oct 1906 - 23 Jan 1907  : Hon T T Ewing
23 Jan 1907 - 12 Nov 1908  : Senator Hon J H Keating
12 Nov 1908 - 12 Jun 1909  : Hon Hugh Mahon
12 Jun 1909 - 29 Apr 1910  : Hon G W Fuller
29 Apr 1910 - 20 May 1913  : Hon King O'Malley
20 May 1913 - 14 Sep 1914  : Hon Joseph Cook
17 Sep 1914 - 27 Oct 1915  : Hon W O Archibald
27 Oct 1915 - 14 Nov 1916  : Hon King O'Malley
 
Secretary to the Department was:
 
19 Nov 1901 - 14 Nov 1916  : D Miller
 
The function of controlling the Public Service, after coming from the Department of External Affairs [I] (CA 7) in 1902, went to the Prime Minister's Department (CA 12) in 1912. When the Department of Home Affairs [I] was abolished on 14 November 1916 by Executive Council Minute No.8 of 1917 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.30 of 22 February 1917, p.353) its functions went to the newly created Department of Home and Territories (CA 15); functions dealing with public Works, railways and rivers were transferred to the newly created Department of Works and Railways (CA 14). 
 

Historical agency address
1901-1916: Melbourne, Victoria
Legislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Minute No 1 of 1901
Abolition: Executive Council Minute No 8 of 1917, Prime Minister's Minute Paper No 23 of 1917

Previous agency unregistered

1901: [Colonial predecessors - subject to research]