On 7 May 1982 the Prime Minister announced a number of changes to departmental administrative arrangements, including the creation of a new Department of Aviation (DoA). In announcing the changes, the Prime Minister said that the re-establishment of a separate Department of Aviation after the experiment of combining all transport in the one portfolio recognised the importance of civil aviation to the economy and the community at large. "It is a distinct area which presents particular issues of its own and its importance warrants undivided Ministerial attention," he said.

The first Minister of the new Department was Wal Fife and C.W. 'Colin' Freeland was appointed as Acting Secretary. The new Department's initials were a bit unfortunate, it being known in some quarters as 'Dead on Arrival'.

The logo adopted for the new Department was simple but elegant, combining the name of the Department with the iconic Civil Air Ensign.The photo below shows it in use on one of the Department's Fokker F28 airways calibration aircraft and below that is a badge worn by the Department's Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service.

This logo remained in use until May 1987, when the DoA was amalgamated back into the Department of Transport and Communications. However, it was never really superseded until the following year when the Civil Aviation Authority was formed with its own new logo.

(All images: CAHS collection)

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