The following table lists the heads of the Department (in its various guises) between its formation in 1920 and the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority in 1988, and also the heads of the Civil Aviation Administration since 1988.

The actual title of the occupant of this position changed over time.

Position Title	Occupant	Tenure
Controller	Lt Col Horace Clowes Brinsmead	16 Dec 1920 - 23 Jan 1933
Controller	Edgar Charles Johnston	4 May 1933 - 7 April 1936*
Controller-General	Edgar Charles Johnston	7 April 1933 - 9 January 1939
Acting Director-General	Maurice William Mehaffey	12 January 1939 - 2 April 1939
Director-General	Arthur Brownlow Corbett	3 April 1939 - 16 February 1944 (& Acting Director-General until 5 August 1944)
Director-General	Daniel McVey	# 17 February 1944 - 10 June 1946
Director-General	Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams	11 June 1946 - 31 December 1955
Director-General	Sir Donald George Anderson	1 January 1956 - 30 September 1973
Acting Director-General	Charles C Halton	30 September 1973 - 30 November 1973
Secretary, Dept. of Transport	Charles C Halton	5 November 1973 - 7 May 1982 (absorbed Aviation from 1 December 1973)
Secretary, Dept. of Aviation & Secretary, Dept. of Transport	Colin W Freeland	7 May 1982 - 10 February 1988 (CAA created)
Secretary, Dept. of Aviation	R.M. Taylor	10 February 1986 - 30 June 1988
Chief Executive and General Manager, Civil Aviation Authority	Colin W. Freeland	17 June 1988 - 21 December 1990
Chief Executive Officer, CAA	J.F.S. 'Frank' Baldwin	14 January 1991 - 2 February 1993
Chief Executive Officer, CAA	Doug J. Roser	1 July 1993 - 5 December 1994
Chief Executive Officer, CAA (Acting)	Buck A. Brooksbank	6 December 1994 - 5 November 1995
Chief Executive Officer, Airservices Australia	William H. Pollard	6 November 1995 - 4 November 2000
Director of Aviation Safety, CASA	Mick Toller	1 July 1998 - 8 August 2003
Chief Executive Officer, Airservices Australia	Bernard R. Smith	6 November 2000 - 20 January 2005
Director of Aviation Safety, CASA (Acting)	Bruce Gemmell	8 August 2003 - 1 December 2003
Chief Executive Officer and Director of Aviation Safety, CASA	W. Bruce Byron	1 December 2003 - March 2009
Chief Executive Officer, Airservices Australia (Acting)	Hisham M. El-Ansary	21 January 2005 - 15 July 2005
Chief Executive Officer, Airservices Australia	Gregory P. Russell	19 July 2005 - 17 May 2012
Director of Aviation Safety, CASA	John McCormick	March 2009 -
Chief Executive Officer, Airservices Australia(Acting)	Andrew Clark	17 May 2012 -

* On 7 April 1936 the office of Controller of Civil Aviation was abolished and the office of Controller-General of Civil Aviation was established. Johnston was promoted the same day.

# McVey was overseas immediately after his appiontment and Corbett stayed on until McVey's return.

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