Minister for Lands (Western Australia)

Minister for Lands is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by John Carey of the Labor Party. The position was first created in 1870, under the name Commissioner of Crown Lands, at a time when Western Australia was still a British colony and had not yet achieved responsible government. Except for a brief period between 2001 and 2003, it has existed in every government since then. The minister is currently responsible for the state government's Land Use Management division comprising part of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, which is responsible for the management of crown land in Western Australia.

Titles

• 18 December 1870 – 27 May 1901: Commissioner of Crown Lands
• 27 May 1901 – 25 February 1983: Minister for Lands
• 25 February 1983 – 25 February 1986: Minister for Lands and Surveys
• 25 February 1986 – 16 February 2001: Minister for Lands
• 27 June 2003 – 23 September 2008: Minister for Land Information
• 23 September 2008 – present: Minister for Lands

List of ministers

Term start	Term end	Minister	Party
18 December 1870	9 April 1883	Malcolm Fraser		None
10 July 1883	9 June 1887	John Forrest		None
9 June 1887	4 January 1888	J. C. H. James		None
6 March 1888	21 October 1890	John Forrest (again)		None
29 December 1890	4 December 1894	William Marmion		None
4 December 1894	13 March 1897	Alexander Richardson		Ministerial
13 March 1897	14 February 1901	George Throssell		Ministerial
15 February 1901	27 May 1901	Charles Moran		Ministerial
27 May 1901	21 November 1901	Charles Sommers		Ministerial
21 November 1901	23 December 1901	John Nanson		Ministerial
23 December 1901	23 January 1903	Adam Jameson		Ministerial
23 January 1903	10 August 1904	John Hopkins		Ministerial
10 August 1904	7 June 1905	John Drew		Independent
7 June 1905	25 August 1905	Thomas Bath		Labor
25 August 1905	30 June 1909	Newton Moore		Ministerial
30 June 1909	7 October 1911	James Mitchell		Ministerial
17 October 1911	23 November 1914	Thomas Bath (again)		Labor
23 November 1914	27 July 1916	William Johnson		Labor
27 July 1916	17 April 1919	Henry Lefroy		Lib./Nat.
17 April 1919	15 April 1924	James Mitchell (again)		Nationalist
16 April 1924	30 April 1927	William Angwin		Labor
30 April 1927	23 April 1930	Frank Troy		Labor
24 April 1930	24 April 1933	Charles Latham		Country
24 April 1933	15 March 1939	Frank Troy (again)		Labor
15 March 1939	3 August 1945	Frank Wise		Labor
3 August 1945	1 April 1947	Alexander Panton		Labor
1 April 1947	23 February 1953	Lindsay Thorn		Country
23 February 1953	17 December 1957	Ernest Hoar		Labor
17 December 1957	2 April 1959	Lionel Kelly		Labor
2 April 1959	3 March 1971	Stewart Bovell		Liberal
3 March 1971	8 April 1974	David Evans		Labor
8 April 1974	10 March 1977	Alan Ridge		Liberal
10 March 1977	25 August 1978	June Craig		Liberal
25 August 1978	25 January 1982	David Wordsworth		Liberal
25 January 1982	25 February 1983	Ian Laurance		Liberal
25 February 1983	25 February 1986	Ken McIver		Labor
25 February 1986	16 March 1987	Ian Taylor		Labor
16 March 1987	25 February 1988	Keith Wilson		Labor
25 February 1988	28 February 1989	Yvonne Henderson		Labor
28 February 1989	5 February 1991	Kay Hallahan		Labor
5 February 1991	16 February 1993	David Smith		Labor
16 February 1993	26 April 1996	George Cash		Liberal
26 April 1996	9 January 1997	Graham Kierath		Liberal
9 January 1997	16 February 2001	Doug Shave		Liberal
22 December 1999	16 February 2001	Rob Johnson		Liberal
2001–2003: no minister – responsibilities held by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
27 June 2003	10 March 2005	Nick Griffiths		Labor
10 March 2005	3 February 2006	John Bowler		Labor
3 February 2006	23 September 2008	Michelle Roberts		Labor
23 September 2008	11 December 2013	Brendon Grylls		National
11 December 2013	17 March 2017	Terry Redman		National
17 March 2017	13 December 2018	Rita Saffioti		Labor
13 December 2018	13 March 2021	Ben Wyatt		Labor
19 March 2021	21 December 2021	Tony Buti		Labor
21 December 2021	Incumbent	John Carey		Labor

See also

• Minister for Agriculture and Food (Western Australia)
• Minister for the Environment (Western Australia)
• Minister for Fisheries (Western Australia)
• Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)
• Minister for Water (Western Australia)
• Surveyor-General of Western Australia
• Commissioner of Crown Lands (Australia)

References

• David Black (2014), The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition). Perth [W.A.]: Parliament of Western Australia.