Department of Defence (Australia)
The Department of Defence is a department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility to defend Australia and its national interests. Along with the Australian Defence Force, it forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation and is accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out the Government's defence policy.
The head of the Department, who leads it on a daily basis, is the Secretary of the Department of Defence, currently Greg Moriarty. The Secretary reports to the Minister of Defence, currently The Hon. Linda Reynolds MP, following appointment by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in May 2019.
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, three "service departments", the Supply and Development, and Civil Aviation. 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.
Defence Committee
The Defence Committee is the primary decision-making committee in the Department of Defence, supported by 6 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.The members of the Defence Committee are:
- Secretary of the Department of Defence
- Chief of the Defence Force
- Vice Chief of the Defence Force
- Associate Secretary
- Chief of Navy
- Chief of Army
- Chief of Air Force
- Chief of Joint Operations
- Deputy Secretary for Capability Acquisition and Sustainment
- Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy and Intelligence
- Chief Defence Scientist
- Chief of Joint Capabilities
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Finance Officer
- Deputy Secretary for People
- Deputy Secretary for Estate and Infrastructure
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 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 Organisation
Diarchy
List of departmental secretaries
The Secretary of the Department of Defence 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 |
| , PVNF | Pethebridge was acting Secretary 1906–1910 | |||||
| Trumble was acting Secretary 1914–1918 | ||||||
| Appointment terminated by the Governor-General on the recommendation of Prime Minister Howard. Barratt fought the decision in the Federal Court, losing on appeal. | ||||||
| Incumbent |