Department of Defence Support
{{Short description|Australian government department, 1982–1984}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Department of Defence Support
|logo =
|logo_width =
|logo_caption =
|preceding1 = Department of Industry and Commerce – for manufacture of goods and provision of services for defence purposes
Department of Administrative Services (II) – for defence purchasing
|superseding = Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce – for offsets
|type = Department
|jurisdiction = Commonwealth of Australia
|employees =
|budget =
|minister1_name = Ian Viner
|minister1_pfo = Minister (1982–1983)
|minister2_name = Brian Howe
|minister2_pfo = Minister (1983–1984)
| chief1_name = Charles Halton
| chief1_position = Secretary
| headquarters = Reid, Canberra
}}
The Department of Defence Support was an Australian government department that existed between May 1982 and December 1984.
History
The department was established by the Fraser government after a recommendation from the Defence Review Committee, which concluded that there were disadvantages in the previous large structure of the Defence Department.{{cite press release|first=Malcolm|last=Fraser|author-link=Malcolm Fraser|title=Ministry and Departmental Changes|date=7 May 1982|url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=5810|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204080236/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=5810|archive-date=4 December 2013}} Charles Halton became Secretary of the new department. In July 1984 a 27-person senior executive team was appointed to assist the departmental Secretary, of which only one was a woman.{{cite news|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=24 July 1984|title='Significant change' in PS practice|page=9|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127215792|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112031254/http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/127215792|archive-date=12 January 2014}}
The department was abolished in December 1984, after Bob Hawke was elected Prime Minister in the 1983 Australian federal election.{{cite press release|url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6565|archive-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111013833/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6565|title=Changes to the Ministry and Departmental Arrangements|first=Robert|last=Hawke|author-link=Bob Hawke|date=11 December 1984}} Hawke reasoned that the needs of defence policy making in Australia would be better served if all responsibilities were bought together within the one portfolio.
Scope
Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports.
Functions of the Department at its creation were:
- Within defence policies approved by the Minister for Defence the following support for defence purposes -
- Purchase of goods and services
- Manufacture of goods and provision of services
- Research and development
- Development of Australian industry
- Dockyard support.
Structure
The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Defence Support.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Ministries established in 1982
Category:1982 establishments in Australia
{{Australia-gov-stub}}