Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent
Julie Collins
since 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderVictor Wilson (as the Minister for Markets and Migration)
Formation16 January 1925 (1925-01-16)
Websiteminister.agriculture.gov.au/collins

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Julie Collins since July 2024 in the Albanese ministry.

In the Government of Australia, the minister administers this portfolio through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Portfolio responsibilities

In addition to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, component bodies responsible to the minister include:

Other bodies within the portfolio are:

List of agriculture ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Agriculture, or any of its precedent titles:[1][2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Victor Wilson   Nationalist Bruce Minister for Markets and Migration 16 January 1925 (1925-01-16) 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18) 1 year, 153 days
2 Thomas Paterson Country 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18) 19 January 1928 (1928-01-19) 3 years, 126 days
Minister for Markets 19 January 1928 (1928-01-19) 10 December 1928 (1928-12-10)
Minister for Markets and Transport 10 December 1928 (1928-12-10) 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)
3 Parker Moloney Labor Scullin 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) 21 April 1930 (1930-04-21) 2 years, 76 days
Minister for Markets 21 April 1930 (1930-04-21) 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)
4 Charles Hawker United Australia Lyons 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) 13 April 1932 (1932-04-13) 261 days
Minister for Commerce 13 April 1932 (1932-04-13) 23 September 1932 (1932-09-23)
5 Joseph Lyons 3 October 1932 (1932-10-03) 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) 10 days
6 Frederick Stewart 13 October 1932 (1932-10-13) 9 November 1934 (1934-11-09) 757 days
7 Earle Page Country 9 November 1934 (1934-11-09) 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 4 years, 149 days
Page 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
8 George McLeay United Australia Menzies 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) 323 days
9 Archie Cameron Country 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 228 days
n/a Earle Page 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 344 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
10 William Scully Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 22 December 1942 (1942-12-22) 5 years, 25 days
Minister for Commerce and Agriculture 22 December 1942 (1942-12-22) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)
11 Reg Pollard 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 3 years, 48 days
12 John McEwen Country Menzies 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) 6 years, 23 days
13 William McMahon Liberal Minister for Primary Industry 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 2 years, 333 days
14 Charles Adermann Country 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 8 years, 310 days
Holt 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 16 October 1967 (1967-10-16)
15 Doug Anthony 16 October 1967 (1967-10-16) 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 3 years, 112 days
McEwen 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
Gorton 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) 5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)
16 Ian Sinclair 5 February 1971 (1971-02-05) 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 1 year, 304 days
McMahon 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)
17 Lance Barnard1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days
18 Ken Wriedt 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) 2 years, 306 days
Minister for Agriculture 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) 21 October 1975 (1975-10-21)
19 Rex Patterson 21 October 1975 (1975-10-21) 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 21 days
n/a Ian Sinclair National Country Fraser 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 3 years, 320 days
Minister for Primary Industry 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 27 September 1979 (1979-09-27)
20 Peter Nixon 27 September 1979 (1979-09-27) 16 October 1982 3 years, 165 days
National 16 October 1982 11 March 1983
21 John Kerin Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 8 years, 85 days
Minister for Primary Industries and Energy 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 4 June 1991 (1991-06-04)
22 Simon Crean 4 June 1991 (1991-06-04) 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 2 years, 202 days
Keating 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)
23 Bob Collins 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 2 years, 79 days
24 John Anderson National Howard 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 2 years, 224 days
25 Mark Vaile Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 20 July 1999 (1999-07-20) 272 days
26 Warren Truss 20 July 1999 (1999-07-20) 6 July 2005 (2005-07-06) 5 years, 351 days
27 Peter McGauran 6 July 2005 (2005-07-06) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 2 years, 150 days
28 Tony Burke Labor Rudd 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 2 years, 285 days
Gillard 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
29 Joe Ludwig 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 2 years, 290 days
30 Joel Fitzgibbon Rudd 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
31 Barnaby Joyce National Abbott Minister for Agriculture 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 4 years, 39 days
Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 21 September 2015
Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27)
32 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) 40 days
(31) Barnaby Joyce National 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 14 days
33 David Littleproud 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 1 year, 160 days
Morrison 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
34 Bridget McKenzie Minister for Agriculture[3] 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 2 February 2020 (2020-02-02) 249 days
Michael McCormack
(acting) 		2 February 2020 (2020-02-02) 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) 4 days
(33) David Littleproud Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) 2 years, 106 days
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
35 Murray Watt Labor Albanese Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) 2 years, 58 days
36 Julie Collins 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) incumbent 143 days

Notes

1 Barnard was part of a two-man ministry comprising Barnard and Gough Whitlam for fourteen days until the full ministry was commissioned.

List of fisheries and forestry ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as junior ministers in the agriculture portfolio or any of its precedent titles.[1][2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Wilson Tuckey   Liberal Howard Minister for Forestry and Conservation 21 October 1998 26 November 2001 3 years, 36 days
2 Ian Macdonald   26 November 2001 14 November 2002 4 years, 62 days
  Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation 14 November 2002 27 January 2006
3 Eric Abetz   27 January 2006 3 December 2007 1 year, 310 days
4 Tony Burke Labor Rudd Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 2 years, 285 days
Gillard 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
5 Joe Ludwig 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 2 years, 290 days
6 Joel Fitzgibbon Rudd 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
7 Murray Watt Labor Albanese Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) 2 years, 58 days
8 Julie Collins 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) incumbent 143 days

List of assistant ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as assistant ministers in the agriculture portfolio or any of its precedent titles.[1][2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Richard Colbeck   Liberal Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 26 October 2004 27 January 2006 1 year, 93 days
2 Sussan Ley   27 January 2006 3 December 2007 1 year, 310 days
3 Mike Kelly   Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 14 September 2010 14 December 2011 1 year, 91 days
4 Sid Sidebottom   14 December 2011 27 June 2013 1 year, 278 days
  Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013
(1) Richard Colbeck   Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture 18 September 2013 21 September 2015 2 years, 3 days
5 Anne Ruston   Turnbull Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources 21 September 2015 28 August 2018 2 years, 341 days
(1) Richard Colbeck   Morrison 28 August 2018 29 May 2019 274 days
6 Jonathon Duniam   Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries 29 May 2019 23 May 2022 2 years, 359 days
7 Anthony Chisholm   Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) incumbent 143 days

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Ministers". About us. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australian Government. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Scott Morrison unveils new ministry as Coalition prepares for majority government". www.msn.com. Retrieved 26 May 2019.