Department of External Territories (1968–1973)

Department of External Territories

Department overview
Formed	20 February 1968
Preceding Department	Department of Territories (I)
Dissolved	30 November 1973
Superseding agency	Department of Foreign Affairs - for residual responsibilities relating to Papua New Guinea
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Canberra
Ministers responsible	Charles Barnes, Minister (1968‑72) Andrew Peacock, Minister (1972) Gough Whitlam, Minister (1972) Bill Morrison, Minister (1972‑73)
Department executives	George Warwick Smith, Secretary (1968‑70) David Hay, Secretary (1970‑73)

The Department of External Territories was an Australian government department that existed between February 1968 and November 1973. It was the second Australian Government department to be given the name.

The Department of External Territories was established by the Gorton Government in 1968, formed from the portions of the old Department of Territories (I) that dealt with Papua New Guinea and Australia's smaller external territories and hiving off the portions of the department that dealt with Northern Territory.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 20 December 1972, the Department dealt with matters related to the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea, the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Territory of Christmas Island.

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

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