Which minister is responsible for what

Administrative Arrangements Orders (AAOs) formally allocate executive responsibility among ministers. They set out which matters and legislation are administered by which department or portfolio. AAOs are re-issued or amended to take into account changes in the structure of government.

The following AAOs are listed by the date on which they were ordered by the Governer-General (on the advice of the Prime Minister).

These documents are PDFs. If you don't have one already, you will need to download a PDF reader.

1901 to 11 December 1906

Unlike the AAOs from 11 December 1906, these earlier arrangements were not listed in the Commonwealth Gazette.

Date of signing by the Governor-GeneralPDF file size
1901 – transcription only – see Barton papers for digitised originals191kb
3 February 190530kb
1 June 190639kb
13 July 190691kb

11 December 1906 to 1964

Date of signing by the Governor-GeneralPDF file size
11 December 190698kb
4 April 1912194kb
22 September 1915129kb
20 December 1916132kb
17 July 1918156kb
14 March 1923122kb
24 June 1925174kb
13 August 192549kb
3 November 192553kb
11 December 1928232kb
21 April 193056kb
27 August 193051kb
13 April 1932490kb
13 August 1936372kb
4 April 1939384kb
2 August 193974kb
29 November 1939380kb
28 October 1940141kb
22 April 194149kb
26 June194157kb
22 December 194291kb
23 March 194391kb
9 March 194451kb
13 July 194569kb
19 July 1945225kb
25 July 194590kb
27 August 194567kb
12 September 194595kb
1 February 194670kb
12 December 19461.45mb
12 March 1947844kb
1 April 1947861kb
16 April 194769kb
15 October 194763kb
23 April 1958358kb
7 May 1948104kb
11 May 194954kb
29 June 194977kb
13 July 194984kb
21 July 194987kb
4 August 194962kb
11 January 195067kb
9 March 1950165kb
24 August 195080kb
16 November 19501.67mb
4 January 1951100kb
21 June 1951797kb
13 June 195274kb
23 November 195449kb
11 January 1956121kb
22 April 195649kb
13 August 195674kb
23 April 195858kb
13 April 1959447kb
17 March 1961523kb
14 February 1962561kb
17 December 1963102kb
16 January 1964378kb
19 March 1964345kb
4 May 196464kb

1964 to 1978

Date of signing by the Governor-GeneralPDF file size
2 July 196460kb
8 January 1965364kb
4 November 1965455kb
13 December 196656kb
9 March 1967583kb
28 February 1968113kb
11 March 1968119kb
16 May 1968931kb
7 June 1968149kb
19 December 1968124kb
16 April 1970913kb
6 November 1970107kb
18 January 19711.1mb
12 March 1971517kb
1 February 197255kb
6 March 1972483kb
14 July 197242kb
17 July 197219kb
20 October 1972116kb
9 November 1972 – gazetted 10 November 197224kb
9 November 1972 – gazetted 14 November 197223kb
19 December 19722mb
20 December 1972332kb
5 March 1973 – comparison table64kb
5 March 1973 – gazetted 5 March 1973109kb
9 October 197373kb
19 November 1973 – includes comparison table683kb
4 December 197366kb
12 June 19741.2mb
1 October 19745.1mb
11 December 1974443kb
8 February 19753.2mb
28 February 1975171kb
4 March 1975155kb
27 March 19751mb
21 April 1975985kb
6 June 19751.2mb
1 July 19755.3mb
26 September 1975193kb
7 October 19751.3mb
14 October 1975116kb
30 October 1975124kb
14 November 1975116kb
22 December 197510.6mb
5 October 19765.3b
8 November 1976798kb
7 December 19764mb
16 December 1976220kb
5 September 19775.3mb
20 December 19776.5mb
23 February 1978745kb
28 September 19781.9mb
5 December 1978709kb

1979 to 2008

Date of signing by the Governor-GeneralPDF file size
21 February 19793.8mb
11 September 19791.2mb
7 November 197936kb
8 December 1979734kb
3 September 19801.8mb
3 November 19804.9mb
21 December 19813.6mb
7 May 19826mb
11 March 19838.1mb
16 March 198374kb
1 July 19833.7mb
1 March 19841.8mb
27 June 19842.5mb
13 December 198430kb
30 July 19852.6mb
12 December 198530kb
30 January 19862mb
22 May 198666kb
30 January 19872.8mb
24 July 19871.6mb
3 March 19882.4mb
13 March 19899.5mb
27 June 19901.4mb
7 June 19911.6mb
29 October 199177kb
27 December 199150kb
31 January 19921.2mb
30 June 199255kb
15 December 19931mb
30 January 1994377kb
25 March 1994420kb
1 June 19941.3mb
11 March 1996707kb
23 April 1996100kb
19 October 1997306kb
17 December 1998181kb
18 June 1998306kb
21 October 19982.2mb
30 April 199924kb
30 January 200182kb
22 February 200128kb
13 September 20016.4mb
26 November 2001988kb
18 December 20034.7mb
24 June 2004348kb
21 July 2004150kb
26 October 20047.1mb
16 December 2004212kb
21 July 2005150kb
27 January 2006991kb
21 September 2006176kb
30 January 2007412kb
3 December 2007175kb
25 January 2008186kb
25 January 2008 amended 1 May 2008186kb