Department of Defence (Australia) explained

Agency Name:Defence Australia
Preceding1:Department of Defence Co-ordination
Type:department
Jurisdiction:Australia
Headquarters:Canberra
Employees:16,272 (2020)[1]
Budget:37.82 billion (2019–20)[2]
Minister1 Name:Richard Marles
Minister1 Pfo:Minister for Defence
Chief1 Name:Greg Moriarty
Chief1 Position:Secretary of the Department of Defence
Child1 Agency:Defence Intelligence Organisation
Child2 Agency:Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation
Child3 Agency:Australian Signals Directorate

Defence Australia is a department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility to defend Australia and its national interests.[3] Along with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), it forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) and is accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out the Government's defence policy.

The head of the department, who leads it on a daily basis, is the Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF), currently Greg Moriarty. The Secretary reports to the Minister of Defence, Richard Marles.

History

Australia has had at least one defence-related government department since Federation in 1901. The first Department of Defence existed from 1901 until 1921. In 1915, during World War I, a separate Department of the Navy was created. The two departments merged in 1921 to form the second Department of Defence, regarded as a separate body.[4]

A major departmental reorganisation occurred in the lead-up to World War II. The Department of Defence was abolished and replaced with six smaller departments – the Defence Co-ordination (for defence policy, financial, and administrative matters), three "service departments" (Army, Navy, and Air), the Supply and Development (for munitions and materiel), and Civil Aviation.[4] The current Department of Defence was formally created in 1942, when Prime Minister John Curtin renamed the existing Department of Defence Co-ordination. The other defence-related departments underwent a series of reorganisations, before being merged into the primary department over the following decades. This culminated in the abolition of the three service departments in 1973. A new Department of Defence Support was created in 1982, but abolished in 1984.[5]

In May 2022, the department was renamed Defence Australia.[6]

The Australian Department of Defence, along with the Australian state and other governments are known to fund the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.[7]

Defence Committee

The Defence Committee is the primary decision-making committee in the Department of Defence, supported by six subordinate committees, groups and boards. The Defence Committee is focused on major capability development and resource management for the Australian Defence Organisation and shared accountability of the Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force.[8]

The members of the Defence Committee are:

Organisational groups

the Department of Defence consists of ten major organisational groups:[9]

Diarchy

The Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF) jointly manage the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) under a diarchy in which both report directly to the Minister for Defence and the Assistant Minister for Defence. The ADO diarchy is a governance structure unique in the Australian Public Service.

List of departmental secretaries

The Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF) is a senior public service officer and historically the appointees have not come from military service.

Name Post-nominlal's Date appointment
commenced 		Date appointment
ceased 		Term in office Notes Ref(s)
, PVNFPethebridge was acting Secretary 1906–1910
Trumble was acting Secretary 1914–1918
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17] [18]
[19]
Appointment terminated by the Governor-General on the recommendation of Prime Minister Howard.
Barratt fought the decision in the Federal Court, losing on appeal. 		[20] [21]
[22] [23]
[24]
[25] [26]
[27]
[28]
Incumbent[29]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Australia to spend $270b building larger military to prepare for 'poorer, more dangerous' world and rise of China. Macmillan. Jade. Greene. Andrew. 30 June 2020. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 July 2020.
  2. Web site: Portfolio Budget Statements 2019-20, Budget Related Paper No. 1.4A. Department of Defence. 2019. 9 July 2020.
  3. Web site: Defence Leaders: Senior Managers . Department of Defence . . 10 November 2013.
  4. News: Defence: Administrative History. National Archives of Australia. 3 April 2019.
  5. News: Department of Defence [III]]. National Archives of Australia. 3 April 2019.
  6. News: Federal department rebrands as Defence Australia. The Canberra Times.
  7. Web site: Australian Strategic Policy Institute Limited Annual Report 2018-2019. 2023-03-31. www.transparency.gov.au. en.
  8. Web site: Who we are and what we do . Australian Government Department of Defence . 7 August 2017 .
  9. Web site: Groups: About us . Department of Defence . Australian Government . 6 January 2016 .
  10. Web site: First Principles Review: Creating One Defence . April 2015 . 1 June 2015 . Peever, David .
  11. Web site: Fact Sheet: Smaller Government: Defence Materiel Organisation: Reintegration into the Department of Defence . Department of Defence, Australian Government . May 2015 . .
  12. Stop Press! Name Change. 9 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150919223409/http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/2015/07/31/stop-press-name-change. 19 September 2015. live. 31 July 2015. As part of the First Principles Review implementation, from 1 July 2015 the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has been renamed as the Defence Science and Technology Group..
  13. http://www.directory.gov.au/osearch.php?ou%3DIntelligence%20and%20Security%20Group%2Cou%3DDepartment%20of%20Defence%2Co%3DDefence%2Co%3DPortfolios%2Co%3DCommonwealth%20of%20Australia%2Cc%3DAU&changebase Intelligence and Security Group
  14. Web site: John Farquharson (journalist). John. Farquharson. Hicks, Sir Edwin William (Ted) (1910–1984) . . . 10 November 2013 . 2007 .
  15. Web site: John Farquharson (journalist). John. Farquharson. Bland, Sir Henry (Harry) (1909–1997) . Obituaries Australia . . 10 November 2013.
  16. Book: Reform of the Defence Management Paradigm : A Fresh View. Working Paper Series. James, Lieutenant Colonel Neil. Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. May 2000. 0-7317-0441-X. 10 November 2013. 40.
  17. http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/644102 NLA Catalogue
  18. Jennings, Peter. Peter Jennings. Channer, Hayley. Look Behind You, Mr Richardson. The Strategist. October 2012. Australian Strategic Policy Institute. 10 November 2013.
  19. For the media . 2 June 1988 . . . Hawke, Bob . Bob Hawke . 10 November 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131110145443/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=7330 . 10 November 2013 . dmy-all .
  20. News: Barratt sacked. transcript. PM. Australia. Colvin, Mark. Mark Colvin. Reynolds, Fiona. 31 August 1999. 10 November 2013.
  21. News: Barrett loses appeal against dismissal. transcript. PM. Australia. Colvin, Mark. Mark Colvin. Reynolds, Fiona. 10 March 2000. 10 November 2013.
  22. Howard, John . John Howard. New Secretary to the Department of Defence. 21 October 1999. 10 November 2013. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia.
  23. Web site: Defence Department Head Removed By Government. 25 September 2002. 10 November 2013. australianpolitics.com. Farnsworth, Malcolm.
  24. Howard, John. John Howard. Secretary – Department of Defence. 2 November 2006. 10 November 2013. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. https://web.archive.org/web/20131110095919/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=22554. 10 November 2013. dead.
  25. Rudd, Kevin . Kevin Rudd . Departmental secretaries and statutory office-holders, Canberra . 13 August 2009 . 10 November 2013 . . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131110095906/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=16752 . 10 November 2013 . dmy .
  26. News: Defence is simply too big for Nick Warner. Keane, Bernard. 30 March 2009. Crikey. 10 November 2013.
  27. Gillard, Julia. Julia Gillard. Departmental Secretaries. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 4 August 2011. 29 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101004511/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=18051. 1 November 2013. dmy-all.
  28. Gillard, Julia. Julia Gillard. Diplomatic Appointment and Appointment of Secretaries of the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 17 September 2012. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 27 October 2013. Commonwealth of Australia. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141220082849/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=18795. 20 December 2014. dmy-all.
  29. Turnbull, Malcolm. Malcolm Turnbull. Secretary of the Department of Defence. 28 July 2017. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 28 July 2017. Commonwealth of Australia.

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