The Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) was a department of the Australian government, established at Federation in 1901, whose responsibilities included the provision of postal and telegraphic services throughout Australia. It was abolished in December 1975 and replaced by the Postal & Telecommunications Department. Two separate legal entities had been established in July 1975 to take over the department's operations: Telecom Australia (that later became Telstra) and Australia Post.
History
The Postmaster-General's Department was established on 1 January 1901 to take over all postal and telegraphy services in Australia from the states and administer them on a national basis. The department was administered by the postmaster-general.
The first permanent secretary of the department was Sir Robert Townley Scott, who held office from 1 July 1901 until his retirement on 31 December 1910.
In its first 25 years, the department grew from 6,000 to 10,000 offices and from 18,000 to 47,000 staff. Earnings grew from £2.4 million to £10 million per annum.
In mid-1975 the department was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission trading as Telecom Australia and the Australian Postal Commission trading as Australia Post. In 1993 the Spectrum Management Agency was formed to take responsibility of radio and television broadcast licensing, which was then merged into the Australian Communications Authority, that later became the Australian Communications & Media Authority. Telecom Australia changed its name to Telstra in 1993 and has since been privatised.
Abolition The department was abolished in December 1975 by the Fraser government, and replaced by the Postal & Telecommunications Department. The change was intended to take account of the increase in the functions of the department to include all electronic media matters which had previously been the responsibility of the Department of the Media.
List of postmasters-general
Order Portrait Minister Party Prime Minister Term start Term end Term in office 1 John Forrest Protectionist Barton days 2 James Drake 3 Philip Fysh days Deakin 4 Hugh Mahon Labor Watson days 5 Sydney Smith Free Trade Reid days 6 Austin ChapmanProtectionist Deakin 7 Samuel Mauger 8 Josiah Thomas Labor Fisher days 9 John Quick Liberal Deakin days 10 Josiah Thomas Labor Fisher 11 Charlie Frazer 12 Agar Wynne Liberal Cook 13 William Spence Labor Fisher 14 William Webster Hughes National Labor Nationalist 15 George Wise 16 Alexander Poynton 17 William Gibson Country Bruce 18 Joseph Lyons Labor Scullin 19 Albert Green days 20 James FentonUnited Australia Lyons days 21 Archdale Parkhill 22 Alexander McLachlan 23 Archie Cameron Country days Page 24 Eric Harrison United Australia Menzies days 25 Harold Thorby Country days 26 George McLeay United Australia days 27 Thomas Collins Country days Fadden 28 Bill AshleyLabor Curtin 29 Don Cameron Forde Chifley 30 Larry AnthonyCountry Menzies 31 Charles Davidson 32 Alan Hulme Liberal Holt McEwen Gorton McMahon 33 Lance BarnardLabor Whitlam days 34 Lionel Bowen 35 Reg Bishop 36 Peter Nixon National Country Fraser days
List of departmental secretaries and directors-general 1901–1910: Robert Scott 1911–1923: Justinian Oxenham 1923–1939: Harry Brown 1940–1946: Daniel McVey 1946–1949: Bede Fanning 1949–1958: Giles Chippindall 1958: Van Vanthoff 1959–1961: Mervyn Stradwick 1961–1965: Frank O'Grady 1965–1968: Trevor Housley 1968–1972: John Knott 1972–1975: Eber Lane 1975: Fred Green
References