Agency Name: | Department of Supply and Development |
Formed: | 6 April 1948 |
Preceding1: | Department of Munitions Department of Supply and Shipping – for supply, disposal of Commonwealth property, minerals, oil prospecting |
Dissolved: | 16 March 1950 |
Superseding: | Department of Fuel, Shipping and Transport – for coal production Department of National Development (I) – for mineral resources, geology and geophysics Department of Supply – for Australian Aluminium Production Commission |
Jurisdiction: | Commonwealth of Australia |
Type: | Department |
Minister1 Name: | John Armstrong |
Minister1 Pfo: | Minister (1948–1949) |
Minister2 Name: | Richard Casey |
Minister2 Pfo: | Minister (1949–1950) |
Chief1 Name: | John Jensen |
Chief1 Position: | Secretary (1948–1949) |
Chief2 Name: | Harold Breen |
Chief2 Position: | Secretary (1949–1950) |
The Department of Supply and Development was an Australian government department that existed between April 1948 and March 1950.
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.
The department was set up by the Chifley government to control services that were deemed essential to supporting Australia's armed forces.[1] Its creation saw the rearrangement of the Department of Munitions and the Department of Supply and Shipping.[2] The functions of the department included:
The department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Supply and Development, initially John Armstrong (until Labor's defeat at the 1949 election) and subsequently Richard Casey.
The department was abolished by the Menzies Government in 1950 in a reorganisation planned by Richard Casey.[3]