Minister for Indigenous Affairs (Australia)

Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Incumbent Nigel Scullion since 18 September 2013
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Don Grimes (Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) William Wentworth (Indigenous Affairs)
Formation	1984 (Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) 1968 (Indigenous Affairs)

The Australian Minister for Indigenous Affairs is Senator the Hon. Nigel Scullion, since 18 September 2013.

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:

• Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC)
  • Indigenous Coordination Centres
• 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 for Indigenous Affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, or any precedent titles:

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)
				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)
3	Gough Whitlam		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	days
4	Gordon Bryant				Minister for Aboriginal Affairs	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	days
5	Jim Cavanagh					9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)
6	Les Johnson					6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	days
7	Tom Drake-Brockman		National Country	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	days
8	Ian Viner		Liberal			22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)
9	Fred Chaney					5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)	3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)
10	Peter Baume					3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)
11	Ian Wilson					7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	days
12	Clyde Holding		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)
13	Gerry Hand					24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)
14	Robert Tickner					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	19 December 1991 (1991-12-19)
					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)
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)
					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)
18	Mal Brough				Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)
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)
				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		Country Liberal Party	Abbott	Minister for Indigenous Affairs	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	incumbent

List of Ministers assisting the Prime Minister for 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
					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

Notes

Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

See also

• Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Canada