Department of Communications (1980–1987)

The Department of Communications was an Australian government department that existed between November 1980 and July 1987.

Department of Communications

Department overview
Formed	3 November 1980[1]
Preceding Department	Postal and Telecommunications Department
Dissolved	24 July 1987[1]
Superseding Department	Department of Transport and Communications
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Ministers responsible	Ian McCahon Sinclair, (1980–1982) Neil Anthony Brown, (1982–1983) Michael John Duff, (1983–1987)
Department executives	Bob Lansdown, Secretary (1980–1986) Charles Halton, Secretary (1986–1987)

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.

At its creation, the Department was responsible for postal, telegraphic, telephonic and other like services including television and radio.^[1]

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Communications.^[1] The Secretaries of the Department were Bob Lansdown (from the Department's creation until 31 January 1986) and Charles Halton (from 1 February 1986).^[2]