Constitutionally, the commander in chief of the ADF of the Commonwealth of Australia, is the Governor-General as the Queen's representative. The Governor-General, however, acts on the advise of the Minister for Defence who reports to the national Security Committee of Cabinet.

The Minister for Defence heads Australia's Department of Defence, wjhich administers the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) comprising the ADF and the civilian organizations supporting the ADF. These civilian organistaions include: the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO); the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) responsible for the purchase and maintenance of defence equipment; and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) responsible for science and technology support to the defence forces.

Operational command of the ADF is exercised by a Joint Operations Command, located at Potts Point in Sydney, and scheduled to move in a few years to a new facility to be built at Bungendore, NSW, near Canberra. The Vice-Chief of Defence Force now has the additional responsibility of Chief of Joint Operations, directing the JOC. In addition, Northern Command, headquartered in Darwin, is responsible for operations in Northern Australia.