# Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia)

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia, first created in 1947 during the McLarty–Watts Ministry.
The current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is Tony Buti of the Labor Party. The minister is responsible for the state government's Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA), which exists "to facilitate the development of policy and programs which deliver sustainable economic, environmental and social benefits to Aboriginal communities".

## List of ministers for Aboriginal affairs

Twenty one people have been appointed as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in Western Australia, with Edgar Lewis's 8 years and 325 days during the Brand–Nalder Ministry the longest period in the position. The position and corresponding department have existed under several different names, including Native Affairs (4 years), Native Welfare (19 years), Aboriginal Affairs (23 years), and Indigenous Affairs (12 years). The current name was adopted after requests from representatives of Western Australia's Aboriginal communities.
In the table below, members of the Legislative Council are designated "MLC". All others were members of the Legislative Assembly at the time of their service. In Western Australia, serving ministers are entitled to be styled "The Honourable", and may retain the style after three years' service in the ministry.
| Order | Minister | Party | Premier | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Ross McDonald | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Native Affairs | 1 April 1947 (1947-04-01) | 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) | 2 years, 189 days |
| 1 | Ross McDonald | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Native Welfare | 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) | 7 October 1949 (1949-10-07) | 2 years, 189 days |
| 2 | Hubert Parker MLC | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Native Affairs | 7 October 1949 (1949-10-07) | 6 April 1950 (1950-04-06) | 181 days |
| 3 | Victor Doney | Country | McLarty | Minister for Native Affairs | 6 April 1950 (1950-04-06) | 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) | 2 years, 323 days |
| 4 | Bill Hegney | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Native Welfare | 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) | 20 April 1956 (1956-04-20) | 3 years, 57 days |
| 5 | John Brady | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Native Welfare | 20 April 1956 (1956-04-20) | 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) | 2 years, 347 days |
| 6 | Charles Perkins | Country | Brand | Minister for Native Welfare | 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) | 16 November 1961 (1961-11-16) | 2 years, 228 days |
| 7 | George Cornell | Country | Brand | Minister for Native Welfare | 16 November 1961 (1961-11-16) | 11 April 1962 (1962-04-11) | 146 days |
| 8 | Edgar Lewis | Country | Brand | Minister for Native Welfare | 12 April 1962 (1962-04-12) | 3 March 1971 (1971-03-03) | 8 years, 325 days |
| No minister – portfolio transferred to Minister for Community Welfare (1971–1983). |||||||||
| 9 | Keith Wilson | Labor | Burke | Minister with special responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs | 25 February 1983 (1983-02-25) | 26 February 1986 (1986-02-26) | 3 years, 150 days |
| 9 | Keith Wilson | Labor | Burke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 26 February 1986 (1986-02-26) | 25 July 1986 (1986-07-25) | 3 years, 150 days |
| 10 | Ernie Bridge | Labor | Burke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 25 July 1986 (1986-07-25) | 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) | 2 years, 218 days |
| 10 | Ernie Bridge | Labor | Dowding | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) | 28 February 1989 (1989-02-28) | 2 years, 218 days |
| 11 | Carmen Lawrence | Labor | Dowding | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 28 February 1989 (1989-02-28) | 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12) | 1 year, 342 days |
| 11 | Carmen Lawrence | Labor | Lawrence | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12) | 5 February 1991 (1991-02-05) | 1 year, 342 days |
| 12 | Judyth Watson | Labor | Lawrence | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 5 February 1991 (1991-02-05) | 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16) | 2 years, 11 days |
| 13 | Kevin Minson | Liberal | Court | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16) | 25 January 1994 (1994-01-25) | 343 days |
| 14 | Kevin Prince | Liberal | Court | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 25 January 1994 (1994-01-25) | 9 January 1997 (1997-01-09) | 2 years, 350 days |
| 15 | Kim Hames | Liberal | Court | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 9 January 1997 (1997-01-09) | 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) | see below |
| 16 | Alan Carpenter | Labor | Gallop | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) | 27 June 2003 (2003-06-27) | 2 years, 131 days |
| 17 | John Kobelke | Labor | Gallop | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 27 June 2003 (2003-06-27) | 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) | 2 years, 221 days |
| 17 | John Kobelke | Labor | Carpenter | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) | 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03) | 2 years, 221 days |
| 18 | Sheila McHale | Labor | Carpenter | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03) | 2 March 2007 (2007-03-02) | 1 year, 27 days |
| 19 | Michelle Roberts | Labor | Carpenter | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 2 March 2007 (2007-03-02) | 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23) | 1 year, 205 days |
| (15) | Kim Hames | Liberal | Barnett | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23) | 14 December 2010 (2010-12-14) | 6 years, 120 days |
| 20 | Peter Collier MLC | Liberal | Barnett | Minister for Indigenous Affairs | 14 December 2010 (2010-12-14) | 21 March 2013 (2013-03-21) | 6 years, 93 days |
| 20 | Peter Collier MLC | Liberal | Barnett | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 21 March 2013 (2013-03-21) | 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) | 6 years, 93 days |
| 21 | Ben Wyatt | Labor | McGowan | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) | 13 March 2021 (2021-03-13) | 3 years, 361 days |
| 22 | Stephen Dawson | Labor | McGowan | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) | 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) | 277 days |
| 23 | Tony Buti | Labor | McGowan | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) | 8 June 2023 | 2 years, 293 days |
| 23 | Tony Buti | Labor | Cook | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | 8 June 2023 | incumbent | 2 years, 293 days |