Department of Services and Property explained

Agency Name:Department of Services and Property
Formed:19 December 1972
Preceding1:Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts – for control of land and property outside Australia
Department of Labour and National Service – for union ballots
Department of the Interior (II) – for electoral and property and survey matters
Department of Works (III) – for Commonwealth Fire Board
Dissolved:7 October 1975
Superseding:Department of Urban and Regional Development – for control, use and management of land and property, engineering and topographical surveys
Department of Administrative Services (I) – for all other functions
Type:Department
Jurisdiction:Commonwealth of Australia
Minister1 Name:Fred Daly
Minister1 Pfo:Minister
Chief1 Name:George Warwick Smith
Chief1 Position:Acting Secretary (1972–1973)
Chief2 Name:Maurice Timbs
Chief2 Position:Secretary (1973–1975)

The Department of Services and Property was an Australian government department that existed between December 1972 and October 1975.

History

The Department was established under the Whitlam government; at the time people commented with amazement that the first new department created by the Whitlam government in Australia was the Department of Property.[1]

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.

At its creation the Department was responsible for the following:

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Services and Property, Fred Daly.

Notes and References

  1. Prime Minister's press conference. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040326130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/24236/20040327-0000/www.whitlam.org/collection/1973/19730116_PM_press_conf/index.html. dead. 26 March 2004. 16 January 1973. Gough. Whitlam. Gough Whitlam. Parliament House, Canberra.