# Premier of Queensland

The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland.
By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is appointed by the governor of Queensland.
The incumbent premiership is that of David Crisafulli.

## Constitutional role

Under section 43 of the Constitution of Queensland the premier and other members of Cabinet are appointed by the governor. They are collectively responsible to Parliament in accordance with responsible government. The text of the Constitution assigns to the premier certain powers, such as the power to assign roles (s 25) to assistant ministers (formerly known as parliamentary secretaries), and to appoint ministers as acting ministers (s 45) for a period of 14 days.
In practice, under the conventions of the Westminster System followed in Queensland, the premier's power is derived from two sources: command of a majority in the Legislative Assembly, and the premier's role as chair of Cabinet, determining the appointment and roles of ministers. Although ministerial appointments are the prerogative of the governor of Queensland, in normal circumstances the governor will make these appointments on the advice of the premier.
Immediately following an election for the Legislative Assembly, the governor will call on the leader of the party which commands a majority in the Legislative Assembly to become premier and ask them to commission a government. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the premier.
Prior to the existence of political parties within the Leglislative Assembly, to become premier, that member had to be able to command the support of a majority of the individual members of the assembly; this group of members were known informally as Ministerialists, while those who did not support the member who became premier were known informally as Oppositionists (or the Opposition).

## Premier's office

The premier has an office in the Executive Annexe of Parliament House, Brisbane, which is normally used while Parliament is sitting. At other times the premier's ministerial office is in 1 William Street, which is across the road from the Executive Annexe.

## List of premiers of Queensland

Before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards.
| No. | Portrait | Name | Election | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Constituency |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Election | Took office | Left office | Term in office | Political party | Constituency |
| 1 | | Robert Herbert | 1860 1863 | 10 December 1859 | 1 February 1866 | 6 years, 53 days | Squatter Conservative | Leichhardt |
| 2 | | Arthur Macalister | — | 1 February 1866 | 20 July 1866 | 169 days | Independent | Town of Ipswich |
| (1) | | Robert Herbert | — | 20 July 1866 | 7 August 1866 | 18 days | Squatter Conservative | West Moreton |
| (2) | | Arthur Macalister | — | 7 August 1866 | 15 August 1867 | 1 year, 8 days | Independent | Town of Ipswich |
| 3 | | Robert Mackenzie | 1867 | 15 August 1867 | 25 November 1868 | 1 year, 102 days | Squatter Conservative | Burnett |
| 4 | | Charles Lilley | 1868 | 25 November 1868 | 2 May 1870 | 1 year, 158 days | Independent | Hamlet of Fortitude Valley |
| 5 | | Arthur Hunter Palmer | 1870 1871 | 3 May 1870 | 7 January 1874 | 3 years, 249 days | Squatter Conservative | Port Curtis |
| (2) | | Arthur Macalister, CMG | 1873 | 8 January 1874 | 5 June 1876 | 2 years, 149 days | Independent | Ipswich |
| 6 | | George Thorn | — | 5 June 1876 | 8 March 1877 | 276 days | Independent | Ipswich |
| 7 | | John Douglas, CMG | — | 8 March 1877 | 21 January 1879 | 1 year, 227 days | Independent | Maryborough |
| 8 | | Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG | 1878 | 21 January 1879 | 13 November 1883 | 4 years, 296 days | Conservative | Mulgrave |
| 9 | | Sir Samuel Griffith, KCMG, QC | 1883 | 13 November 1883 | 13 June 1888 | 4 years, 213 days | Liberal | North Brisbane |
| (8) | | Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG | — | 13 June 1888 | 30 November 1888 | 170 days | Conservative | Brisbane North |
| 10 | | Boyd Dunlop Morehead | 1888 | 30 November 1888 | 12 August 1890 | 1 year, 255 days | Conservative | Balonne |
| (9) | | Sir Samuel Griffith, KCMG, QC | — | 12 August 1890 | 27 March 1893 | 2 years, 227 days | Liberal | North Brisbane |
| (8) | | Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG | 1893 | 27 March 1893 | 27 October 1893 | 214 days | Conservative | Brisbane North |
| 11 | | Sir Hugh Nelson, KCMG | 1896 | 27 October 1893 | 13 April 1898 | 4 years, 168 days | Ministerial | Murilla |
| 12 | | Thomas Joseph Byrnes | — | 13 April 1898 | 1 October 1898 | 171 days | Ministerial | Warwick |
| 13 | | James Dickson | 1899 | 1 October 1898 | 1 December 1899 | 1 year, 61 days | Ministerial | Bulimba |
| 14 | | Anderson Dawson | — | 1 December 1899 | 7 December 1899 | 6 days | Labour | Charters Towers |
| 15 | | Robert Philp | 1902 | 7 December 1899 | 17 September 1903 | 3 years, 284 days | Ministerial | Townsville |
| 16 | | Arthur Morgan | 1904 | 17 September 1903 | 19 January 1906 | 2 years, 124 days | Liberal | Warwick |
| 17 | | William Kidston | 1907 | 19 January 1906 | 19 November 1907 | 1 year, 304 days | Labor | Rockhampton |
| (17) | | William Kidston | 1907 | 19 January 1906 | 19 November 1907 | 1 year, 304 days | Kidstonite | Rockhampton |
| (15) | | Robert Philp | — | 19 November 1907 | 18 February 1908 | 91 days | Conservative | Townsville |
| (17) | | William Kidston | 1908 1909 | 18 February 1908 | 7 February 1911 | 2 years, 354 days | Kidston; Liberal | Rockhampton |
| 18 | | Digby Denham | 1912 | 7 February 1911 | 1 June 1915 | 4 years, 114 days | Liberal | Oxley |
| 19 | | T. J. Ryan, KC | 1915 1918 | 1 June 1915 | 22 October 1919 | 4 years, 143 days | Labor | Barcoo |
| 20 | | Ted Theodore | 1920 1923 | 22 October 1919 | 26 February 1925 | 5 years, 127 days | Labor | Chillagoe |
| 21 | | William Gillies | — | 26 February 1925 | 22 October 1925 | 238 days | Labor | Eacham |
| 22 | | William McCormack | 1926 | 22 October 1925 | 21 May 1929 | 3 years, 211 days | Labor | Cairns |
| 23 | | Arthur Edward Moore | 1929 | 21 May 1929 | 17 June 1932 | 3 years, 27 days | CPNP | Aubigny |
| 24 | | William Forgan Smith | 1932 1935 1938 1941 | 17 June 1932 | 16 September 1942 | 10 years, 91 days | Labor | Mackay |
| 25 | | Frank Arthur Cooper | 1944 | 16 September 1942 | 7 March 1946 | 3 years, 172 days | Labor | Bremer |
| 26 | | Ned Hanlon | 1947 1950 | 7 March 1946 | 17 January 1952 | 5 years, 316 days | Labor | Ithaca |
| 27 | | Vince Gair | 1953 1956 | 17 January 1952 | 12 August 1957 | 5 years, 207 days | Labor | South Brisbane |
| (27) | | Vince Gair | 1953 1956 | 17 January 1952 | 12 August 1957 | 5 years, 207 days | Queensland Labor | South Brisbane |
| 28 | | Frank Nicklin, MM | 1957 1960 1963 1966 | 12 August 1957 | 17 January 1968 | 10 years, 158 days | Country | Landsborough |
| 29 | | Jack Pizzey | — | 17 January 1968 | 1 August 1968 | 197 days | Country | Isis |
| 30 | | Gordon Chalk | — | 1 August 1968 | 8 August 1968 | 7 days | Liberal | Lockyer |
| 31 | | Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG (knighted in 1984) | 1969 1972 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 | 8 August 1968 | 1 December 1987 | 19 years, 115 days | Country/National | Barambah |
| 32 | | Mike Ahern | — | 1 December 1987 | 25 September 1989 | 1 year, 298 days | National | Landsborough |
| 33 | | Russell Cooper | — | 25 September 1989 | 7 December 1989 | 73 days | National | Roma |
| 34 | | Wayne Goss | 1989 1992 1995 | 7 December 1989 | 19 February 1996 | 6 years, 74 days | Labor | Logan |
| 35 | | Rob Borbidge | — | 19 February 1996 | 20 June 1998 | 2 years, 121 days | National | Surfers Paradise |
| 36 | | Peter Beattie | 1998 2001 2004 2006 | 20 June 1998 | 13 September 2007 | 9 years, 85 days | Labor | Brisbane Central |
| 37 | | Anna Bligh | 2009 | 13 September 2007 | 26 March 2012 | 4 years, 195 days | Labor | South Brisbane |
| 38 | | Campbell Newman | 2012 | 26 March 2012 | 14 February 2015 | 2 years, 325 days | Liberal National | Ashgrove |
| 39 | | Annastacia Palaszczuk | 2015 2017 2020 | 14 February 2015 | 15 December 2023 | 8 years, 304 days | Labor | Inala |
| 40 | | Steven Miles | — | 15 December 2023 | 28 October 2024 | 318 days | Labor | Murrumba |
| 41 | | David Crisafulli | 2024 | 28 October 2024 | Incumbent | 124 days | Liberal National | Broadwater |