Department of Commerce and Agriculture
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 22 December 1942[1] |
| Preceding Department |
|
| Dissolved | 11 January 1956[1] |
| Superseding Department |
|
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Headquarters | Barton, Canberra |
| Ministers responsible |
|
| Department executives |
|
The Department of Commerce and Agriculture was an Australian government department that existed between December 1942 and January 1956.
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.
At the department's creation it was responsible for:[1]
- Agriculture Production
- Agricultural Economics
- Assistance to Primary Producers
- Australian Agricultural Council
- Collection and dissemination of commercial intelligence and general information
- Contact with State Departments of Agriculture regarding agricultural production
- Contact with the following organization and administration of any Commonwealth Acts under which they are established:
- Australian Apple and Pear Advisory Council
- Australian Apple and Pear Marketing Board
- Australian Barley Board
- Australian Canned Fruits Board
- Australian Citrus Advisory Council
- Australian Dairy Produce Board
- Australian Hides and Leather Industries Board
- Australian Meat Board
- Australian National Publicity Association
- Australian Potato Board
- Australian Tobacco Board
- Australian Wheat Board
- Australian Wine Board
- Australian Wool Board
- Australian Wool Realization Commission
- Commonwealth Food Control
- Council for the Australian Pig Industry
- Dairy Produce Control Committee
- Dried Fruits Control Board
- Egg Producer's Council
- Federal Potato Advisory Committee
- Field Peas Board
- Meat Canning Committee
- Meat Industry Advisory Committee
- Standing Committee on Agriculture
- Superphosphate Industry Committee
- Wheat Industry Stabilization Board
- Wheat Stabilization Advisory Committee
- Eastern Trade Advisory Committee
- Exhibitions (organization of trade exhibits)
- External Trade - Overseas trade promotion
- Fisheries - Administration of Commonwealth policy and co-ordination of State activities and control of fishing in extra-Territorial waters
- General Trade inquiries
- Investigation of overseas trade matters
- Inspection and/or grading of dairy produce, meat, fruit (fresh, dried and canned), jams, honey, vegetables, etc., exported from the Commonwealth
- Investigation of marketing, economic and other problems of farming industries
- Marketing investigations abroad
- Rural credits
- Rural man-power
- Tourist publicity abroad
- Trade Agreements-
- Administration of export aspects
- Collaboration with other Departments in negotiations
- Trade Commissioner Service
- Trade publicity and advertising in Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere
- Trade Surveys for specific commodities
- Published Overseas Trading[2]
Structure
The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture.[1]
Subsequent agencies
- Department of Primary Industry (11 January 1956 – 2 June 1974)
- Department of Agriculture (12 June 1974 – 22 December 1975)
- Department of Primary Industry (22 December 1975 – 24 July 1987)
- Department of Primary Industries and Energy (24 July 1987 – 21 October 1998)
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (21 October 1998 – 18 September 2013)
- Department of Agriculture (18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015)
- Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (21 September 2015 – 29 May 2019)
Notable people
- Sir John Crawford, Secretary of the department in the 1950s[3]
References
- ^ a b c d CA 48: Department of Commerce and Agriculture, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 27 December 2013
- ^ Overseas Trading
- ^ "Sir John Crawford". Crawford School of Public Policy. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
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