Department of Home Affairs (1928–1932)

The Department of Home Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between 1928 and 1932. It was the second so-named Australian government department.

Department of Home Affairs
Department overview
Formed10 December 1928[1]
Preceding Department
Dissolved12 April 1932[1]
Superseding agency
JurisdictionCommonwealth of Australia
HeadquartersCanberra
Ministers responsible
Department executives

Scope edit

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]

  • Actuarial matters
  • Aliens' registration (new matter, as the Aliens' Registration Act 1920 had not appeared before its suspension by Act of 1926)
  • Astronomy
  • Australian War Memorial
  • Census and Statistics
  • Commonwealth Literary Fund
  • Elections
  • Emigration from Australia of children and aboriginal natives
  • Forestry
  • Franchise
  • Immigration restrictions
  • Indentured coloured labour
  • Meteorology
  • Naturalisation
  • North Australia and Central Australia
  • Northern Territory
  • Oil investigation
  • Oil prospecting (encouragement of)
  • Passports
  • Pearl shelling and Trepang fisheries in Australian waters beyond territorial limits
  • People of races (other than the Aboriginal races in any State) for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws
  • Prisoners from territories
  • Prospecting for precious metals (assistance for)
  • Seat of Government
  • Solar Observatory.

Structure edit

The department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Home Affairs.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d CA 24: Department of Home Affairs [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 13 March 2020, retrieved 27 December 2013