Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)

The Australian Minister for Home Affairs was a ministerial portfolio that existed continuously from 1901 to 12 April 1932, when Archdale Parkhill became Minister for the Interior in the first Lyons Ministry—subsuming his portfolios of Home Affairs and Transport. The Home Affairs or Interior portfolio was responsible for various internal matters, not handled by other ministries. In due course other portfolios were established that took over functions from it, including:

The establishment of such portfolios left the Minister for the Interior mainly responsible for administering the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, including, until 1967, the Australian Aboriginals residing there. On 19 December 1972 the interior portfolio was replaced in the Whitlam Ministry by the Minister for the Capital Territory and the Minister for the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory portfolio was abolished on 28 September 1978, following the granting of self-government to the Northern Territory. From July 1987, administration of the Australian Capital Territory was subsumed in the portfolio of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories, anticipating ACT self-government on 11 May 1989.

It was re-established in 2007 bringing together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service (including the Border Protection Command), the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Customs and the Attorney-General. The Minister for Home Affairs also has an influence on the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification. The border responsibilities moved to the newly created Minister for Immigration and Border Protection in 2013, the others returning to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. As of 2016^[update] the only ministers that are appointed broadly within the former Home Affairs tribunal relate to the Territories area.