# Minister for Indigenous Australians

The Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Government of Australia is a position which holds responsibility for affairs affecting Indigenous Australians. Previous ministers have held various other titles since the position was created in 1968, most recently Minister for Indigenous Affairs. Since July 2024, the position has been held by Malarndirri McCarthy in the Albanese ministry.
McCarthy is the second Indigenous woman and third Indigenous Australian appointed to the role. Her predecessor, Linda Burney, was the first Indigenous woman to be appointed to the role. Burney's predecessor, Ken Wyatt, was the first Indigenous Australian appointed to the role, and the first minister named as Minister for Indigenous Australians.
The role assumes responsibility for matters concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and is responsible for the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

## Portfolio

In the Government of Australia, the Minister administers the portfolio through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and a range of other government agencies, including:
* Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC)
** Indigenous Coordination Centres
* Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC)
* Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)
* Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC)
* Office of the Aboriginal Land Commissioner
* Anindilyakawa Land Council
* Central Land Council
* Northern Land Council
* Tiwi Land Council

## List of ministers
### Indigenous affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, or any precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party affiliation | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Bill Wentworth | Liberal | Gorton | Minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs under the Prime Minister | 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 3 years, 92 days |
| 1 | Bill Wentworth | Liberal | McMahon | Minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs under the Prime Minister | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 31 May 1971 (1971-05-31) | 3 years, 92 days |
| 2 | Peter Howson | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts | 31 May 1971 (1971-05-31) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 1 year, 188 days |
| 3 | Gough Whitlam | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 14 days |
| 4 | Gordon Bryant | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) | 294 days |
| 5 | Jim Cavanagh | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) | 1 year, 240 days |
| 6 | Les Johnson | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 158 days |
| 7 | Tom Drake-Brockman | National Country | Fraser | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days |
| 8 | Ian Viner | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 2 years, 348 days |
| 9 | Fred Chaney | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 1 year, 334 days |
| 10 | Peter Baume | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 1 year, 185 days |
| 11 | Ian Wilson | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 308 days |
| 12 | Clyde Holding | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 4 years, 135 days |
| 13 | Gerry Hand | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 2 years, 254 days |
| 14 | Robert Tickner | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 19 December 1991 (1991-12-19) | 5 years, 342 days |
| 14 | Robert Tickner | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 19 December 1991 (1991-12-19) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 5 years, 342 days |
| 14 | Robert Tickner | Labor | Keating | Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 5 years, 342 days |
| 15 | John Herron | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 4 years, 325 days |
| 16 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 2 years, 250 days |
| 16 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 2 years, 250 days |
| 17 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 2 years, 112 days |
| 18 | Mal Brough | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 1 year, 310 days |
| 19 | Jenny Macklin | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 5 years, 289 days |
| 19 | Jenny Macklin | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 5 years, 289 days |
| 19 | Jenny Macklin | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 5 years, 289 days |
| 19 | Jenny Macklin | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 5 years, 289 days |
| 20 | Nigel Scullion | National | Abbott | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 5 years, 253 days |
| 20 | Nigel Scullion | National | Turnbull | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 5 years, 253 days |
| 20 | Nigel Scullion | National | Morrison | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 5 years, 253 days |
| 21 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Indigenous Australians | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days |
| 22 | Linda Burney | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Indigenous Australians | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | 2 years, 58 days |
| 23 | Malarndirri McCarthy | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Indigenous Australians | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | Incumbent | 202 days |

### Reconciliation

| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation | 21 October 1998 | 30 January 2001 | 4 years, 351 days |
| 1 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | 30 January 2001 | 26 November 2001 | 4 years, 351 days |
| 1 | Philip Ruddock | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation | 26 November 2001 | 7 October 2003 | 4 years, 351 days |
| 2 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation | 7 October 2003 | 22 October 2004 | 1 year, 15 days |
Notes
    Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.