# Minister without portfolio (New South Wales)

Minister without portfolio or Honorary Minister was the title given to a member of the Cabinet who did not have responsibility for a department or portfolio. They were not paid in addition to their allowance as a member of parliament. The title was first used in the Lyne ministry in 1901 when Paddy Crick ceased to be Postmaster-General as a result of the Federation of Australia and remained in the Cabinet until he was appointed Secretary for Lands in the See ministry. The first people appointed without a portfolio were James Hayes, and Walter Bennett in the See ministry. The ministers without a portfolio were often given specific responsibilities using section 36 of the Constitution of New South Wales under which the Governor could authorise any member of the cabinet to perform the duties of another minister, except for the Attorney General. The title was last used in the third Cahill ministry. From 1959 the title "minister assisting ..." or "assistant minister ..." has been used.

## List of ministers

| Responsibilities | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| | Paddy Crick | Protectionist | Lyne | 1 March 1901 | 10 April 1901 | 40 days |
| | James Hayes | Progressive | See | 11 April 1901 | 14 June 1904 | 3 years, 64 days |
| | Walter Bennett | Progressive | See | 16 April 1901 | 14 June 1904 | 3 years, 59 days |
| | John Fegan | Progressive | See | 24 March 1903 | 14 June 1904 | 1 year, 82 days |
| Assisting Treasurer | William Dick | Liberal Reform | Carruthers | 29 August 1904 | 1 October 1907 | 3 years, 33 days |
| | James Brunker | Liberal Reform | Carruthers | 12 June 1905 | 1 October 1907 | 2 years, 111 days |
| | James Ashton | Liberal Reform | Wade | 2 October 1907 | 25 June 1909 | 1 year, 265 days |
| | Charles Oakes | Liberal Reform | Wade | 2 October 1907 | 20 October 1910 | 3 years, 18 days |
| | Campbell Carmichael | Labor | McGowen | 21 October 1910 | 10 September 1911 | 2 years, 251 days |
| Assisting Minister of Agriculture | John Treflé | Labor | McGowen | 21 October 1910 | 6 November 1911 | 1 year, 16 days |
| | John Dacey | Labor | McGowen | 10 November 1911 | 26 November 1911 | 16 days |
| Assistant Treasurer | Henry Hoyle | Labor | Holman (1) | 29 January 1914 | 31 October 1916 | 2 years, 276 days |
| | William Grahame | Labor | Holman (1) | 15 March 1915 | 1 June 1915 | 78 days |
| | Charles Oakes | Nationalist | Holman (2) | 18 July 1919 | 9 February 1920 | 206 days |
| Acting Minister of Public Health | David Storey | Nationalist | Holman (2) | 15 November 1916 | 18 July 1919 | 2 years, 245 days |
| Premier | William Holman | Nationalist | Holman (2) | 30 October 1918 | 12 April 1920 | 1 year, 165 days |
| Assisting Secretary for Lands | John Crane | Nationalist | Holman (2) | 9 February 1920 | 12 April 1920 | 63 days |
| Assisting Minister of Agriculture | Arthur Grimm | Nationalist | Holman (2) | 9 February 1920 | 12 April 1920 | 63 days |
| Assistant Minister of Justice | Bill McKell | Labor | Storey | 12 April 1920 | 21 December 1920 | 253 days |
| Assistant Treasurer | Bill McKell | Labor | Lang (1) | 17 June 1925 | 7 June 1927 | 1 year, 355 days |
| Assistant Treasurer | Robert Cruickshank | Labor | Lang (2) | 19 September 1927 | 18 October 1927 | 29 days |
| Assistant Treasurer | Bertram Stevens | Nationalist | Bavin | 18 October 1927 | 15 April 1929 | 1 year, 179 days |
| Assistant Treasurer | Eric Spooner | United Australia | Stevens (1) (2) | 18 June 1932 | 21 August 1935 | 3 years, 64 days |
| Assistant Minister in the Legislative Council | James Ryan | United Australia | Stevens (1) (2) | 18 June 1932 | 13 April 1938 | 5 years, 299 days |
| Assisting the Minister for Labour and Industry | Herbert Hawkins | United Australia | Stevens (1) | 18 June 1932 | 5 January 1933 | 201 days |
| Assistant Colonial Secretary | Herbert Hawkins | United Australia | Stevens (1) (2) | 5 January 1933 | 21 August 1935 | 2 years, 187 days |
| | Herbert FitzSimons | United Australia | Stevens (1) | 15 February 1933 | 10 February 1935 | 1 year, 360 days |
| | James Shand | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 22 August 1935 | 13 April 1938 | 2 years, 234 days |
| | George Gollan | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 2 April 1937 | 13 April 1938 | 1 year, 11 days |
| | Colin Sinclair | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 29 June 1937 | 31 January 1938 | 216 days |
| | Alexander Mair | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 13 April 1938 | 1 June 1938 | 49 days |
| | Athol Richardson | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 13 April 1938 | 13 October 1938 | 183 days |
| | Marsden Manfred | United Australia | Stevens (2) Mair | 26 June 1939 | 16 May 1941 | 40 days |
| | Hubert Primrose | United Australia | Stevens (2) | 26 June 1939 | 5 August 1939 | 40 days |
| | Hubert Primrose | United Australia | Mair | 5 September 1939 | 16 May 1941 | 1 year, 253 days |
| | Carlo Lazzarini | Labor | McKell (1) | 16 May 1941 | 8 June 1944 | 3 years, 23 days |
| | William Dickson | Labor | McKell (1) | 16 May 1941 | 8 June 1944 | 3 years, 23 days |
| | Clive Evatt | Labor | McKell (2) | 8 June 1944 | 9 May 1946 | 1 year, 335 days |
| | William Dickson | Labor | McKell (2) | 8 June 1944 | 6 February 1947 | 2 years, 243 days |
| | George Weir | Labor | McKell (2) | 25 February 1946 | 9 May 1946 | 73 days |
| | William Dickson | Labor | McGirr (1) (2) | 6 February 1947 | 9 March 1948 | 102 days |
| | Joshua Arthur | Labor | McGirr (2) | 15 September 1949 | 21 September 1949 | 6 days |
| | Frank Hawkins | Labor | McGirr (3) | 30 June 1950 | 2 April 1952 | 1 year, 277 days |
| | George Enticknap | Labor | Cahill (1) | 3 April 1952 | 3 November 1952 | 214 days |
| | George Weir | Labor | Cahill (1) | 3 November 1952 | 23 February 1953 | 112 days |
| | John McGrath | Labor | Cahill (2) | 23 February 1953 | 2 September 1954 | 1 year, 191 days |
| | Francis Buckley | Labor | Cahill (2) | 23 February 1953 | 16 September 1953 | 205 days |
| | William Gollan | Labor | Cahill (2) | 16 September 1953 | 1 July 1954 | 288 days |
| | Roger Nott | Labor | Cahill (2) | 10 May 1954 | 15 March 1956 | 1 year, 310 days |
| | Jim Maloney | Labor | Cahill (2) | 1 July 1954 | 15 March 1956 | 1 year, 258 days |
| | William Gollan | Labor | Cahill (3) | 15 March 1956 | 22 November 1957 | 1 year, 252 days |
| | Jim Simpson | Labor | Cahill (3) | 15 March 1956 | 22 November 1957 | 1 year, 252 days |
| | John McMahon | Labor | Cahill (3) | 14 November 1957 | 1 April 1959 | 1 year, 138 days |
| Minister Assisting the Premier and Treasurer | Pat Hills | Labor | Cahill (4) | 1 April 1959 | 28 October 1959 | 210 days |
| Minister Assisting the Premier | Bill Haigh | Labor | Wran (1) (2) | 14 May 1976 | 29 February 1980 | 3 years, 291 days |
| | Jack Hallam, MLC | Labor | Wran (2) | 19 October 1978 | 29 February 1980 | 1 year, 133 days |
| Minister Assisting the Premier | Peter Anderson | Labor | Wran (7) | 6 February 1985 | 1 January 1986 | 329 days |