| Agency Name: | Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs |
| Formed: | 22 December 1975 |
| Preceding1: | Department of Labor and Immigration |
| Dissolved: | 24 July 1987 |
| Superseding: | Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs |
| Type: | Department |
| Jurisdiction: | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Chief1 Name: | Lloyd Bott |
| Chief1 Position: | Secretary (1975–1977) |
| Chief2 Name: | Lou Engledow |
| Chief2 Position: | Secretary (1977–1980) |
| Chief3 Name: | John Menadue |
| Chief3 Position: | Secretary (1980–1983) |
| Chief4 Name: | Bill McKinnon |
| Chief4 Position: | Secretary (1983–1987) |
| Chief5 Name: | Ron Brown |
| Chief5 Position: | Secretary (1987)[1] |
| Headquarters: | Canberra |
The Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between December 1975 and July 1987.
The department was announced in December 1975, resulting from the abolition of the previous Department of Labor and Immigration.[2] The creation of the department was an election commitment that Malcolm Fraser said indicated the importance placed by the Fraser government on Australia's immigration program and the Coalition's concern that issues affecting migrants and their families should receive close and sympathetic attention.[2]
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.
According to the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 22 December 1975 (reproduced by the National Archives), the department dealt with:
The department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.
During the department's existence, the following people were appointed as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.[3]
| Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael MacKellar | Liberal | Malcolm Fraser | 20 December 1975 – 8 December 1979 | |
| Ian Macphee | 08 Dec 1979 – 07 May 1982 | |||
| Peter Durack | 7 June 1981 – 7 July 1981 | |||
| John Hodges | 7 May 1982 – 11 March 1983 | |||
| Stewart West | Labor | Bob Hawke | 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984 | |
| Chris Hurford | 13 December 1984 – 16 February 1987 | |||
| Mick Young | 16 February 1987 – 24 July 1987 | |||