# Minister for Sport (Australia)

In the Australian Government, the Minister for Sport is currently Anika Wells since 1 June 2022.
In the Government of Australia, the minister administers the portfolio through the Department of Health and Aged Care.

## Scope

It was not until the Whitlam government established the Department of Tourism and Recreation in 1972 that an Australian Government department had specific responsibility for sport. Previously the small amount of sport funding was distributed through ministries such as Health and Foreign Affairs. Frank Stewart, who is regarded as the first minister for sport, commissioned two reports – The role and scope and development of recreation in Australia by John Bloomfield and Report of the Australian Sports Institute Study Group, which highlighted the need for government involvement in sport. The Fraser government through Bob Ellicott acted upon both reports and established the Australian Institute of Sport in 1981. It was widely reported that this initiative was a direct result of the poor performance of the Australian team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, however its genesis preceded that. The Hawke government through John Brown further extended Australian Government involvement in sport through the establishment of the Australian Sports Commission in 1985.

## List of ministers for sport

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Sport, or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Frank Stewart | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Tourism and Recreation | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 2 years, 327 days |
| 2 | Reg Withers | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Tourism and Recreation | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days |
| 3 | Ivor Greenwood | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 199 days |
| 4 | Kevin Newman | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 1 year, 165 days |
| 5 | Ray Groom | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 350 days |
| 6 | Robert Ellicott | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 2 years, 74 days |
| 6 | Robert Ellicott | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 2 years, 74 days |
| 7 | Michael MacKellar | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 30 days |
| 8 | Ian Wilson | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 414 days |
| 9 | Tom McVeigh | National Country | Fraser | Minister for Home Affairs and Environment | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 308 days |
| 10 | John Brown | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 4 years, 314 days |
| 10 | John Brown | Labor | Hawke | Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 years, 314 days |
| 11 | Graham Richardson | Labor | Hawke | Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 2 years, 75 days |
| 12 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Hawke | Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 3 years, 331 days |
| 12 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Keating | Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 3 years, 331 days |
| 12 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Keating | Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories | 27 December 1991 (1991-12-27) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 3 years, 331 days |
| 12 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Keating | Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) | 3 years, 331 days |
| (11) | Graham Richardson | Labor | Keating | Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories | 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 24 days |
| 13 | John Faulkner | Labor | Keating | Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 1 year, 352 days |
| 14 | Warwick Smith | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 1 year, 212 days |
| 15 | Andrew Thomson | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Sport and Tourism | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 1 year, 12 days |
| 16 | Jackie Kelly | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Sport and Tourism | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 3 years, 36 days |
| 17 | Rod Kemp | Liberal | Howard | Minister for the Arts and Sport | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 5 years, 65 days |
| 18 | George Brandis | Liberal | Howard | Minister for the Arts and Sport | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 307 days |
| 19 | Kate Ellis | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Sport | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 19 | Kate Ellis | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Sport | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 20 | Mark Arbib | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Sport | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 5 March 2012 (2012-03-05) | 1 year, 173 days |
| 21 | Kate Lundy | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Sport | 5 March 2012 (2012-03-05) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 1 year, 114 days |
| 22 | Don Farrell | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Sport | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 83 days |
| 23 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Sport | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 1 year, 96 days |
| 24 | Sussan Ley | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Sport | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 2 years, 21 days |
| 24 | Sussan Ley | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Sport | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 13 January 2017 (2017-01-13) | 2 years, 21 days |
| 25 | Greg Hunt | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Sport | 18 January 2017 (2017-01-18) | 19 December 2017 (2017-12-19) | 335 days |
| 26 | Bridget McKenzie | National | Turnbull | Minister for Sport | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 1 year, 160 days |
| 26 | Bridget McKenzie | National | Morrison | Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 1 year, 160 days |
| 27 | Richard Colbeck | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Youth and Sport | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) | 2 years, 359 days |
| 27 | Richard Colbeck | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Sport | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days |
| 28 | Anika Wells | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Sport | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 131 days |

## List of ministers assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games

The following individuals were appointed as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Warwick Smith | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games | 11 March 1996 | 6 October 1997 | 1 year, 209 days |
| 2 | Andrew Thomson | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games | 6 October 1997 | 21 October 1998 | 1 year, 15 days |
| 3 | Jackie Kelly | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games | 21 October 1998 | 30 January 2001 | 2 years, 101 days |