The Department of Defence was an
Australian government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
department that existed between December 1921 and November 1939.
History
The department was formed in December 1921 when then Navy Office was merged into the
existing Department of Defence.
Scope
Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could be found in the
Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual budget statements and in the department's annual reports.
When it was established, the department was responsible for Naval, Army and Air Defence matters,
and ran a number of factories for munitions, small arms, cordite and clothing etc.
Structure
The department was a
Commonwealth Public Service
The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the Go ...
department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Defence.
The Secretaries of the Department were
Thomas Trumble (1921‑1927),
Malcolm Shepherd (1927‑1937),
and finally
Frederick Shedden
Sir Frederick Geoffrey Shedden (8 August 1893 – 8 July 1971) was an Australian public servant who served as Secretary of the Department of Defence from 1937 to 1956.
Background and early life
Frederick Shedden was born 8 August 1893 in Kyne ...
(1937‑1939).
References
Ministries established in 1921
Defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
1921 establishments in Australia
1939 disestablishments in Australia
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