Minister for Interior (Australia)

The Australian Minister for Interior was a ministerial portfolio responsible for the local government and external territories administration. The portfolio was originally held by the Minister for Home Affairs from 1901 to 1932 and then Minister for the Interior in the first Lyons Ministry—subsuming his portfolios of Home Affairs and Transport.

Minister for Interior
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderArchdale Parkhill
Formation12 April 1932 (1932-04-12)

The establishment of portfolios such as Transport, Immigration, Agriculture and Industry left the Minister for the Interior mainly responsible for administering the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, including, until 1967, the Australian Aboriginals residing there.[1] On 19 December 1972 the interior portfolio was replaced in the Whitlam Ministry by the Minister for the Capital Territory and the Minister for the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory portfolio was abolished on 28 September 1978, following the granting of self-government to the Northern Territory. From July 1987, administration of the Australian Capital Territory was subsumed in the portfolio of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories, anticipating ACT self-government on 11 May 1989.

List of ministers edit

Interior edit

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Interior:[2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Archdale Parkhill   United Australia Lyons Minister for the Interior 12 April 1932 (1932-04-12) 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) 184 days
2 John Perkins 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) 1 year, 364 days
3 Eric Harrison 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) 9 November 1934 (1934-11-09) 28 days
4 Thomas Paterson   Country 9 November 1934 (1934-11-09) 29 November 1937 (1937-11-29) 3 years, 20 days
5 John McEwen 29 November 1937 (1937-11-29) 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 1 year, 148 days
Page 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
6 Harry Foll   United Australia Menzies 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 2 years, 164 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
7 Joe Collings   Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 3 years, 279 days
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
8 Herbert Johnson Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 4 years, 159 days
9 Philip McBride   Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) 309 days
n/a Eric Harrison 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 199 days
10 Wilfrid Kent Hughes 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) 4 years, 245 days
11 Allen Fairhall 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 2 years, 333 days
12 Gordon Freeth 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 5 years, 8 days
13 John Gorton 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 4 March 1964 (1964-03-04) 77 days
14 Doug Anthony   Country 4 March 1964 (1964-03-04) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 3 years, 226 days
Holt 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 16 October 1967 (1967-10-16)
15 Peter Nixon 16 October 1967 (1967-10-16) 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 3 years, 112 days
McEwen 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
Gorton 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) 5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)
16 Ralph Hunt 5 February 1971 (1971-02-05) 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 1 year, 304 days
McMahon 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)
17 Lance Barnard   Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days

Territories edit

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Territories, or any precedent titles:[3]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Fred Bamford   National Labor Hughes Minister for Home and Territories 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) 95 days
2 Paddy Glynn, KC   Nationalist 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) 2 years, 351 days
3 Alexander Poynton, OBE 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) 1 year, 321 days
4 George Pearce 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) 4 years, 179 days
Bruce 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18)
5 Sir William Glasgow, KCB, CMG, DSO, VD 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18) 2 April 1927 (1927-04-02) 288 days
6 Charles Marr, DSO, MC 2 April 1927 (1927-04-02) 24 February 1928 (1928-02-24) 328 days
7 Sir Neville Howse, VC, KCB, KCMG 24 February 1928 (1928-02-24) 29 November 1928 (1928-11-29) 279 days
8 Aubrey Abbott   Country 29 November 1928 (1928-11-29) 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) 327 days
(6) Charles Marr United Australia Lyons Minister in charge of Territories 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) 24 May 1934 (1934-05-24) 2 years, 138 days
9 Harry Lawson 24 May 1934 (1934-05-24) 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) 141 days
10 George Pearce 12 October 1934 (1934-10-12) 29 November 1937 (1937-11-29) 3 years, 48 days
11 Billy Hughes 29 November 1937 (1937-11-29) 7 November 1938 (1938-11-07) 343 days
12 John Perkins Minister without portfolio administering External Territories 7 November 1938 (1938-11-07) 8 November 1938 (1938-11-08) 1 day
13 Eric Harrison 8 November 1938 (1938-11-08) 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 169 days
Page 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
(12) John Perkins Menzies 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) 323 days
14 Horace Nock Country Minister without portfolio in charge of External Territories 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 228 days
15 Thomas Collins Minister without portfolio assisting the Prime Minister dealing with External Territories 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) 241 days
16 Allan McDonald United Australia Minister for External Territories 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 103 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
17 James Fraser Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 21 September 1943 (1943-09-21) 1 year, 349 days
18 Eddie Ward 21 September 1943 (1943-09-21) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 6 years, 89 days
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)
19 Percy Spender Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 26 April 1951 (1951-04-26) 1 year, 128 days
20 Richard Casey 27 April 1951 (1951-04-27) 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 15 days
21 Paul Hasluck Minister for Territories 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 12 years, 221 days
22 Charles Barnes Country 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 8 years, 38 days
Holt 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)
McEwen 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
Gorton 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)
Minister for External Territories 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
McMahon 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 25 January 1972 (1972-01-25)
23 Andrew Peacock Liberal 25 January 1972 (1972-01-25) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 315 days
24 Gough Whitlam1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days
25 Bill Morrison 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 30 November 1973 (1973-11-30) 346 days
26 Tom Uren Labor Hawke Minister for Territories and Local Government 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 1 year, 277 days
27 Gordon Scholes Minister for Territories 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 2 years, 223 days
28 John Brown Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 18 December 1987 (1987-12-18) 147 days
29 Gary Punch Minister for the Arts and Territories 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) 227 days
30 Clyde Holding 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) 22 May 1989 (1989-05-22) 1 year, 214 days
Minister for the Arts, Tourism and Territories 22 May 1989 (1989-05-22) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)
31 David Simmons 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 1 year, 267 days
Keating 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)
32 Wendy Fatin Minister for the Arts and Territories 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 1 year, 87 days
33 Ros Kelly Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) 342 days
34 Graham Richardson 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 24 days
35 John Faulkner 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 1 year, 352 days
36 Warwick Smith Liberal Howard Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) 1 year, 212 days
37 Alex Somlyay Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 1 year, 12 days
38 Ian Macdonald Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 3 years, 36 days
39 Wilson Tuckey 25 January 2002 (2002-01-25) 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 1 year, 255 days
(38) Ian Macdonald Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 18 July 2004 (2004-07-18) 285 days
40 Jim Lloyd 18 July 2004 (2004-07-18) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 3 years, 138 days
41 Paul Fletcher Liberal Turnbull Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 302 days
42 Fiona Nash National Minister for Local Government and Territories 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) 1 year, 100 days
43 Darren Chester 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 54 days
44 John McVeigh Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) 251 days
Morrison 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)
45 Sussan Ley Liberal Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 274 days
46 Nola Marino 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 2 years, 359 days
47 Kristy McBain Labor Albanese Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) Incumbent 1 year, 323 days

Capital Territory edit

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Capital Territory:[3]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Kep Enderby   Labor Whitlam Minister for the Capital Territory 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) 294 days
2 Gordon Bryant 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 2 years, 33 days
3 Reg Withers   Liberal Fraser 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 41 days
4 Eric Robinson 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 16 February 1976 (1976-02-16) 56 days
5 Tony Staley 16 February 1976 (1976-02-16) 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 1 year, 307 days
6 Bob Ellicott 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) 2 years, 319 days
7 Michael Hodgman 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 2 years, 128 days

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Attwood, B.; Markus, A. (2004). Thinking Black, William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines' League. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. p. 85. ISBN 0-85575-459-1.
  2. ^ "The 45th Parliament: Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia 2017". Parliament of Australia. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.