# Postmaster-General's Department

The Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) was a department of the Australian federal 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 and Telecommunications Department. Two separate legal entities had been established in July 1975 to take over the department's operations: Telecom Australia (colloquially "Telecom"; later became Telstra) and Australia Post.

## History

The Postmaster-General's Department was created in 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 and Media Authority. Telecom Australia changed its name to Telstra in 1995 and has since been privatised.

### Abolition

The department was abolished in December 1975 by the Fraser government, and replaced by the Postal and 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 | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | John Forrest | Protectionist | Barton | 1 January 1901 (1901-01-01) | 17 January 1901 (1901-01-17) | 16 days |
| 2 | James Drake | Protectionist | Barton | 5 February 1901 (1901-02-05) | 10 August 1903 (1903-08-10) | 2 years, 186 days |
| 3 | Philip Fysh | Protectionist | Barton | 10 August 1903 (1903-08-10) | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 261 days |
| 3 | Philip Fysh | Protectionist | Deakin | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 261 days |
| 4 | Hugh Mahon | Labor | Watson | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 112 days |
| 5 | Sydney Smith | Free Trade | Reid | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 322 days |
| 6 | Austin Chapman | Protectionist | Deakin | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 30 July 1907 (1907-07-30) | 2 years, 25 days |
| 7 | Samuel Mauger | Protectionist | Deakin | 30 July 1907 (1907-07-30) | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 1 year, 106 days |
| 8 | Josiah Thomas | Labor | Fisher | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 201 days |
| 9 | John Quick | Liberal | Deakin | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 331 days |
| 10 | Josiah Thomas | Labor | Fisher | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 14 October 1911 (1911-10-14) | 1 year, 168 days |
| 11 | Charlie Frazer | Labor | Fisher | 14 October 1911 (1911-10-14) | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 1 year, 253 days |
| 12 | Agar Wynne | Liberal | Cook | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 1 year, 85 days |
| 13 | William Spence | Labor | Fisher | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 1 year, 40 days |
| 14 | William Webster | Labor | Hughes | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 4 years, 99 days |
| 14 | William Webster | National Labor | Hughes | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 4 years, 99 days |
| 14 | William Webster | Nationalist | Hughes | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) | 4 years, 99 days |
| 15 | George Wise | Nationalist | Hughes | 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 1 year, 321 days |
| 16 | Alexander Poynton | Nationalist | Hughes | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 5 February 1923 (1923-02-05) | 1 year, 46 days |
| 17 | William Gibson | Country | Bruce | 5 February 1923 (1923-02-05) | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 6 years, 259 days |
| 18 | Joseph Lyons | Labor | Scullin | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 4 February 1931 (1931-02-04) | 1 year, 105 days |
| 19 | Albert Green | Labor | Scullin | 4 February 1931 (1931-02-04) | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 336 days |
| 20 | James Fenton | United Australia | Lyons | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) | 281 days |
| 21 | Archdale Parkhill | United Australia | Lyons | 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) | 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) | 1 year, 364 days |
| 22 | Alexander McLachlan | United Australia | Lyons | 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) | 7 November 1938 (1938-11-07) | 6 years, 25 days |
| 23 | Archie Cameron | Country | Lyons | 7 November 1938 (1938-11-07) | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 170 days |
| 23 | Archie Cameron | Country | Page | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 170 days |
| 24 | Eric Harrison | United Australia | Menzies | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) | 323 days |
| 25 | Harold Thorby | Country | Menzies | 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 228 days |
| 26 | George McLeay | United Australia | Menzies | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) | 241 days |
| 27 | Thomas Collins | Country | Menzies | 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 103 days |
| 27 | Thomas Collins | Country | Fadden | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 103 days |
| 28 | Bill Ashley | Labor | Curtin | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) | 3 years, 118 days |
| 29 | Don Cameron | Labor | Curtin | 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 4 years, 320 days |
| 29 | Don Cameron | Labor | Forde | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 4 years, 320 days |
| 29 | Don Cameron | Labor | Chifley | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 4 years, 320 days |
| 30 | Larry Anthony | Country | Menzies | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) | 6 years, 23 days |
| 31 | Charles Davidson | Country | Menzies | 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) | 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) | 7 years, 341 days |
| 32 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | Menzies | 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 8 years, 353 days |
| 32 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | Holt | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 8 years, 353 days |
| 32 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | McEwen | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 8 years, 353 days |
| 32 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | Gorton | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 8 years, 353 days |
| 32 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | McMahon | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 8 years, 353 days |
| 33 | Lance Barnard | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 14 days |
| 34 | Lionel Bowen | Labor | Whitlam | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) | 1 year, 175 days |
| 35 | Reg Bishop | Labor | Whitlam | 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 1 year, 152 days |
| 36 | Peter Nixon | National Country | Fraser | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 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