| Agency Name: | Department of Labour and National Service |
| Formed: | 28 October 1940 |
| Preceding1: | Department of Industry (I) |
| Dissolved: | 19 December 1972 |
| Superseding: | Department of Services and Property – for union ballots Department of Housing – for hostels in the ACT and immigrants Department of Labour – for industrial relations, Commonwealth Employment Service Department of Education (I) – for child care |
| Type: | Department |
| Jurisdiction: | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Minister1 Name: | Harold Holt |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Minister (1940–1941) and (1949–1958) |
| Minister2 Name: | Eddie Ward |
| Minister2 Pfo: | Minister (1941–1943) |
| Minister3 Name: | Jack Holloway |
| Minister3 Pfo: | Minister (1943–1949) |
| Minister4 Name: | William McMahon |
| Minister4 Pfo: | Minister (1958–1966) |
| Minister5 Name: | Les Bury |
| Minister5 Pfo: | Minister (1966–1969) |
| Minister6 Name: | Billy Snedden |
| Minister6 Pfo: | Minister (1969–1971) |
| Minister7 Name: | Phillip Lynch |
| Minister7 Pfo: | Minister (1971–1972) |
| Chief1 Name: | Roland Wilson |
| Chief1 Position: | Secretary (1940–1946) |
| Chief2 Name: | William Funnell |
| Chief2 Position: | Secretary (1946–1952) |
| Chief3 Name: | Henry Bland |
| Chief3 Position: | Secretary (1952–1968) |
| Chief4 Name: | Hal Cook |
| Chief4 Position: | Secretary (1968–1972) |
The Department of Labour and National Service was an Australian government department that existed between October 1940 and December 1972.
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.
At its creation, the department's functions were general labour policy, manpower priorities, investigations of labour supply and labour demand, the effective placement of labour, technical training, industrial relations and industrial welfare, and planning for post-war rehabilitation and development.
The department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Labour and National Service.
Sir Roland Wilson was seconded to establish the new Department of Labour and National Service in 1940, and at 36 years old became its first administrative head.[1]