Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
---|---|
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
Style | The Honourable |
Appointer | Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia |
Inaugural holder | Sir Edmund Barton |
Formation | 1 January 1901 |
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Hon. Julie Bishop MP , since 18 September 2013.
In the Government of Australia, the minister is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister. The ministers portfolio is chiefly concerned with intelligence and international diplomacy including the administration of ASIS, all overseas consulates and the granting of diplomatic powers to foreign dignitaries through the administration of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act 1967.
Contents
Scope

The minister is usually one of the most senior members of Cabinet – the position is equivalent to that of Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in Britain or Secretary of State in the United States – as shown by the fact that eleven Prime Ministers of Australia have also worked as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The minister is seen as one of the people most responsible for formulating Australia's foreign policy, as they along with other relevant ministers advise the Prime Minister in developing and implementing foreign policy, and also acts as the government's main spokesperson on international affairs issues. In recent times, the minister also undertakes numerous international trips to meet with foreign representatives and Heads of State or Government.
List of Foreign Ministers
The portfolio has existed continuously since 1901, except for the period 14 November 1916 to 21 December 1921. Prior to 6 November 1970, the office was known as the Minister for External Affairs. Between 24 July 1987 and 24 March 1993 it was known as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Starting with the Keating Government, the Trade portfolio has been administered separately by the Minister for Trade.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs, or any of its precedent titles:[1]
Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edmund Barton1 2 | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for External Affairs | 1 January 1901 | 24 September 1903 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
2 | Alfred Deakin1 | Deakin | 24 September 1903 | 27 April 1904 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||
3 | Billy Hughes | Labor | Watson | 27 April 1904 | 17 August 1904 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
4 | George Reid1 | Free Trade | Reid | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
n/a | Alfred Deakin1 | Commonwealth Liberal | Deakin | 5 July 1905 | 13 November 1908 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
5 | Lee Batchelor | Labor | Fisher | 13 November 1908 | 2 June 1909 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
6 | Littleton Groom | Protectionist | Deakin | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
n/a | Lee Batchelor | Labor | Fisher | 29 April 1910 | 8 October 1911 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
7 | Josiah Thomas | 14 October 1911 | 24 June 1913 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
8 | Paddy Glynn | Commonwealth Liberal | Cook | 24 June 1913 | 17 September 1914 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
9 | John Arthur | Labor | Fisher | 17 September 1914 | 9 December 1914 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
10 | Hugh Mahon | 9 December 1914 | 27 October 1915 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||||
Hughes | 27 October 1915 | 14 November 1916 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||||
n/a | Billy Hughes1 | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for External Affairs | 21 December 1921 | 9 February 1923 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
11 | Stanley Bruce1 | Bruce | 9 February 1923 | 22 October 1929 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||
12 | James Scullin1 | Labor | Scullin | 22 October 1929 | 6 January 1932 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
13 | John Latham | United Australia | Lyons | 6 January 1932 | 12 October 1934 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
14 | Sir George Pearce | 12 October 1934 | 29 November 1937 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
n/a | Billy Hughes | 29 November 1937 | 7 April 1939 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
Page | 7 April 1939 | 26 April 1939 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||||
15 | Sir Henry Somer Gullett | Menzies | 26 April 1939 | 14 March 1940 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||
16 | John McEwen | Country | 14 March 1940 | 28 October 1940 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||
17 | Frederick Stewart | United Australia | 28 October 1940 | 29 August 1941 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||
Fadden | 29 August 1941 | 7 October 1941 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |||||
18 | Dr. H. V. Evatt | Labor | Curtin | 7 October 1941 | 6 July 1945 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
Forde | 6 July 1945 | 13 July 1945 | ||||||
Chifley | 13 July 1945 | 19 December 1949 | ||||||
19 | Percy Spender | Liberal | Menzies | 19 December 1949 | 26 April 1951 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
20 | Richard Casey | 27 April 1951 | 4 February 1960 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
21 | Robert Menzies1 | 4 February 1960 | 22 December 1961 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
22 | Sir Garfield Barwick | 22 December 1961 | 24 April 1964 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
23 | Paul Hasluck | 24 April 1964 | 26 January 1966 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
Holt | 26 January 1966 | 19 December 1967 | ||||||
McEwen | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | ||||||
Gorton | 10 January 1968 | 11 February 1969 | ||||||
24 | Gordon Freeth | 11 February 1969 | 12 November 1969 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||||
25 | William McMahon | 12 November 1969 | 6 November 1970 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
William McMahon | 6 November 1970 | 10 March 1971 | ||||||
Minister for Foreign Affairs | 10 March 1971 | 22 March 1971 | ||||||
26 | Leslie Bury | 22 March 1971 | 2 August 1971 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||||
27 | Nigel Bowen | 2 August 1971 | 5 December 1972 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
28 | Gough Whitlam1 | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 | 6 November 1973 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
29 | Don Willesee | 6 November 1973 | 11 November 1975 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
30 | Andrew Peacock | Liberal | Fraser | 12 November 1975 | 3 November 1980 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
31 | Tony Street | 3 November 1980 | 11 March 1983 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
32 | Bill Hayden | Labor | Hawke | 11 March 1983 | 24 July 1987 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade | 24 July 1987 | 17 August 1988 | ||||||
33 | Gareth Evans | 2 September 1988 | 20 December 1991 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
Keating | 20 December 1991 | 24 March 1993 | ||||||
Minister for Foreign Affairs | 24 March 1993 | 11 March 1996 | ||||||
34 | Alexander Downer | Liberal | Howard | 11 March 1996 | 3 December 2007 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
35 | Stephen Smith | Labor | Rudd | 3 December 2007 | 24 June 2010 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
Gillard | 24 June 2010 | 14 September 2010 | ||||||
36 | Kevin Rudd | 14 September 2010 | 22 February 2012 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
37 | Bob Carr | 13 March 2012 | 27 June 2013 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
Rudd | 27 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | ||||||
38 | Julie Bishop | Liberal | Abbott | 18 September 2013 | 15 September 2015 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||
Turnbull | 15 September 2015 | incumbent |
Notes
- 1 Also served as Prime Minister for some or all of their term.
- 2 Barton was knighted in 1902, while serving as Minister.
List of Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs or any of its precedent titles:
Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Don Willesee | Labor | Whitlam | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 19 December 1972 | 6 November 1973 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |
2 | Bill Morrison | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to Papua New Guinea | 30 November 1973 | 6 June 1975 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||
Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to the Islands of the Pacific | 6 June 1975 | 11 November 1975 | ||||||
3 | Gareth Evans | Labor | Hawke | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 13 December 1984 | 24 July 1987 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). |
List of Ministers for International Development
The Minister for International Development was responsible, in the Rudd Cabinet, for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the international development and humanitarian aid policies of the Commonwealth of Australia, administered through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).[2][3][4] AusAID was abolished by the incoming prime minister, Tony Abbott, in September 2013 and under the operations of the Abbott Cabinet its functions were absorbed into DFAT.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for International Development:
Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Melissa Parke | Labor | Rudd | Minister for International Development | 1 July 2013 | 18 September 2013 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | |
2 | Steven Ciobo | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for International Development and the Pacific | 21 September 2015 | Incumbent | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days |
List of Ministers for Tourism
Between 1966 and 2013, Australia had ministers responsible for tourism under various titles. The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Tourism, or any of its precedent titles:[1]
Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Don Chipp | Liberal | Holt | Minister in charge of Tourist Activities | 14 December 1966 | 19 December 1967 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
McEwen | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | ||||||
Gorton | 10 January 1968 | 28 February 1968 | ||||||
2 | Reg Wright | 28 February 1968 | 10 March 1971 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
McMahon | 10 March 1971 | 31 May 1971 | ||||||
3 | Peter Howson | 31 May 1971 | 5 December 1972 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
4 | Frank Stewart | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Tourism and Recreation | 19 December 1972 | 11 November 1975 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
5 | Reg Withers | Liberal | Fraser | 11 November 1975 | 22 December 1975 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||
6 | John Brown | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism | 11 March 1983 | 24 July 1987 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 24 July 1987 | 18 December 1987 | ||||||
7 | Graham Richardson | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 19 January 1988 | 4 April 1990 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
8 | Ros Kelly | 4 April 1990 | 20 December 1991 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
Keating | 20 December 1991 | 27 December 1991 | ||||||
9 | Alan Griffiths | Minister for Tourism | 27 December 1991 | 24 March 1993 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||
10 | Michael Lee | 24 March 1993 | 11 March 1996 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
11 | John Moore | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism | 11 March 1996 | 9 October 1997 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
12 | Andrew Thomson | Minister for Sport and Tourism | 9 October 1997 | 21 October 1998 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||
13 | Jackie Kelly | 21 October 1998 | 26 November 2001 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
14 | Joe Hockey | Minister for Small Business and Tourism | 26 November 2001 | 26 October 2004 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |||
15 | Fran Bailey | 26 October 2004 | 3 December 2007 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | ||||
16 | Martin Ferguson | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Tourism | 3 December 2007 | 24 June 2010 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). | |
Gillard | 24 June 2010 | 25 March 2013 | ||||||
17 | Gary Gray | 25 March 2013 | 27 June 2013 | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days | ||||
Rudd | 27 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | ||||||
18 | Richard Colbeck | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Tourism and International Education | 21 September 2015 | Incumbent | Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). days |
See also
References
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External links
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