Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts
Department overview | ||
---|---|---|
Formed | 31 May 1971[1] | |
Dissolved | 19 December 1972[1] | |
Superseding agency | – for Aboriginal affairs Department of Environment and Conservation Department of Science (I) Department of Services and Property Department executive , Secretary | |
The Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts was an
The department, created by the
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 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
- 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
- ^ a b c d e f CA 1407: Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 15 December 2013
- ^ MacCallum, Mungo (5 February 2009), Peter Howson, minister for ‘trees, boongs and poofters’, Crikey, archived from the original on 5 November 2012