Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty

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Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty
Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Incumbent
David Harris
since 5 April 2023 (2023-04-05)
Premier's Department
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor of New South Wales
Inaugural holder Frank Walker
Formation2 October 1981

The New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty 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.

Contents

The current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is David Harris, who also holds the portfolios of Gaming and Racing and Veterans, appointed with effect from 5 April 2023. The minister administers the portfolio through Aboriginal Affairs NSW, an agency of the Premier's Department, 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. [1] 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. [1]

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. [2] 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. [3]

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. [4]

Following the 2019 state election, Aboriginal Affairs NSW was transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Premier and Cabinet, [5] with Don Harwin appointed as Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts. [6]

List of ministers

Ministerial titleMinister  [6] PartyMinistryTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Frank Walker   Labor Wran (4) (5) 2 October 198110 February 19842 years, 131 days [6]
Paul Whelan Wran (6) 10 February 19845 April 198455 days
George Paciullo Wran (7) 5 April 19846 February 19861 year, 307 days
Peter Anderson Wran (8) 6 February 19864 July 1986148 days
Ken Gabb Unsworth 4 July 198621 March 19881 year, 261 days
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jim Longley   Liberal Fahey (3) 26 May 19934 April 19951 year, 313 days [6]
Andrew Refshauge   Labor Carr (1) (2) (3) (4) 4 April 19953 August 200510 years, 121 days
Carmel Tebbutt Iemma (1) 3 August 200510 August 20057 days
Milton Orkopoulos 10 August 20058 November 20061 year, 90 days
Reba Meagher 8 November 20062 April 2007145 days
Paul Lynch Iemma (2)
Rees
Keneally 		2 April 200728 March 20114 years, 1 day
Victor Dominello   Liberal O'Farrell
Baird (1) 		3 April 20112 April 20153 years, 364 days
Leslie Williams   National Baird (2) 2 April 201530 January 20171 year, 303 days
Sarah Mitchell Berejiklian (1) 30 January 201723 March 20192 years, 52 days [7]
Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,
Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts 		Don Harwin   Liberal Berejiklian (2) 2 April 201915 April 20201 year, 13 days [8] [9]
Gladys Berejiklian
(acting)		15 April 20203 July 202079 days [10] [11]
Don Harwin Berejiklian (2)
Perrottet (1) 		3 July 202021 December 20211 year, 171 days [12]
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin   National Perrottet (2) 21 December 202128 March 20231 year, 97 days [13]
Special Minister of State John Graham   Labor Minns 28 March 20235 April 20238 days
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris 5 April 2023incumbent2 years, 11 days

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "AGY-562 Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  2. ↑ "AGY-563 Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs (1988) Office of Aboriginal Affairs[I] (1988-1993)". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  3. ↑ "AGY-4112 Office of Aboriginal Affairs [II]". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ "AGY-564 Department of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". Sky News . Australia. AAP. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales . 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "NSW Arts Minister resigns after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules". ABC News. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2020" (PDF). 15 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Wake, Caroline (7 May 2020). "Carriageworks was in trouble before coronavirus - but this crisis could be an opportunity". The Conversation. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "NSW Police boss hits back after former Arts minister Don Harwin gets off coronavirus fine". ABC News. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales . 21 December 2021.
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