The Department of External Territories 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 that existed between June 1941 and May 1951.

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. The matters dealt with by the department at its creation were: *The administration of the Territories of

Nauru Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

and Papua *Shipping services to certain Pacific Islands and the Territory of Papua and New Guinea *The transfer of prisoners from Territories outside the Commonwealth

Structure

The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for External Territories.

References

Australia, External Territories External Territories 1941 establishments in Australia 1951 disestablishments in Australia Australian External Territories {{Australia-gov-stub