Department of Defence (Australia)

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The Department of Defence is a department of the Australian Government that is the major civilian organisation responsible for supporting the the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and is charged with the defence of Australia and its national interests.[1] Along with the ADF, it forms part of the larger Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) and is accountable to the Parliament of Australia, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out government policy.

The executive head of the department, who leads it on a day-to-day basis, independent of a change of government, is the Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF), currently Greg Moriarty. SECDEF reports to the Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.

History

Australia has had at least one defence-related government department since Federation in 1901. The first Department of Defence existed from 1901 until 1921. In 1915, during World War I, a separate Department of the Navy was created. The two departments merged in 1921 to form the second Department of Defence, regarded as a separate body.[2]

A major departmental reorganisation occurred in the lead-up to World War II. The Department of Defence was abolished and replaced with six smaller departments – the Defence Co-ordination (for defence policy, financial, and administrative matters), three "service departments" (Army, Navy, and Air), the Supply and Development (for munitions and materiel), and Civil Aviation.[2] The current Department of Defence was formally created in 1942, when Prime Minister John Curtin renamed the existing Department of Defence Co-ordination. The other defence-related departments underwent a series of reorganisations, before being merged into the primary department over the following decades. This culminated in the abolition of the three service departments in 1973. A new Department of Defence Support was created in 1982, but abolished in 1984.[3]

In May 2022, The Canberra Times reported that department had been renamed Defence Australia.[4] However, the department's corporate documents continue to refer to it as the Department of Defence.[5]

The Australian Department of Defence, along with the Australian state and other governments partially fund the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.[6]

Defence Committee

The Defence Committee is the primary decision-making committee in the Department of Defence, supported by six subordinate committees, groups and boards. The Defence Committee is focused on major capability development and resource management for the Australian Defence Organisation and shared accountability of the Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force.[7]

The members of the Defence Committee are: Template:Colbegin

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Organisational groups

File:Russell Offices.JPG
Department headquarters at the Russell Offices complex in Canberra

Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:As of the Department of Defence consists of ten major organisational groups:[8]

Diarchy

The Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF) jointly manage the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) under a diarchy in which both report directly to the Minister for Defence and the Assistant Minister for Defence. The ADO diarchy is a governance structure unique in the Australian Public Service.

List of departmental secretaries

The Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF) is a senior public service officer and historically the appointees have not come from military service.

Name Post-nominlal's Date appointment
commenced		 Date appointment
ceased		 Term in office Notes Ref(s)
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals, PVNF Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd Pethebridge was acting Secretary 1906–1910
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd Trumble was acting Secretary 1914–1918
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [13]
Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [14][15]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [16]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [17][18]
Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][19]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd Appointment terminated by the Governor-General on the recommendation of Prime Minister Howard.
Barratt fought the decision in the Federal Court, losing on appeal.		 [20][21]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][22][23]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][23][24]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][24][25][26]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][25][27]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [18][27][28]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Template:Dts Template:Ayd [28]
Template:Sortname Template:Post-nominals Template:Dts Incumbent Template:Ayd [29]

See also

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References

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External links

  • Department of Defence website
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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Intelligence and Security Group Template:Webarchive, Australian Government Directory
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Mitcham, Chad J. ‘Bland, Sir Henry Armand (Harry) (1909-1997)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bland-sir-henry-armand-harry-1549/text41469
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ NLA Catalogue
  18. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  25. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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