# Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)

The Minister for Home Affairs is the minister in the Australian government responsible for the Department of Home Affairs, the country's interior ministry. The current minister is Tony Burke of the Labor Party, who has held the position since July 2024 in the Albanese ministry.
The current Department of Home Affairs was created in December 2017. The first department with that name was created in 1901, as one of the original six departments created at Federation, and was responsible for a wide range of areas not captured by the other departments. Similar departments have existed in almost all subsequent governments, under several different names. The specific title "Minister for Home Affairs" has been created six times – in 1901, 1929, 1977, 1987, 2007 and 2017.

## History

The Minister for Home Affairs was a ministerial portfolio that existed continuously from 1901 to 12 April 1932, when Archdale Parkhill became Minister for the Interior in the first Lyons Ministry — subsuming his portfolios of Home Affairs and Transport.
The Home Affairs or Interior portfolio was responsible for various internal matters not handled by other ministries. In due course, other portfolios were established that took over functions from it, including:
* Transport from 1928 to 1932 and continuously since 1941
* Immigration since 1945
* Agriculture since 1942
* Industry from 1928 to 1945 and since 1963
The Minister for the Interior existed from 1932 to 1972. The Territories portfolio has been the responsibility for the varying titles of the Minister for Territories.
The Home Affairs Ministry was re-established in 2007, assuming the responsibilities of the Minister for Justice and Customs within the Attorney-General's Department with policy responsibilities for criminal justice, law enforcement, border control and national security and with oversight responsibilities of the Australian Customs Service and the Border Protection Command, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
From September 2010 to September 2013, the Minister for Home Affairs also held the position of Minister for Justice. In September 2013 with the change of government, the position Minister for Home Affairs was disbanded and its responsibilities were assumed by the newly created Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for border control and by the Minister for Justice for law enforcement.
On 18 July 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the creation of a new home affairs department to be headed by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, with responsibility for immigration, border control, domestic security, and law enforcement.
On 20 December 2017, Governor-General Peter Cosgrove swore Dutton into the position of Minister for Home Affairs. The Home Affairs portfolio was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 20 December 2017 with responsibilities for national security including cybersecurity and counterterrorism, law enforcement, emergency management, transport security, immigration, citizenship, border control, and multicultural affairs.
In July 2024, upon the reshuffle of the Albanese Ministry, responsibility for oversight of ASIO was delegated to the Attorney-General's Department rather than being accountable to the Home Affairs Department. Prime Minister Albanese had previously moved responsibility for oversight of the AFP from the Home Affairs Department to the Attorney-General's Department in 2022 upon his election as Prime Minister.

## List of ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Sir William Lyne, KCMG | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for Home Affairs | 1 January 1901 (1901-01-01) | 11 August 1903 (1903-08-11) | 2 years, 222 days |
| 2 | Sir John Forrest, KCMG | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for Home Affairs | 11 August 1903 (1903-08-11) | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 260 days |
| 2 | Sir John Forrest, KCMG | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 260 days |
| 3 | Lee Batchelor | Labor | Watson | Minister for Home Affairs | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 112 days |
| 4 | Dugald Thomson | Free Trade | Reid | Minister for Home Affairs | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 322 days |
| 5 | Littleton Groom, KC | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Home Affairs | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 12 October 1906 (1906-10-12) | 1 year, 99 days |
| 6 | Thomas Ewing | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Home Affairs | 12 October 1906 (1906-10-12) | 24 January 1907 (1907-01-24) | 104 days |
| 7 | John Keating | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 January 1907 (1907-01-24) | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 1 year, 294 days |
| 8 | Hugh Mahon | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Home Affairs | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 201 days |
| 9 | George Fuller | Liberal | Deakin | Minister for Home Affairs | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 331 days |
| 10 | King O'Malley | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Home Affairs | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 3 years, 56 days |
| 11 | Joseph Cook | Liberal | Cook | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 1 year, 85 days |
| 12 | William Archibald | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Home Affairs | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 1 year, 40 days |
| (10) | King O'Malley | Labor | Hughes | Minister for Home Affairs | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 1 year, 18 days |
| 13 | Fred Bamford | National Labor | Hughes | Minister for Home and Territories | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 95 days |
| 14 | Paddy Glynn, KC | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Home and Territories | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) | 2 years, 351 days |
| 15 | Alexander Poynton, OBE | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Home and Territories | 3 February 1920 (1920-02-03) | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 1 year, 321 days |
| 16 | George Pearce | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Home and Territories | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) | 4 years, 179 days |
| 16 | George Pearce | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Home and Territories | 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) | 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18) | 4 years, 179 days |
| 17 | Sir William Glasgow, KCB, CMG, DSO, VD | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Home and Territories | 18 June 1926 (1926-06-18) | 2 April 1927 (1927-04-02) | 288 days |
| 18 | Charles Marr, DSO, MC | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Home and Territories | 2 April 1927 (1927-04-02) | 24 February 1928 (1928-02-24) | 328 days |
| 19 | Sir Neville Howse, VC, KCB, KCMG | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Home and Territories | 24 February 1928 (1928-02-24) | 29 November 1928 (1928-11-29) | 279 days |
| 20 | Aubrey Abbott | Country | Bruce | Minister for Home and Territories | 29 November 1928 (1928-11-29) | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 327 days |
| 21 | Arthur Blakeley | Labor | Scullin | Minister for Home Affairs | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 2 years, 76 days |
| 22 | Sir Archdale Parkhill, KCMG | United Australia | Lyons | Minister for Home Affairs | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 12 April 1932 (1932-04-12) | 97 days |
| 23 | Robert Ellicott, QC | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 3 years, 59 days |
| 23 | Robert Ellicott, QC | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 3 years, 59 days |
| 24 | Michael MacKellar | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 30 days |
| 25 | Ian Wilson | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 1 year, 49 days |
| 26 | Tom McVeigh | National Country | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 16 October 1982 | 308 days |
| 26 | Tom McVeigh | National | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 16 October 1982 | 11 March 1983 | 308 days |
| 27 | Barry Cohen | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 1 year, 277 days |
| 28 | Robert Ray | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) | 1 year, 40 days |
| 29 | Bob Debus | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 1 year, 188 days |
| 30 | Brendan O'Connor | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 2 years, 188 days |
| 30 | Brendan O'Connor | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 2 years, 188 days |
| 31 | Jason Clare | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Home Affairs | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 31 | Jason Clare | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 32 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Home Affairs | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 3 years, 100 days |
| 32 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 30 March 2021 (2021-03-30) | 3 years, 100 days |
| 33 | Karen Andrews | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Home Affairs | 30 March 2021 (2021-03-30) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 year, 54 days |
| 33 | Scott Morrison | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Home Affairs | 6 May 2021 (2021-05-06) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 year, 17 days |
| * | Jim Chalmers (Interim) | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Home Affairs | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | 9 days |
| 34 | Clare O'Neil | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Home Affairs | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | 2 years, 58 days |
| 35 | Tony Burke | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Home Affairs | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | incumbent | 222 days |
    Morrison was appointed as Minister for Home Affairs by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in May 2021, with both Morrison and Andrews holding the position of Minister for Home Affairs until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.

## Former ministerial titles
### List of ministers for customs

From 1901 to 1956 Customs was handled by the Minister for Trade and Customs. In 1956 Frederick Osborne was appointed Minister for Customs and Excise. Kep Enderby was appointed Minister for Police and Customs in 1975. In 1975 responsibility for customs was absorbed into the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs, John Howard. In May 1982, the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs was abolished and customs functions were transferred to the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Phillip Lynch. In January 1988, Barry Jones became responsible for customs as Minister for Science, Customs and Small Business within John Button's portfolio of Industry and Commerce and there were subsequently junior ministers responsible for customs within the industry portfolio until March 1993 and from March 1994 until December 2007, when customs became part of the responsibility of the Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus. Between September 2013 and December 2017, it was the responsibility of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.
The following individuals have held responsibility for customs:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Charles Kingston | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for Trade and Customs | 1 January 1901 (1901-01-01) | 24 July 1903 (1903-07-24) | 2 years, 204 days |
| 2 | William Lyne | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for Trade and Customs | 11 August 1903 (1903-08-11) | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 260 days |
| 2 | William Lyne | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 24 September 1903 (1903-09-24) | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 260 days |
| 3 | Andrew Fisher | Labor | Watson | Minister for Trade and Customs | 27 April 1904 (1904-04-27) | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 112 days |
| 4 | Allan McLean | Protectionist | Reid | Minister for Trade and Customs | 17 August 1904 (1904-08-17) | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 322 days |
| 5 | William Lyne | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 5 July 1905 (1905-07-05) | 30 July 1907 (1907-07-30) | 2 years, 25 days |
| 6 | Austin Chapman | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 30 July 1907 (1907-07-30) | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 1 year, 106 days |
| 7 | Frank Tudor | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Trade and Customs | 13 November 1908 (1908-11-13) | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 201 days |
| 8 | Robert Best | Protectionist | Deakin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 2 June 1909 (1909-06-02) | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 331 days |
| n/a | Frank Tudor | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Trade and Customs | 29 April 1910 (1910-04-29) | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 3 years, 56 days |
| 9 | Littleton Groom | Commonwealth Liberal | Cook | Minister for Trade and Customs | 24 June 1913 (1913-06-24) | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 1 year, 85 days |
| n/a | Frank Tudor | Labor | Fisher | Minister for Trade and Customs | 17 September 1914 (1914-09-17) | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 1 year, 363 days |
| n/a | Frank Tudor | Labor | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 27 October 1915 (1915-10-27) | 14 September 1916 (1916-09-14) | 1 year, 363 days |
| 10 | Billy Hughes | Labor | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 29 September 1916 (1916-09-29) | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 61 days |
| 11 | William Archibald | National Labor | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 14 November 1916 (1916-11-14) | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 95 days |
| 12 | Jens Jensen | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 17 February 1917 (1917-02-17) | 13 December 1918 (1918-12-13) | 1 year, 299 days |
| 13 | William Watt | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 13 December 1918 (1918-12-13) | 17 January 1919 (1919-01-17) | 35 days |
| 14 | Walter Massy-Greene | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 17 January 1919 (1919-01-17) | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 2 years, 338 days |
| 15 | Arthur Rodgers | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for Trade and Customs | 21 December 1921 (1921-12-21) | 5 February 1923 (1923-02-05) | 1 year, 46 days |
| n/a | Austin Chapman | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Trade and Customs | 9 February 1923 (1923-02-09) | 26 May 1924 (1924-05-26) | 1 year, 107 days |
| n/a | Littleton Groom | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Trade and Customs | 29 May 1924 (1924-05-29) | 13 June 1924 (1924-06-13) | 15 days |
| 16 | Herbert Pratten | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Trade and Customs | 13 June 1924 (1924-06-13) | 7 May 1928 (1928-05-07) | 3 years, 329 days |
| 17 | Stanley Bruce | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Trade and Customs | 8 May 1928 (1928-05-08) | 24 November 1928 (1928-11-24) | 200 days |
| 18 | Henry Gullett | Nationalist | Bruce | Minister for Trade and Customs | 24 November 1928 (1928-11-24) | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 332 days |
| 19 | James Fenton | Labor | Scullin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 22 October 1929 (1929-10-22) | 4 February 1931 (1931-02-04) | 1 year, 105 days |
| 20 | Frank Forde | Labor | Scullin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 4 February 1931 (1931-02-04) | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 336 days |
| n/a | Henry Gullett | United Australia | Lyons | Minister for Trade and Customs | 6 January 1932 (1932-01-06) | 14 January 1933 (1933-01-14) | 1 year, 8 days |
| 21 | Thomas White | United Australia | Lyons | Minister for Trade and Customs | 14 January 1933 (1933-01-14) | 8 November 1938 (1938-11-08) | 5 years, 298 days |
| 22 | John Perkins | United Australia | Lyons | Minister for Trade and Customs | 8 November 1938 (1938-11-08) | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 169 days |
| 22 | John Perkins | United Australia | Page | Minister for Trade and Customs | 7 April 1939 (1939-04-07) | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 169 days |
| 23 | John Lawson | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Trade and Customs | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 23 February 1940 (1940-02-23) | 303 days |
| 24 | Robert Menzies | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Trade and Customs | 23 February 1940 (1940-02-23) | 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) | 20 days |
| 25 | George McLeay | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Trade and Customs | 14 March 1940 (1940-03-14) | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 228 days |
| 26 | Eric Harrison | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Trade and Customs | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 344 days |
| 26 | Eric Harrison | United Australia | Fadden | Minister for Trade and Customs | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 344 days |
| 27 | Richard Keane | Labor | Curtin | Minister for Trade and Customs | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 4 years, 201 days |
| 27 | Richard Keane | Labor | Forde | Minister for Trade and Customs | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 4 years, 201 days |
| 27 | Richard Keane | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Trade and Customs | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 26 April 1946 (1946-04-26) | 4 years, 201 days |
| 28 | John Dedman | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Trade and Customs | 26 April 1946 (1946-04-26) | 18 June 1946 (1946-06-18) | 53 days |
| 29 | James Fraser | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Trade and Customs | 18 June 1946 (1946-06-18) | 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) | 136 days |
| 30 | Ben Courtice | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Trade and Customs | 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 3 years, 184 days |
| 31 | Neil O'Sullivan | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Trade and Customs | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) | 6 years, 23 days |
| 32 | Frederick Osborne | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Customs and Excise | 11 January 1956 (1956-01-11) | 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) | 287 days |
| 33 | Denham Henty | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Customs and Excise | 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) | 10 June 1964 (1964-06-10) | 7 years, 230 days |
| 34 | Ken Anderson | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Customs and Excise | 10 June 1964 (1964-06-10) | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 3 years, 263 days |
| 34 | Ken Anderson | Liberal | Holt | Minister for Customs and Excise | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 3 years, 263 days |
| 34 | Ken Anderson | Liberal | McEwen | Minister for Customs and Excise | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 3 years, 263 days |
| 34 | Ken Anderson | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Customs and Excise | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) | 3 years, 263 days |
| 35 | Malcolm Scott | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Customs and Excise | 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) | 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12) | 1 year, 257 days |
| 36 | Don Chipp | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Customs and Excise | 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12) | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 3 years, 23 days |
| 36 | Don Chipp | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for Customs and Excise | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 3 years, 23 days |
| 37 | Gough Whitlam | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Customs and Excise | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 14 days |
| 38 | Lionel Murphy | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Customs and Excise | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 10 February 1975 (1975-02-10) | 2 years, 53 days |
| 39 | Kep Enderby | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Customs and Excise | 10 February 1975 (1975-02-10) | 27 March 1975 (1975-03-27) | 116 days |
| 39 | Kep Enderby | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Police and Customs | 27 March 1975 (1975-03-27) | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) | 116 days |
| 40 | Jim Cavanagh | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Police and Customs | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 158 days |
| 41 | Ivor Greenwood | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Police and Customs | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days |
| 42 | John Howard | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 17 July 1977 (1977-07-17) | 1 year, 207 days |
| 43 | Wal Fife | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | 17 July 1977 (1977-07-17) | 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) | 2 years, 144 days |
| 44 | Victor Garland | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 331 days |
| 45 | John Moore | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 20 April 1982 (1982-04-20) | 1 year, 168 days |
| 46 | Neil Brown | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | 20 April 1982 (1982-04-20) | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 17 days |
| 47 | Phillip Lynch | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Industry and Commerce | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 11 October 1982 (1982-10-11) | 157 days |
| 48 | Andrew Peacock | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Industry and Commerce | 11 October 1982 (1982-10-11) | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 151 days |
| 49 | John Button | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Industry and Commerce | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 4 years, 314 days |
| 49 | John Button | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 years, 314 days |
| 50 | Barry Jones | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Science, Customs and Small Business | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 7 years, 24 days |
| 51 | David Beddall | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Small Business and Customs | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 51 | David Beddall | Labor | Keating | Minister for Small Business and Customs | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 51 | David Beddall | Labor | Keating | Minister for Small Business, Construction and Customs | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 52 | Alan Griffiths | Labor | Keating | Minister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 23 January 1994 (1994-01-23) | 305 days |
| 53 | Peter Cook | Labor | Keating | Minister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development | 30 January 1994 (1994-01-30) | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 61 days |
| 54 | Chris Schacht | Labor | Keating | Minister for Small Business, Customs and Construction | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 1 year, 352 days |
| 55 | Geoff Prosser | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 18 July 1997 (1997-07-18) | 1 year, 129 days |
| 56 | Chris Ellison | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs | 18 July 1997 (1997-07-18) | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 83 days |
| 57 | Warren Truss | Nationals | Howard | Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 1 year, 12 days |
| 58 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 2 years, 101 days |
| 59 | Chris Ellison | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 9 March 2007 (2007-03-09) | 6 years, 38 days |
| 60 | David Johnston | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Justice and Customs | 9 March 2007 (2007-03-09) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 269 days |
| 61 | Bob Debus | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 1 year, 188 days |
| 62 | Brendan O'Connor | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 2 years, 188 days |
| 62 | Brendan O'Connor | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Home Affairs | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 2 years, 188 days |
| 63 | Jason Clare | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Home Affairs | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 63 | Jason Clare | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Home Affairs | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 64 | Scott Morrison | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 1 year, 96 days |
| 65 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 3 years, 241 days |
| 65 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 21 August 2018 (2018-08-21) | 3 years, 241 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.

### List of assistant ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Abbott | Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 2 years, 3 days |
| 1 | Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 21 September 2015 | 2 years, 3 days |
| 2 | James McGrath | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) | 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) | 151 days |
| 3 | Alex Hawke | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 2 years, 40 days |
| 3 | Alex Hawke | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Home Affairs | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 years, 40 days |
| 4 | Linda Reynolds CSC | Liberal | Morrison | Assistant Minister for Home Affairs | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 March 2019 (2019-03-02) | 186 days |
| 5 | Jason Wood | Liberal | Morrison | Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days |