| Agency Name: | Department of the Environment |
| Formed: | 21 April 1975 |
| Preceding1: | Department of Environment and Conservation |
| Dissolved: | 22 December 1975 |
| Superseding: | Department of Environment, Housing and Community Development Department of National Resources |
| Type: | Department |
| Jurisdiction: | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Minister (Apr – Jun 1975) |
| Minister2 Name: | Jim Cairns |
| Minister2 Pfo: | Minister (Jun – Jul 1975) |
| Minister3 Name: | Gough Whitlam |
| Minister3 Pfo: | Minister (Jul 1975) |
| Minister4 Name: | Joe Berinson |
| Minister4 Pfo: | Minister (Jul – Nov 1975) |
| Minister5 Name: | Andrew Peacock |
| Minister5 Pfo: | Minister (Nov – Dec 1975) |
| Chief1 Name: | Don McMichael |
| Chief1 Position: | Secretary |
The Department of the Environment was an Australian government department that existed between April and December 1975.
The Department was introduced by the Whitlam government in April 1975, to replace the Department of Environment and Conservation. At the time, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam said that the reason for the re‑badging was that the name "Department of Environment and Conservation" suggested that conservation was a separate matter from the environment, whereas it was in fact a major component of the Government's total environment program.[1] Environment Minister Moss Cass made the request for the name change, stating that the previous title was too long and redundant.[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.
At its creation, the Department's functions were:
The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for the Environment.