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Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty

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Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty
Incumbent
David Harris
since 5 April 2023 (2023-04-05)
Premier's Department
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor of New South Wales
Inaugural holderFrank 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.

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

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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

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Ministerial title Minister [6] Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Frank Walker   Labor Wran (4) (5) 2 October 1981 10 February 1984 2 years, 131 days [6]
Paul Whelan Wran (6) 10 February 1984 5 April 1984 55 days
George Paciullo Wran (7) 5 April 1984 6 February 1986 1 year, 307 days
Peter Anderson Wran (8) 6 February 1986 4 July 1986 148 days
Ken Gabb Unsworth 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jim Longley   Liberal Fahey (3) 26 May 1993 4 April 1995 1 year, 313 days [6]
Andrew Refshauge   Labor Carr (1) (2) (3) (4) 4 April 1995 3 August 2005 10 years, 121 days
Carmel Tebbutt Iemma (1) 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 Iemma (2)
Rees
Keneally 		2 April 2007 28 March 2011 4 years, 1 day
Victor Dominello   Liberal O'Farrell
Baird (1) 		3 April 2011 2 April 2015 3 years, 364 days
Leslie Williams   National Baird (2) 2 April 2015 30 January 2017 1 year, 303 days
Sarah Mitchell Berejiklian (1) 30 January 2017 23 March 2019 2 years, 52 days [7]
Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,
Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts 		Don Harwin   Liberal Berejiklian (2) 2 April 2019 15 April 2020 1 year, 13 days [8][9]
Gladys Berejiklian
(acting) 		15 April 2020 3 July 2020 79 days [10][11]
Don Harwin Berejiklian (2)
Perrottet (1) 		3 July 2020 21 December 2021 1 year, 171 days [12]
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin   National Perrottet (2) 21 December 2021 28 March 2023 1 year, 97 days [13]
Special Minister of State John Graham   Labor Minns 28 March 2023 5 April 2023 8 days
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris 5 April 2023 incumbent 1 year, 212 days

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "AGY-562 Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022.  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.  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.  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.  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. ^ a b c d "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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