Minister for Lands and Property

Last updated

Minister for Lands and Property of New South Wales
Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Incumbent
Steve Kamper
since 5 April 2023
Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
Appointer Governor of New South Wales
Precursor Secretary for Lands and Works
Formation1 October 1859
First holder Bob Nichols

The Minister for Lands and Property, also called the Secretary for Lands was responsible for one of the key issues for the colonial administration of New South Wales, being the contest between squatters and selectors to dispossess the Aboriginal people of their land. [1]

Contents

Role and responsibilities

The land issue dominated the politics of the late 1850s, and in October 1859, towards the end of the second Cowper ministry, the Secretary for Public Works was split off from the Secretary for Lands and Works. This enabled John Robertson to concentrate on what became known as the Robertson Land Acts. [2] The Cowper ministry fell at the end of October 1859, replaced by the short lived Forster ministry. Robertson formed his first ministry in March 1860. While the four previous Premiers held the office of Colonial Secretary, Robertson chose to be Secretary for Lands. [3]

The main work of the department at this time was processing the selection claims, including the various commissioners for Crown Lands and the necessary survey work under the Surveyor General. The minister had numerous other responsibilities, including immigration until 1869, mining until 1874 and forestry until 1908. [4]

In the Holman Nationalist ministry from November 1916 William Ashford held the portfolios of Secretary for Lands and Minister for Forests and it became increasingly common for the minister to hold the portfolio along with other portfolios. In 1981 the Department of lands was temporarily amalgamated with the Department of Local Government, [4] with the minister Lin Gordon holding both portfolios, [5] until the departments were separated again in February 1984. [6] The portfolio of Minister for Lands was abolished in April 1984 and replaced by the Minister for Natural Resources whose responsibilities included waterways, reserves and parks, forestry. [7] The portfolio was briefly re-established in 1986, 1990 and 2004.

List of ministers

Lands

Ministerial titleMinister [1] PartyTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
Secretary for Lands and Works George Nichols No party6 June 185625 August 185680 days [8]
Terence Murray 25 August 18562 October 185638 days [9]
John Hay 3 October 18567 September 1857339 days [10]
Terence Murray 7 September 185712 January 1858127 days [9]
John Robertson 13 January 185830 September 18591 year, 286 days [3]
Secretary for Lands 1 October 185926 October 1859 [3]
John Black 27 October 18598 March 1860133 days [11]
John Robertson [lower-alpha 1] 9 March 186015 October 18633 years, 220 days [3]
Bowie Wilson 16 October 18632 February 18651 year, 109 days [12]
John Robertson 3 February 186519 October 1865258 days [3]
William Arnold 20 October 186530 October 186510 days [13]
John Robertson 1 January 186621 January 186620 days [3]
Bowie Wilson 22 January 186626 October 18682 years, 278 days [12]
William Forster 27 October 186814 April 18701 year, 169 days [14]
John Robertson 13 August 187015 December 1870124 days [3]
Bowie Wilson 16 December 187013 May 18721 year, 149 days [12]
James Farnell 14 May 18728 February 18752 years, 270 days [15]
Thomas Garrett 9 February 18755 February 18771 year, 362 days [16]
Ezekiel Baker 6 February 187721 March 187743 days [17]
Richard Driver 22 March 187716 August 1877147 days [18]
Thomas Garrett 17 August 187719 November 187794 days [16]
Ezekiel Baker 20 November 187717 December 187727 days [17]
James Farnell 18 December 187720 December 18781 year, 2 days [15]
James Hoskins 21 December 187828 December 18813 years, 7 days [19]
Sir John Robertson 29 December 18814 January 18831 year, 6 days [3]
James Farnell 5 January 18836 October 18852 years, 274 days [15]
Joseph Abbott 7 October 188521 December 188575 days [20]
Gerald Spring 22 December 188525 February 188665 days [21]
Henry Copeland 26 February 188619 January 1887327 days [22]
Thomas Garrett   Free Trade 20 January 188719 January 1888364 days [16]
Sir Henry Parkes 26 July 188823 August 188828 days [23]
James Brunker 29 August 188816 January 1889140 days [24]
William Lyne   Protectionist 17 January 18897 March 188949 days [25]
James Brunker   Free Trade 8 March 188922 October 18912 years, 228 days [24]
Henry Copeland   Protectionist 23 October 18912 August 18942 years, 283 days [22]
Joseph Carruthers   Free Trade 3 August 18943 July 18994 years, 334 days
James Young 3 July 189913 September 189972 days
Thomas Hassall   Protectionist 14 September 18999 April 19011 year, 207 days
Paddy Crick   Progressive 11 April 190114 June 19043 years, 64 days
Edward O'Sullivan 15 June 190429 August 190475 days
James Ashton   Liberal Reform 29 August 19041 October 19073 years, 33 days
Samuel Moore 2 October 190720 October 19103 years, 18 days
Niels Nielsen   Labor 21 October 19101 August 1911284 days
Frederick Flowers 4 August 191126 November 1911114 days
George Beeby 11 September 19119 December 19121 year, 89 days
John Treflé 10 December 191211 January 19152 years, 32 days
William Ashford 12 January 191515 November 19161 year, 308 days
  Nationalist 15 November 191612 April 19203 years, 149 days
Secretary for Lands
Minister for Forests
Peter Loughlin   Labor 12 April 192020 December 19211 year, 252 days
Walter Wearne   Nationalist 20 December 192120 December 1921
Peter Loughlin   Labor 20 December 192113 April 1922114 days
Walter Wearne   Nationalist 13 April 192217 June 19253 years, 65 days
Peter Loughlin   Labor 17 June 192519 November 19261 year, 155 days
Jack Lang 25 November 192626 May 1927182 days
Ted Horsington 27 May 192718 October 1927144 days
Minister for Lands Richard Ball   Nationalist 18 October 19273 November 19303 years, 16 days
Secretary for Lands Jack Tully   Labor 4 November 193015 October 1931345 days
  Labor (NSW) 15 October 193113 May 1932211 days
Ernest Buttenshaw   Country 16 May 193231 January 19385 years, 260 days
Colin Sinclair 1 February 19386 November 19402 years, 279 days
Alfred Yeo 6 November 194016 May 1941191 days
Jack Tully   Labor 16 May 19419 May 19464 years, 358 days
Bill Dunn 9 May 194619 May 19471 year, 10 days
Bill Sheahan 19 May 194730 June 19503 years, 42 days
Jack Renshaw 30 June 19502 April 19521 year, 277 days
Frank Hawkins 3 April 195215 March 19563 years, 347 days
Roger Nott 15 March 195622 November 19571 year, 252 days
William Gollan 22 November 19571 April 19591 year, 130 days
Minister for Lands John McMahon 1 April 195931 May 19601 year, 60 days
Jack Renshaw 31 May 19603 March 1961276 days
Keith Compton 3 March 196113 May 19654 years, 71 days
Tom Lewis   Liberal 13 May 19653 January 19759 years, 235 days
Minister for Lands
Minister for Forests
Milton Morris 3 January 197530 June 1975178 days
John Mason 30 June 197523 January 1976207 days
Col Fisher   Country 23 January 197614 May 1976112 days
Minister for Lands Bill Crabtree   Labor 14 May 197629 February 19803 years, 291 days
Minister for Lands
Minister for Forests
Minister for Water Resources
Lin Gordon 29 February 19805 April 19844 years, 65 days [5]
Minister for Lands Jack Hallam   Labor 4 July 198621 March 19881 year, 261 days [26]
Minister for Lands and Forests Garry West   National 24 July 19906 June 19912 years, 306 days [27]
Minister for Conservation and Land Management6 June 199126 May 1993
Minister for Land and Water Conservation George Souris 26 May 19934 April 19951 year, 313 days
Kim Yeadon   Labor 4 April 19951 December 19972 years, 241 days
Richard Amery 1 December 199721 November 20013 years, 355 days
John Aquilina 21 November 20012 April 20031 year, 132 days
Minister Assisting the Minister for Natural Resources (Lands) Tony Kelly 2 April 20033 May 20047 years, 360 days [28]
Minister for Lands 3 May 200428 March 2011
Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water Kevin Humphries   National 23 April 20142 April 2015344 days
Minister for Lands and Water Niall Blair 2 April 201530 January 20171 year, 303 days
Minister for Lands and Forestry Paul Toole 30 January 201723 March 20192 years, 52 days

Property

Ministerial titleMinister [1] PartyTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
Minister for Finance, Services and Property Dominic Perrottet   Liberal 2 April 2015 30 January 2017 1 year, 303 days
Victor Dominello 30 January 2017 23 February 2019 2 years, 24 days [30] [31]
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey   National 2 April 201921 December 20212 years, 263 days [32]

Notes

  1. Concurrently Premier of New South Wales until 9 January 1861.

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