Department of Munitions

Department of Munitions
Department overview
Formed 11 June 1940[1]
Preceding Department Department of Supply and Development (I) - for Commonwealth factories and aircraft production
Dissolved 6 April 1948[1]
Superseding agency Department of Supply and Development (II)
Jurisdiction Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters Melbourne[2]
Department executives Jim Brigden, Secretary (1940‑41)
John Jensen, Secretary (1942‑48)
Essington Lewis, Director General (1940‑45)

The Department of Munitions was an Australian government department that existed between June 1940 and April 1948.

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.

The Department was created during World War II in an effort to speed up mnunitions production.[1]

Structure

The Department was a Commonwealth Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Munitions, initially Robert Menzies, and subsequently Philip McBride, Norman Makin, John Dedman and finally John Armstrong.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 CA 39: Department of Munitions, Central Administration, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 13 April 2014
  2. Smith, Ailie, Corporate entry Department of Munitions (1940 - 1948), Encyclopedia of Australia Science, archived from the original on 31 March 2014