The Department of Post-War Reconstruction was established on 22 December 1942 (Executive Council No. 167, (P.M.'s Minute No. 46) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 334 of 24 December 1942). In January 1943, a Director-General was appointed and a nucleus staff was taken over from the Reconstruction Division of the Department of Labour and National Service (CA 40).
 
The Department's functions were, in general terms to prepare plans for the transition from a wartime to a peace time economy both for individuals in the Services and in War production and for the economy itself. It was to be essentially a planning and co-ordinating department, working in collaboration with other Commonwealth Departments and with State Governments and local and semi-governmental Authorities in the formulation of plans for post-war reconstruction. In particular the functions of the Department were:
 
(1) to plan, where necessary in collaboration with other
    Commonwealth Departments, for post-war reconstruction,
    particularly in relation to:
   (a) the re-establishment and advancement of members of the
       fighting services; and the transfer of workers from war to
       civil employment
   (b) the maintenance and expansion of employment and the national 
       income and the prevention of unemployment
   (c) the prevention of want, the raising of the standard of
       living, and the attainment of social security
   (d) the development and conservation of the resources of the 
       Commonwealth
   (e) the use or disposal of buildings, materials, etc. assigned to
       war purposes and no longer required for those purposes.

(2) to prepare and co-ordinate proposals and plans in connection with
    Australia's with Australia's part in International negotiations 
    concerned with post-war social and economic reconstruction and
    the relief of the peoples of war-stricken countries.

(3) to set up and co-ordinate the work of investigational
    Commissions  and Committees to provide the factual basis for 
    post-war plans,  including the following:
 
     Rural Reconstruction Commission
     National Housing Commission
     Secondary Industries Planning Commission
     Developmental Works Commission
 
(4) to provide technical, secretarial and research staffs for such 
    Commissions and Committees.

(5) to ensure that there is adequate machinery to carry out   
     reconstruction plans.

(6) to promote and assist the examination and discussion of  
    reconstruction problems by nonofficial organizations and
    individuals, to co-ordinate research made by Universities and
    other technical and expert bodies with particular post-war
    problems and generally to carry out educational work and
    publicity concerning  reconstruction problems and their solution.

(7) to review current policy in relation to its bearing on
    reconstruction planning and to advise the Government on matters 
    referred to it.
 
By 30 June 1945, the Department of War Organization of Industry (CA 45) was merged with the Department of Post War Reconstruction and the following changes made in the Central Office Organization of the combined Departments:
 
. Amalgamation of the Administration Division of both Departments.
  Work of the Public Relations Division of War Organization of 
  Industry taken over by the Public Relations Division of Post-War 
  Reconstruction
. Regulations, Orders and Enforcement Division of War Organization  
  of Industry became a section of the Policy and Research Division 
  of Post-War Reconstruction
. Economics and Statistics Division of War Organization of Industry 
  was merged with the Policy and Research Division of Post-War 
  Reconstruction
. Rationalization Division of War Organization of Industry and the 
  new Manufactures and Transport Sections were merged with the 
  Secondary Industries Division of Post-War Reconstruction
. Rural Divisions of both Departments were amalgamated
. Production of Industry was merged with the Policy and Research 
  Division of Post-War Reconstruction
 
In July 1945, the War Service Land Settlement Division was established to administer the War Service Land Settlement Agreements Act 1945.  

The Acts administered by the Department as listed in the Administrative Orders of 14 March 1947 were:
 
 Commonwealth Education Act 1945
 Defence (Transitional Provisions) Act 1946 (except Sections 11, 12 
  and 13 and except where the administration of particular
  provisions is otherwise expressly provided for)
 National University Act 1946
 Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945 (Parts I, II, Division 4; 
  III; V; VI; Divisions 1, 3 and 4, VII; XI)
 War Service Land Settlement Agreements Act 1945
 
The Secondary Industries Division of the Department inherited responsibility for the Essential Materials Order from the Department of Works and Housing in 1947. The Department lost responsibility for functions to a number of Departments as follows:
 
. War Housing Section to the Department of Labour and National 
  Service (CA 40) by July 1945
. Building Industry Division to the Department of Works and Housing 
  where it became part of the new Housing Directorate (CA 542) in
  July 1945
. UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) 
  Co-ordination Section to the Department of Supply and Shipping  (CA
  47) on 29 January 1946.
. Experimental Building Station (CA 669) to the Department of Works
  and Housing (CA 52) in 1946.
. Bureau of Agricultural Economics (CA 983) and the Fisheries 
  Division (CA 2104) to the Department of Commerce and Agriculture 
  (CA 48) in 1946.
. Rehabilitation (from the Re-establishment Division) to the 
  Department of Social Services (CA 32) in 1949 (subject to further 
  research).
. Economic policy, education and regional and industrial development
  to Prime Minister's Department (CA 12) in January 1950. 
  Responsibility for regional and industrial development passed from 
  Prime Minister's Department to the Department of National
  Development [I] (CA 56) in March 1950 (subject to further
  research).
. War Service Land Settlement Division (CA 1462) to the Department 
  of the Interior [II] (CA 31) in January 1950.
. Re-establishment of ex-servicemen and the Commonwealth
  Reconstruction  Scheme to the Repatriation Department (CA 16) in
  January 1950.  

The following had been Ministers for Post-War Reconstruction:  

22 Dec 1942 -  2 Feb 1945  : Hon Joseph Benedict Chifley
 2 Feb 1945 - 19 Dec 1949  : Hon John Johnstone Dedman
19 Dec 1949 - 17 Mar 1950  : Hon Eric John Harrison
 
Those holding the post of Secretary to the Department were:
 
 2 Feb 1943 - 31 Dec 1948  : Dr H C Coombs (CP 119)
 1 Jan 1949 - 24 Aug 1949  : S Brown
25 Aug 1949 - 16 Mar 1950  : L F Crisp
 

Sources
 
Commonwealth of Australia Year Book No 37
Report of the Committee of Review of Civil Staffing of War-time
 Authorities.
 

Historical agency address
Hotel Acton, Canberra ACT
Legislation administered
Creation: Executive Council Meeting No. 167 (P.M.'s Minute No. 46) of 17 December 1942
Abolition: Executive Council Meeting No. 11 (P.M.'s Minute No. 29) of 16 March 1950