Minister for Indigenous Australians

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
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent Malarndirri McCarthy since 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)
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 (1971-03-10)
Website	ministers.pmc.gov.au/mccarthy

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

In 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)
  • Indigenous Coordination Centres
• Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC)
• Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)
• Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILC)
• Office of the Aboriginal Land Commissioner
• Anindilyakawa Land Council
• Central Land Council
• Northern Land Council
• Tiwi Land Council

List of ministers

Indigenous affairs

The 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 (1968-02-28)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	3 years, 92 days
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	31 May 1971 (1971-05-31)
2	Peter Howson				Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts	31 May 1971 (1971-05-31)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 188 days
3	Gough Whitlam1		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	14 days
4	Gordon Bryant				Minister for Aboriginal Affairs	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	294 days
5	Jim Cavanagh					9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	1 year, 240 days
6	Les Johnson					6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	158 days
7	Tom Drake-Brockman		National Country	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	41 days
8	Ian Viner		Liberal			22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)	2 years, 348 days
9	Fred Chaney					5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)	3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	1 year, 334 days
10	Peter Baume					3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	1 year, 185 days
11	Ian Wilson					7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	308 days
12	Clyde Holding		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 years, 135 days
13	Gerry Hand					24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	2 years, 254 days
14	Robert Tickner					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	19 December 1991 (1991-12-19)	5 years, 342 days
					Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs	19 December 1991 (1991-12-19)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)
15	John Herron		Liberal	Howard		11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	30 January 2001 (2001-01-30)	4 years, 325 days
16	Philip Ruddock				Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs	30 January 2001 (2001-01-30)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	2 years, 250 days
					Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)
17	Amanda Vanstone					7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	2 years, 112 days
18	Mal Brough				Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	1 year, 310 days
19	Jenny Macklin		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	5 years, 289 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)
					Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)
				Rudd		27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
20	Nigel Scullion		National	Abbott	Minister for Indigenous Affairs	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	5 years, 253 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)
				Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
21	Ken Wyatt		Liberal		Minister for Indigenous Australians	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	2 years, 359 days
22	Linda Burney		Labor	Albanese		1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	2 years, 58 days
23	Malarndirri McCarthy					29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	Incumbent	1 year, 14 days

Reconciliation

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.