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. 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:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Archdale Parkhill United Australia Lyons Minister for the Interior 2 John Perkins 3 Eric Harrison 4 Thomas Paterson Country 5 John McEwen Page 6 Harry Foll United Australia Menzies Fadden 7 Joe Collings Labor Curtin Forde 8 Herbert Johnson Chifley 9 Philip McBride Liberal Menzies n/a Eric Harrison 10 Wilfrid Kent Hughes 11 Allen Fairhall 12 Gordon Freeth 13 John Gorton 14 Doug Anthony Country Holt 15 Peter Nixon McEwen Gorton 16 Ralph Hunt McMahon 17 Lance Barnard Labor Whitlam
Territories
Capital Territory
Northern Territory The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Northern Territory or successor titles:
See also
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)
References