Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (New South Wales)

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Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Incumbent
Ben Franklin
since 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21)
Department of Premier and Cabinet
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor of New South Wales
Inaugural holderFrank Walker
Formation2 October 1981

The New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is a minister in the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for administering legislation and policy in relation to that state's indigenous Australians in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

The current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is The Honourable Ben Franklin MLC, who also serves as the Minister for the Arts and as the Minister for Regional Youth, appointed with effect from 21 December 2021. The minister assists the lead portfolio minister, the Deputy Premier, the Hon. Paul Toole MP, who was appointed with effect from 6 October 2021.[1] Together the ministers administer the portfolio through Aboriginal Affairs NSW, an agency of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, as well as a range of additional government agencies.

Ultimately, the minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

Office history[]

The first Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Frank Walker, was appointed by the Labor Government of Neville Wran on 2 October 1981 and a "Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs" was established on 1 January 1982.[2] This role replaced the Aboriginal Affairs responsibilities of the Minister for Youth and Community Services (the last being Kevin Stewart). Prior to 1969 Aboriginal Affairs was within the purview of the Chief Secretary. The new ministry had responsibilities for advising the Government on "how and where land rights for Aboriginal people might be granted" and for the provision of services to Aboriginal communities.[2]

On 15 April 1988, the Ministry was abolished and its responsibilities were transferred to the new "Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs" within the Premier’s Department. The Bureau was renamed to the "Office of Aboriginal Affairs" by June 1988 and was charged with the administration of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, 1983 (NSW) and the administration of Aboriginal Land Councils.[3] On 1 July 1993, the Office of Aboriginal Affairs was established as an administrative office independent of the Premier's Department responsible to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.[4]

On 6 April 1995 the Office was abolished and was transferred to the "Department of Aboriginal Affairs". On 1 July 2009 the Department was abolished as an independent body and was subordinated to the new Department of Human Services. On 4 April 2011, the Department was renamed "Aboriginal Affairs NSW" and was transferred to the Department of Education and Communities within the Office of Communities. In July 2015 the Office of Communities was abolished but Aboriginal Affairs remained within the parent Department of Education.[5]

Following the 2019 state election, Aboriginal Affairs NSW was transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Premier and Cabinet,[6] with Don Harwin appointed as Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts.

List of ministers[]

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Aboriginal Affairs or any precedent titles:

Minister Party affiliation Ministerial title Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Frank Walker Labor Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 2 October 1981 10 February 1984 2 years, 131 days [7]
Paul Whelan 10 February 1984 5 April 1984 55 days
George Paciullo 5 April 1984 6 February 1986 1 year, 307 days
Peter Anderson 6 February 1986 4 July 1986 148 days
Ken Gabb 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Jim Longley Liberal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 26 May 1993 4 April 1995 1 year, 313 days [7]
Andrew Refshauge Labor 4 April 1995 3 August 2005 10 years, 121 days
Carmel Tebbutt 3 August 2005 10 August 2005 7 days
Milton Orkopoulos 10 August 2005 8 November 2006 1 year, 90 days
Reba Meagher 8 November 2006 2 April 2007 145 days
Paul Lynch 2 April 2007 28 March 2011 4 years, 1 day
Victor Dominello Liberal 3 April 2011 2 April 2015 3 years, 364 days
Leslie Williams Nationals 2 April 2015 30 January 2017 1 year, 303 days
Sarah Mitchell 30 January 2017 23 March 2019 (2019-03-23) 2 years, 52 days [8]
Don Harwin Liberal Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,
Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts 		2 April 2019 (2019-04-02) 15 April 2020 (2020-04-15) 1 year, 13 days [9][10]
Gladys Berejiklian
(acting) 		15 April 2020 (2020-04-15) 3 July 2020 (2020-07-03) 79 days [11][12]
Don Harwin 3 July 2020 (2020-07-03) 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) 1 year, 171 days [13]
Ben Franklin Nationals Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) incumbent 36 days [14]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (508)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 6 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs (1988) Office of Aboriginal Affairs[I] (1988 - 1993)". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Office of Aboriginal Affairs [II]". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Department of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 [NSW] (159)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 7-8. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  7. ^ a b Part 10 Officers of the Parliament (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". Sky News. Australia. AAP. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  10. ^ "NSW Arts Minister resigns after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules". ABC News. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2020" (PDF). 15 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. ^ Wake, Caroline (7 May 2020). "Carriageworks was in trouble before coronavirus - but this crisis could be an opportunity". The Conversation. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  13. ^ "NSW Police boss hits back after former Arts minister Don Harwin gets off coronavirus fine". ABC News. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.

External links[]

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