The Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Government of Australia is a position which holds responsibility for affairs affecting Indigenous Australians. Previous ministers have held various other titles since the position was created in 1968, most recently Minister for Indigenous Affairs. Since July 2024, the position has been held by Malarndirri McCarthy in the Albanese ministry.
| Minister for Indigenous Australians | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Peter Howson (as Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts) |
| Formation | 10 March 1971 |
| Website | ministers |
McCarthy is the second Indigenous woman and third Indigenous Australian appointed to the role. Her predecessor, Linda Burney, was the first Indigenous woman to be appointed to the role.[1] Burney's predecessor, Ken Wyatt, was the first Indigenous Australian appointed to the role, and the first minister named as Minister for Indigenous Australians.[2]
The role assumes responsibility for matters concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and is responsible for the National Indigenous Australians Agency.[2]
Portfolio
editIn the Government of Australia, the Minister administers the portfolio through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and a range of other government agencies, including:[citation needed]
- Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC)
- Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC)
- Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)
- Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC)
- Office of the Aboriginal Land Commissioner
- Anindilyakawa Land Council
- Central Land Council
- Northern Land Council
- Tiwi Land Council
List of ministers
editIndigenous affairs
editThe following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, or any precedent titles:[3]
| Order | Minister | Party affiliation | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Wentworth | Liberal | Gorton | Minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs under the Prime Minister | 28 February 1968 | 10 March 1971 | 3 years, 92 days | |
| McMahon | 10 March 1971 | 31 May 1971 | ||||||
| 2 | Peter Howson | Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts | 31 May 1971 | 5 December 1972 | 1 year, 188 days | |||
| 3 | Gough Whitlam1 | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 | 19 December 1972 | 14 days | ||
| 4 | Gordon Bryant | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 19 December 1972 | 9 October 1973 | 294 days | |||
| 5 | Jim Cavanagh | 9 October 1973 | 6 June 1975 | 1 year, 240 days | ||||
| 6 | Les Johnson | 6 June 1975 | 11 November 1975 | 158 days | ||||
| 7 | Tom Drake-Brockman | National Country | Fraser | 11 November 1975 | 22 December 1975 | 41 days | ||
| 8 | Ian Viner | Liberal | 22 December 1975 | 5 December 1978 | 2 years, 348 days | |||
| 9 | Fred Chaney | 5 December 1978 | 3 November 1980 | 1 year, 334 days | ||||
| 10 | Peter Baume | 3 November 1980 | 7 May 1982 | 1 year, 185 days | ||||
| 11 | Ian Wilson | 7 May 1982 | 11 March 1983 | 308 days | ||||
| 12 | Clyde Holding | Labor | Hawke | 11 March 1983 | 24 July 1987 | 4 years, 135 days | ||
| 13 | Gerry Hand | 24 July 1987 | 4 April 1990 | 2 years, 254 days | ||||
| 14 | Robert Tickner | 4 April 1990 | 19 December 1991 | 5 years, 342 days | ||||
| Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 19 December 1991 | 20 December 1991 | ||||||
| Keating | 20 December 1991 | 11 March 1996 | ||||||
| 15 | John Herron | Liberal | Howard | 11 March 1996 | 30 January 2001 | 4 years, 325 days | ||
| 16 | Philip Ruddock | Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 30 January 2001 | 26 November 2001 | 2 years, 250 days | |||
| Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs | 26 November 2001 | 7 October 2003 | ||||||
| 17 | Amanda Vanstone | 7 October 2003 | 27 January 2006 | 2 years, 112 days | ||||
| 18 | Mal Brough | Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 27 January 2006 | 3 December 2007 | 1 year, 310 days | |||
| 19 | Jenny Macklin | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 3 December 2007 | 24 June 2010 | 5 years, 289 days | |
| Gillard | 24 June 2010 | 14 December 2011 | ||||||
| Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 24 June 2010 | 27 June 2013 | ||||||
| Rudd | 27 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | ||||||
| 20 | Nigel Scullion | National | Abbott | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 18 September 2013 | 15 September 2015 | 5 years, 253 days | |
| Turnbull | 15 September 2015 | 24 August 2018 | ||||||
| Morrison | 24 August 2018 | 29 May 2019 | ||||||
| 21 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Minister for Indigenous Australians | 29 May 2019 | 23 May 2022 | 2 years, 359 days | ||
| 22 | Linda Burney | Labor | Albanese | 1 June 2022 | 29 July 2024 | 2 years, 58 days | ||
| 23 | Malarndirri McCarthy | 29 July 2024 | Incumbent | 116 days | ||||
Reconciliation
edit| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation | 21 October 1998 | 30 January 2001 | 4 years, 351 days | |
| Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 30 January 2001 | 26 November 2001 | ||||||
| Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation | 26 November 2001 | 7 October 2003 | ||||||
| 2 | Amanda Vanstone | 7 October 2003 | 22 October 2004 | 1 year, 15 days | ||||
Notes
- 1 Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.
References
edit- ^ Hitch, Georgia; Evans, Jake (31 May 2022). "Who's in the new Labor government cabinet? Who got what role on the frontbench?". ABC News. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ a b "The Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP - Minister for Indigenous Australians". indigenous.gov.au. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "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 29 September 2013.