Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)

History

The department finds its origins in two of the seven original Commonwealth Departments established following Federation in 1901: the Department of Trade and Customs and the Department of External Affairs (DEA), headed by Harry Wollaston and Atlee Hunt respectively.

The first DEA was abolished on 14 November 1916 and its responsibilities were undertaken by the Prime Minister's Department and the Department of Home and Territories. It was re-established under the same name on 21 December 1921.

Until the Second World War, Australia's status as a dominion of the British Empire in the then British Commonwealth meant its foreign relations were mostly defined by the United Kingdom. During this time, Australia's overseas activities were predominantly related to trade and commercial interests, while its external affairs were concerned mostly with immigration, exploration and publicity. The political and economic changes wrought by the Great Depression and Second World War, and the adoption of the 1931 Statute of Westminster (ratified by Australia in 1942), necessitated the establishment and expansion of Australian representation overseas, independent of the United Kingdom Foreign Office. Australia began to establish its first overseas missions (outside London) in 1940, beginning with Washington, D.C., and now has a network of over 80 diplomatic (and 22 trade) posts.

The DEA was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1970. On 24 July 1987, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Trade were amalgamated by the Hawke government to form the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

In 1997 the department relocated to the R. G. Casey building, constructed over 5 years for $187 million. The next year the building was sold to the private market for $217 million and released back by the government. By 2015 the government was paying over $20 million per year in rent. By 2017 the government had spent $310 million in total rent for the building.

In 1994, the Australian Overseas Information Service (AOIS, formerly Australian Information Service) became a branch in DFAT known as the International Public Affairs Branch. In 1996 the branch was dissolved.

In 2005, DFAT became embroiled in the Oil-for-Food Programme scandal after it was revealed it had approved the Australian Wheat Board's (AWB) request allowing it to pay 'trucking charges' to Alia, a Jordanian trucking company with no actual involvement in the trucking of Australian wheat within Iraq. The Cole Inquiry into the AWB was established, however its terms of reference excluded any investigation of the role of DFAT.

Portfolio responsibilities

The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters as laid out in an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 13 May 2025:

• External Affairs, including
  • relations and communications with overseas governments and United Nations agencies
  • treaties, including trade agreements
  • bilateral, regional and multilateral trade policy
  • international trade and commodity negotiations
  • market development, including market access
  • trade and international business development
  • investment promotion
  • international development co-operation
  • diplomatic and consular missions
  • international security issues, including disarmament, arms control, nuclear non-proliferation, counter terrorism and cyber affairs
  • public diplomacy, including information and cultural programs
• International expositions
• Provision to Australian citizens of secure travel identification
• Provision of consular services to Australian citizens abroad
• Overseas property management, including acquisition, ownership and disposal of real property
• Tourism industry
• International development and aid
• International climate diplomacy
• Implementation of Australia's international climate finance commitment

Portfolio ministers

Five additional ministers support the Minister for Foreign Affairs in administering the department, :

• Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell
• Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy MP
• Minister for International Development, Anne Aly MP
• Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite MP
• Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Assistant Minister for Tourism, Senator Nita Green

Secretary of the Department

DFAT is administered by a senior executive, comprising a secretary and five deputy secretaries. On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General has appointed the following individuals as Secretary to the department:

Structure

The department is responsible to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

As of June 2023, 3,881 Australian Public Service (APS) staff worked for DFAT in Australia and 959 worked in the overseas network. Additionally, DFAT employed 2,267 locally engaged staff (LES) in the overseas network. LES are citizens of the country in which the relevant DFAT Post is located, providing invaluable administrative and policy support to Australian officers whilst they conduct their overseas duties.

Departmental structure

The department is structured into seven groups, each led by a deputy secretary.

• The Secretary
  • Chief of Staff to the Secretary
• Trade and Investment Group (TIG)
  • Trade and Investment Strategy Branch (TIB)
    • State and Territory Offices
  • Trade and Investment Law Division (TLD)
  • Trade Resilience, Indo-Pacific Economic, and Latin America Division (TID)
  • International Economics and Energy Transition Division (IGD)
  • Free Trade Agreements & Stakeholder Engagement Division (FSD)
  • Office of Global Trade Negotiations (OTN)
• Strategic Planning and Coordination Group (SCG)
  • Strategic Communications Division (SGD)
  • East Asia Division (EAD)
  • Geostrategy and Partnerships Division (GPD)
  • Defence and National Security Policy Division (DND)
  • National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR; established 2019)
• South and Southeast Asia Group (SSG)
  • Office of Southeast Asia (OSA)
  • Southeast Asia Maritime Division (SMD)
  • Southeast Asia Regional and Mainland Division (SRD)
  • Southeast Asia Strategy and Development Division (SSD)
  • South and Central Asia Division (SXD)
  • Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR)
• Office of the Pacific (OTP)
  • Pacific Infrastructure & Economic Division (PED)
  • Pacific Strategy Division (PSD)
  • Melanesia Division (PMD)
  • Pacific Integration Division (PID)
  • Polynesia, Micronesia and Development Division (PDD)
  • Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP)
• Development, Multilateral and Europe Group (DMG)
  • Multilateral Policy and Human Rights Division (MPD)
  • Development Policy Division (DPD)
  • Development Effectiveness and Enabling Division (PRD)
  • Humanitarian Division (HPD)
  • Climate Diplomacy and Development Finance Division (CSD)
  • Ambassador for Global Health Global Health Division (GHD)
  • Europe Division (EUD)
• International Security, Legal and Consular Group (ISG)
  • Legal Division (LGD)
  • Regulatory and Legal Policy Division (RLD)
  • Consular and Crisis Management Division (CCD)
  • Middle East and Africa Division (MAD)
  • International Security Division (ISD)
  • Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO)
  • Australian Passport Office (APO)
• Enabling Services Group (ESG)
  • Finance Division (FND)
  • Diplomatic Security Division (DSD)
  • Overseas Property Office (OPO)
  • Information Management and Technology Division (IMD)
  • People Division (PPD)
  • Executive Division (EXD)
    • Internal Audit Branch(AUB)

Diplomatic network

DFAT maintains offices in each state and mainland territory to provide consular and passport services, and to perform an important liaison service for business throughout Australia. In addition, it has a Torres Strait Treaty Liaison Office on Thursday Island. Additionally, the department manages a network of 116 overseas posts, including Australian embassies, high commissions and consulates-general.

Portfolio agencies

DFAT also manages several agencies within its portfolio, including:

• Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)
• Export Finance and Insurance Corporation
• Australian Secret Intelligence Service
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

DFAT also manages foundations, councils, and institutes including:

• ASEAN-Australia Centre
• National Foundation for Australia-China Relations
• Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII)
• Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF)
• Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF)
• Centre for Australia-India Relations
• Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR)
• Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR)

Footnotes

References

References

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5. (24 September 2020). "DFAT organisation chart".
6. "Portfolio Overview".
7. (10 November 2021). "Secretary and Deputy Secretaries".
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9. "Our History". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
10. Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia, 20th ed, 1978, pp. 289-290
11. "Selling Treasury building could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions".
12. (2000). "Fact Sheet Forty Seven: Australian Overseas Information Service photographs". [[National Archives of Australia]].
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14. (13 May 2025). "Administrative Arrangements Order - 13 May 2025".
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16. Harris was Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs beginning on 3 September 1984 until it was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in July 1987.
17. Hawke, Bob. (23 July 1987). "For the media". [[Commonwealth of Australia]].
18. Hawke, Bob. (2 June 1988). "For the media". [[Commonwealth of Australia]].
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25. Rudd, Kevin. (13 August 2009). "Departmental secretaries and statutory office-holders, Canberra". [[Commonwealth of Australia]].
26. Gillard, Julia. (17 September 2012). "Diplomatic Appointment and Appointment of Secretaries of the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade". [[Commonwealth of Australia]].
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28. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2016). "Biography of Ms Frances Adamson". Australian Government.
29. Doran, Matthew. (20 July 2016). "Frances Adamson appointed as DFAT's first female secretary". ABC News.
30. Mannheim, Markus. (20 July 2016). "Frances Adamson becomes Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's first female secretary". The Canberra Times.
31. Turnbull, Malcolm. (20 July 2016). "Ms Frances Adamson appointed Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade". Australian Government.
32. "Secretary and Deputy Secretaries".
33. (22 June 2022). "Announcement of Department Secretaries". Prime Minister of Australia.
34. [https://www.transparency.gov.au/publications/foreign-affairs-and-trade/department-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade/department-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade-annual-report-2022-23 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Annual Report 2022-23]
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36. "Australia-China Council (decommissioned)".
37. Cohen, Hagar. (3 August 2020). "Government body meant to boost relations with China has been 'tortured and unspectacular', according to former chair". ABC News.
38. "Supporters and Partners".
39. "Foundations, councils and institutes – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade". Dfat.gov.au.