The Department of External Affairs was an

Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

department that existed between January 1901 and November 1916. It was one of seven Departments of State to be established at federation.

Scope

The first Administrative Arrangements Order, issued 1901, outlined the functions of the Department: *Fisheries - extraterritorial *Naturalisation and aliens *Immigration and emigration *Influx of criminals *External affairs *Pacific Islands *High Commissioner *Communications with States *Governor-General and Executive Council offices *Officers of Parliament

Structure

The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for External Affairs. The Prime Minister's Office was attached to the Department of External Affairs until 1909. The Secretary of the Department was Atlee Hunt.

References

Ministries established in 1901 External Affairs {{Australia-gov-stub