Department of Transport and Communications

Australian government department, 1987–1993

Department of Transport and CommunicationsDepartment overview

Formed| 24 July 1987[1]
Preceding Department|

* Department of Communications (I)

Department of Transport (IV)

Department of Aviation

Dissolved| 23 December 1993[1]
Superseding Department|

* Department of Transport (V) Department of Communications (II)

Jurisdiction| Commonwealth of Australia
Ministers responsible|

* Gareth Evans, Minister (1987–1988)
* Ralph Willis, Minister (1988–1990)
* Kim Beazley, Minister (1990–1991)
* John Kerin, Minister (1991)
* Graham Richardson, Minister (1991–1992)
* Bob Collins, Minister (1992–1993)

Department executives|

* Peter Wilenski, Secretary (1987–1988)[2]
* Graham Evans, Secretary (1988–1993)

The Department of Transport and Communications was an Australian government department that existed between July 1987 and December 1993\.

## History

[edit]

The Department of Transport and Communications was one of 16 "super-ministries" announced as part of a major restructuring of the administration and economy by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in July 1987.[3]

The Department oversaw the development of a third runway at Kingsford Smith Airport, achieved new industry structures for aviation and reform of the shipping and waterfront sectors, progressed Australia towards a national railway system and uniform national road regulation, introduced new regulatory arrangements for telecommunications, broadcasting and radio communications and arranged for sale of communications licences for more than a billion dollars.[4]

## Scope

[edit]

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.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 24 July 1997, the Department dealt with:[5]

* Shipping and marine navigation
* Land transport (including road safety)
* Civil aviation and air navigation
* Aviation security
* Postal and telecommunications services
* Management of the electromagnetic spectrum
* Television and radio

## Structure

[edit]

The Department was an Australian Public Service department responsible to the Minister of the day. Department officials were headed by a Secretary, initially Peter Wilenski (until September 1988) and then G.C. Evans (from October 1988).[1][6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c CA 5992: Department of Transport and Communications, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 29 June 2013, retrieved 27 November 2013
2. ^ Mitcham, Chad. "Peter Stephen Wilenski (1939–1994)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
3. ^ CA 3253: Department of Aviation, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 29 June 2013, retrieved 27 November 2013
4. ^ Keating, Paul (23 December 1993). "STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS" (Press release). Archived from the original on 6 December 2013.
5. ^ Administrative Arrangements Order issued 27 July 1987 (PDF), National Archives of Australia, 27 July 1987, p. 15, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2013
6. ^ Hawke, Bob (2 June 1988). "Prime Minister: For Media" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

Other|

* Yale LUX