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

This section is an excerpt from Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories § List of ministers for 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	Catherine King		Labor	Gillard	Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories	25 March 2013 (2013-03-25)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	177 days
				Rudd	Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
42	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
43	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
44	Darren Chester					27 October 2017 (2017-10-27)	20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)	54 days
45	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)
46	Sussan Ley		Liberal		Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	274 days
47	Nola Marino					29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	2 years, 359 days
48	Kristy McBain		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	3 years, 72 days

Capital Territory

This section is an excerpt from Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories § 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

Northern Territory

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

This table is an excerpt from Minister for Northern Australia § List of ministers for Northern Australia.[edit]

Order	Minister	Party		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					19 October 1973 (1973-10-19)	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	2 years, 2 days
					Minister for Northern Australia	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	21 October 1975 (1975-10-21)
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				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
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 May 1992 (1992-05-27)
7	Ben Humphreys					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
					Minister for Resources and Northern Australia	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	25 July 2017 (2017-07-25)
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
				Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	3 February 2020 (2020-02-03)
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	3 years, 72 days

See also

• Australia portal

• Department of Home Affairs (1901–16)
• Department of Home and Territories
• Department of Home Affairs (1928–32)
• Department of the Interior (1932–39)
• Department of the Interior (1939–72)
• Department of Administrative Services (1975–84)
• Department of Home Affairs (1977–80)
• Department of Home Affairs and Environment (1980-84)
• Department of Local Government and Administrative Services (1984-87)
• Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories (1987-91)
• Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories (1991-93)
• Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories (1993-97)
• Department of Transport and Regional Development (1996-98)
• Department of Transport and Regional Services (1998-07)
• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (2007-2010
• Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (2010-2011)
• Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport (2011-2013)