The Department of Education 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 i ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

that existed between December 1972 and March 1983.

History

The department was one of eight new departments established by the Whitlam government, a wide restructuring that revealed some of the new government's program.

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. According to the Administrative Arrangements Order issued 19 December 1972, at its creation, the department was responsible for Education, including education in the Northern Territory of Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island.

Structure

The department was an

Australian 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 G ...

department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the minister for education, initially

Kim Edward Beazley Kim Edward Beazley (30 September 1917 – 12 October 2007) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1945 to 1977, representing the Labor Party. He was Minister for Education in the Whitlam Go ...

(until June 1975), then

Margaret Guilfoyle Dame Margaret Georgina Constance Guilfoyle (; née McCartney; 15 May 192611 November 2020) was an Australian politician who served as a senator for Victoria from 1971 to 1987, representing the Liberal Party. She was the first woman to hold a c ...

as a caretaker minister for the month leading up to the December 1975 election (after the 11 November 1975

Dismissal Dismissal or dismissed may refer to: Dismissal *In litigation, a dismissal is the result of a successful ''motion to dismiss''. See motion *Termination of employment, the end of employee's duration with an employer **Dismissal (employment), ter ...

in which the governor-general appointed

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Fraser was raised on hi ...

, as

caretaker Caretaker may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker'' * '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital * Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...

prime minister and he in turn appointed caretaker ministers). Subsequent ministers were John Carrick (1975‑1979),

Wal Fife Wallace Clyde Fife (2 October 1929 – 16 November 2017) was an Australian politician and minister in the New South Wales Government and Federal Government. Early life Fife was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and was educated at Wagga Wag ...

(1979‑1982) and finally

Peter Baume Peter Erne Baume, AC (born 30 January 1935) is a retired Australian doctor and politician. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1974 to 1991, representing the Liberal Party. He served as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (1980–1982) an ...

(1982‑1983). The department was headed by a secretary, initially (acting in the position)

Hugh Ennor Sir Arnold Hughes "Hugh" Ennor (10 October 1912 – 14 October 1977) was a senior Australian public servant and policymaker. Life and career Ennor was born in Melbourne, the son of a joiner. For schooling, he attended a local Roman Catholic sch ...

(until January 1973) and then

Kenneth Norman Jones Kenneth Norman Jones (17 April 1924 – 19 January 2022) was an Australian senior public servant. Early life Kenneth Jones was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, on 17 April 1924. He attended the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bache ...

(from January 1973).

References

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

Australia, Education {{Australia-gov-stub