Minister for Interior (Australia)

Minister for Interior
Minister for Interior
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Archdale Parkhill
Formation	12 April 1932

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.

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 Aboriginal Australians 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

Interior

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

Order	Minister		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
5	John McEwen		Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	1 year, 148 days
6	Harry Foll	United Australia	Menzies		26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	2 years, 164 days
6	Harry Foll	United Australia	Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	2 years, 164 days
7	Joe Collings	Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	3 years, 279 days
7	Joe Collings		Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	3 years, 279 days
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
14	Doug Anthony		Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	16 October 1967 (1967-10-16)	3 years, 226 days
15	Peter Nixon		Holt		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		Gorton		5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	1 year, 304 days
16	Ralph Hunt		McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 304 days
17	Lance Barnard	Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	14 days

Territories

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

Order	Minister		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
4	George Pearce		Bruce		9 February 1923 (1923-02-09)	18 June 1926 (1926-06-18)	4 years, 179 days
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
13	Eric Harrison		Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	169 days
(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	Country		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
16	Allan McDonald	United Australia	Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	103 days
17	James Fraser	Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	21 September 1943 (1943-09-21)	1 year, 349 days
18	Eddie Ward		Curtin		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)
			Gorton	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	McMahon		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	Labor	Whitlam		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			Minister for the Arts and Territories	2 September 1988 (1988-09-02)	22 May 1989 (1989-05-22)	1 year, 214 days
30	Clyde Holding			Minister for the Arts, Tourism and Territories	22 May 1989 (1989-05-22)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	1 year, 214 days
31	David Simmons				4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	1 year, 267 days
31	David Simmons		Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	1 year, 267 days
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			Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads	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			Minister for Local Government and Territories	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
44	John McVeigh		Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	251 days
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	Liberal		Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories	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	2 years, 173 days

Capital Territory

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

Order	Minister		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	Labor	Whitlam		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

Northern Territory

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Northern Territory or successor titles:^[2]

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Kep Enderby	Labor	Whitlam	Minister for the Northern Territory¹	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	19 October 1973 (1973-10-19)	304 days
2	Rex Patterson¹			Minister for the Northern Territory¹	19 October 1973 (1973-10-19)	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	2 years, 2 days
2	Rex Patterson¹			Minister for Northern Australia	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	21 October 1975 (1975-10-21)	2 years, 2 days
3	Paul Keating				21 October 1975 (1975-10-21)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	21 days
4	Ian Sinclair	National Country	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	41 days
5	Evan Adermann	National Country	Fraser	Minister for the Northern Territory	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	28 September 1978 (1978-09-28)	2 years, 280 days

6	Bob Collins	Labor	Hawke	Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Northern Australia	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	2 years, 53 days
6	Bob Collins		Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 May 1992 (1992-05-27)	2 years, 53 days
7	Ben Humphreys		Keating		27 May 1992 (1992-05-27)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	301 days

8	Josh Frydenberg	Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	150 days
9	Matt Canavan	Liberal National		Minister for Northern Australia	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	1 year, 157 days
9	Matt Canavan	Liberal National		Minister for Resources and Northern Australia	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	25 July 2017 (2017-07-25)	1 year, 157 days
10	Barnaby Joyce	National			25 July 2017 (2017-07-25)	27 October 2017 (2017-10-27)	94 days
(9)	Matt Canavan	Liberal National			27 October 2017 (2017-10-27)	24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	2 years, 99 days
(9)	Matt Canavan		Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	3 February 2020 (2020-02-03)	2 years, 99 days
11	Keith Pitt Scott Morrison^[4]			Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia	6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)	2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	1 year, 146 days
12	David Littleproud			Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia	2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	325 days
13	Madeleine King	Labor	Albanese	Minister for Northern Australia	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 173 days

References

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b "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.
^ ^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.
^ "Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab". ABC News. 16 August 2022.

[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.

[parl-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.

[Minister_for_Regional_Development,_Local_Government_and_Territories_parl-3] "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.

[Minister_for_Northern_Australia_:0-4] "Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab". ABC News. 16 August 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]