Department of Defence (Australia)

The Department of Defence is the department of the Australian Government responsible for national defence policy, supporting the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and ensuring the overall defence of Australia and its national interests. Along with the ADF and other agencies, it forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO). The Department is accountable to the Parliament of Australia, on behalf of the Australian people, for its spending of public funds and implementation of government policy. Defence staff are primarily based out of the Russell Offices and Campbell Park Offices in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

The executive head of the department, who leads it on a day-to-day basis, independent of a change in government, is the Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF), currently Meghan Quinn PSM. SECDEF reports to the Minister for Defence, currently 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.

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. The current Department of Defence was formally created in 1942, when Prime Minister John Curtin renamed the previous 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.

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

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

Defence Committee The Defence Committee is the primary decision-making committee in the Department of Defence. It is 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 accountabilities of the Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force.

The members of the Defence Committee are:

Secretary of the Department of Defence (SECDEF) Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) Associate Secretary Chief of Navy (CN) Chief of Army (CA) Chief of Air Force (CAF) Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) Deputy Secretary for Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy and Intelligence Chief Defence Scientist (CDS) Chief of Joint Capabilities (CJC) Chief Finance Officer (CFO) Deputy Secretary for People Deputy Secretary for Estate and Infrastructure Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Organisational groups

, the Department of Defence consists of ten major organisational groups: Associate Secretary Groupprovides administrative, legal and governance services including audit and fraud control, security and vetting, the Judge Advocate General, and communications and ministerial support. Chief Information Officer Groupleads the integrated design, cost effective delivery, and sustained operation of Defence information Chief Finance Officer Groupto drive the financial and management improvement programs for Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) Australia's largest project management organisation and its mission is to acquire and sustain equipment for the Australian Defence Force, created through the amalgamation of the Capability Development Group and Defence Materiel Organisation in 2015. Defence People Grouphuman resource outcomes across the Defence employment cycle from strategy and policy development, through to implementation and service delivery Defence Estate and Infrastructure Groupconsolidated service delivery organisation for Defence that enables Defence capability by working in partnership to deliver integrated services through a highly capable workforce Defence Science and Technology Grouplead agency charged with applying science and technology to protect and defend Australia and its national interests Defence Strategic Policy and Intelligence Groupprovides policy advice and coordination for strategy and intelligence for Defence, including overseeing the Defence Intelligence Organisation, Australian Signals Directorate, and the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence OrganisationIntelligence and Security Group , Australian Government Directory

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 appointmentcommenced Date appointmentceased Term in office Notes Ref(s) , PVNF Pethebridge was acting Secretary 1906–1910 Trumble was acting Secretary 1914–1918 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 NLA Catalogue Appointment terminated by the Governor-General on the recommendation of Prime Minister Howard.Barratt fought the decision in the Federal Court, losing on appeal.

Department of Defence (Australia)

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