Department of Defence Support

The Department of Defence Support was an Australian government department that existed between May 1982 and December 1984.

History
The department was established by the Fraser government after a recommendation from the Defence Review Committee, which concluded that there were disadvantages in the previous large structure of the Defence Department. Charles Halton became Secretary of the new department. In July 1984 a 27-person senior executive team was appointed to assist the departmental Secretary, of which only one was a woman.

The department was abolished in December 1984, after Bob Hawke was elected Prime Minister in the 1983 Australian federal election. Hawke reasoned that the needs of defence policy making in Australia would be better served if all responsibilities were bought together within the one portfolio.

Scope
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.

Functions of the Department at its creation were:
 * Within defence policies approved by the Minister for Defence the following support for defence purposes -
 * Purchase of goods and services
 * Manufacture of goods and provision of services
 * Research and development
 * Development of Australian industry
 * Dockyard support.

Structure
The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Defence Support.