Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts

The Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts was an Australian government department that existed between May 1971 and December 1972.

The Department, created by Prime Minister William McMahon, was a grab-bag of three areas in which the McMahon Government had very little interest.^[2] The Department was abolished by the incoming Whitlam Government, with its functions split across six departments (the Departments of Aboriginal Affairs, Environment and Conservation, Media, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Special Minister of State, Science and Services and Property).^[1]

Scope

Information about the department's functions and/or 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 dealt with:^[1]

• activities related to the environment;
• aboriginal affairs;
• support for the arts and letters;
• the National Library;
• Australian films;
• national Archives;
• general services of printing, publishing and advertising (including the Gazette)
• world expositions;
• grants to national organizations;
• overseas visits;
• War Memorial and War Graves; and
• overseas property.

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts.^[1] The Department's first Minister, Peter Howson, was not keen on the job, reportedly calling the portfolio "trees, boongs and poofters."^[2]

The Secretary of the Department was Lenox Hewitt.^[1]

References