author
Australia. Department of External Affairs
For decades, this Australian government department stood at the center of the nation’s growing role in the world. Its story traces how Australia moved from a young federation with limited diplomatic reach to a country building its own foreign policy and overseas service.
2 Audiobooks
Australia, The Dairy Country
by Australia. Department of External Affairs
Wheat Growing in Australia
by Australia. Department of External Affairs
About the author
Established as one of the original Commonwealth departments at Federation in 1901, the Department of External Affairs handled matters beyond Australia’s borders. It existed in its first form until 1916, then was re-established in 1921 and continued until 1970, when it was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs.
As Australia’s international responsibilities expanded, so did the department’s importance. It played a key part in diplomacy, relations with other countries, and the development of Australia’s overseas representation, especially during and after the Second World War.
Its legacy lives on in today’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For readers interested in Australian political and diplomatic history, the department offers a useful window into how the country’s independent voice in world affairs took shape.