Premier of Tasmania

The **Premier of Tasmania** is the head of the government in the Australian state of Tasmania. The political party  which has the most support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The leader is then asked by the Governor of Tasmania to act as their principal adviser.

Before the 1890s, there was no political party system in Tasmania. Before 1920 premiers were often appointed from the Legislative Council.

## List of Premiers of Tasmania

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" class="wikitable">
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc"> <th>**No.**</th><th>**Name**</th><th>**Party**</th><th>**Assumed office**</th><th>**Left office**</th></tr>

<tr><td> 1 <td>William Champ<td><td>1 November 1856<td>26 February 1857
<tr><td> 2 <td>Thomas Gregson<td><td>26 February 1857<td>25 April 1857
<tr><td> 3 <td>William Weston<td><td>25 April 1857<td>12 May 1857
<tr><td> 4 <td>Francis Smith<td><td>12 May 1857<td>1 November 1860
<tr><td> — <td>William Weston<td><td>1 November 1860<td>2 August 1861
<tr><td> 5 <td>Thomas Chapman<td><td>2 August 1861<td>20 January 1863
<tr><td> 6 <td>James Whyte<td><td>20 January 1863<td>24 November 1866
<tr><td> 7 <td>Sir Richard Dry<td><td>24 November 1866<td>4 August 1869
<tr><td> 8 <td>James Wilson<td><td>4 August 1869<td>4 November 1872
<tr><td> 9 <td>Frederick Innes<td><td>4 November 1872<td>4 August 1873
<tr><td> 10 <td>Alfred Kennerley<td><td>4 August 1873<td>20 July 1876
<tr><td> 11 <td>Thomas Reibey<td><td>20 July 1876<td>9 August 1877
<tr><td> 12 <td>Philip Fysh<td><td>9 August 1877<td>5 March 1878
<tr><td> 13 <td>William Giblin<td><td>5 March 1878<td>20 December 1878
<tr><td> 14 <td>William Crowther<td><td>20 December 1878<td>30 October 1879
<tr><td> — <td>William Giblin<td><td>30 October 1879<td>15 August 1884
<tr><td> 15 <td>Adye Douglas<td><td>15 August 1884<td>8 March 1886
<tr><td> 16 <td>James Agnew<td><td>8 March 1886<td>29 March 1887
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> — <td>Philip Fysh<td>Liberal<td>29 March 1887<td>17 August 1892
<tr><td> 17 <td>Henry Dobson<td>Conservative<td>17 August 1892<td>14 April 1894
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 18 <td>Sir Edward Braddon<td>Liberal /
Free Trade<td>14 April 1894<td>12 October 1899
<tr><td> 19 <td>Elliott Lewis<td>Conservative<td>12 October 1899<td>9 April 1903
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 20 <td>William Propsting<td>Liberal<td>9 April 1903<td>12 July 1904
<tr><td> 21 <td>John Evans<td>Conservative<td>12 July 1904<td>19 June 1909
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> — <td>Sir Elliott Lewis<td>Liberal<td>19 June 1909<td>20 October 1909
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 22 <td>John Earle<td>Labor<td>20 October 1909<td>27 October 1909
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> — <td>Sir Elliott Lewis<td>Commonwealth Liberal<td>27 October 1909<td>14 June 1912
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 23 <td>Albert Solomon<td>Commonwealth Liberal<td>14 June 1912<td>6 April 1914
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> — <td>John Earle<td>Labor<td>6 April 1914<td>15 April 1916
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 24 <td>Walter Lee<td>Commonwealth Liberal,
Nationalist<td>15 April 1916<td>12 August 1922
<tr bgcolor="#87cefa"><td> 25 <td>John Hayes<td>Nationalist<td>12 August 1922<td>14 August 1923
<tr bgcolor="#87cefa"><td> — <td>Sir Walter Lee<td>Nationalist<td>14 August 1923<td>25 October 1923
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 26<td>Joseph Lyons<td>Labor<td>25 October 1923<td>15 June 1928
<tr bgcolor="#87cefa"><td> 27 <td>John McPhee<td>Nationalist<td>15 June 1928<td>15 March 1934
<tr bgcolor="#87cefa"><td> — <td>Sir Walter Lee<td>Nationalist<td>15 March 1934<td>22 June 1934
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 28 <td>Albert Ogilvie<td>Labor<td>22 June 1934<td>11 June 1939
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 29 <td>Edmund Dwyer-Gray<td>Labor<td>11 June 1939<td>18 December 1939
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 30 <td>Robert Cosgrove<td>Labor<td>18 December 1939<td>18 December 1947
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 31 <td>Edward Brooker<td>Labor<td>18 December 1947<td>25 February 1948
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> — <td>Robert Cosgrove<td>Labor<td>25 February 1948<td>26 August 1958
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 32 <td>Eric Reece<td>Labor<td>26 August 1958<td>26 May 1969
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 33 <td>Angus Bethune<td>Liberal<td>26 May 1969<td>3 May 1972
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> — <td>Eric Reece<td>Labor<td>3 May 1972<td>31 March 1975
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 34 <td>Bill Neilson<td>Labor<td>31 March 1975<td>1 December 1977
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 35 <td>Doug Lowe<td>Labor<td>1 December 1977<td>11 November 1981
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 36 <td>Harry Holgate<td>Labor<td>11 November 1981<td>26 May 1982
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 37 <td>Robin Gray<td>Liberal<td>26 May 1982<td>29 June 1989
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 38<td>Michael Field<td>Labor<td>29 June 1989<td>17 February 1992
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 39 <td>Ray Groom<td>Liberal<td>17 February 1992<td>18 March 1996
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 40 <td>Tony Rundle<td>Liberal<td>18 March 1996<td>14 September 1998
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 41 <td>Jim Bacon<td>Labor<td>14 September 1998<td>21 March 2004
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 42 <td>Paul Lennon<td>Labor<td>21 March 2004<td>26 May 2008
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 43 <td>David Bartlett<td>Labor<td>26 May 2008<td>24 January 2011
<tr bgcolor="#FFE8E8"><td> 44 <td>Lara Giddings<td>Labor<td>24 January 2011<td>31 March 2014
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 45 <td>Will Hodgman<td>Liberal<td>31 March 2014<td>20 January 2020
<tr bgcolor="#DDEEFF"><td> 46 <td>Peter Gutwein<td>Liberal<td>20 January 2020<td>Present
</table>

## Infobox (official post)

- **post**: Premier
- **body**: Tasmania
- **insignia**: Tasmania Coat of Arms.svg
- **insigniasize**: 120px
- **insigniacaption**: Coat of arms of Tasmania, Tasmanian Coat of arms
- **flag**: Flag of Tasmania.svg
- **flagsize**: 120px
- **flagcaption**: Flag of Tasmania
- **image**: Jeremy-Rockliff.jpg
- **imagesize**: 200px
- **incumbent**: Jeremy Rockliff
- **incumbentsince**: 8 April 2022
- **department**: Department of Premier and Cabinet
- **status**: Head of Government
- **reports to**: Parliament of Tasmania, Parliament
- **seat**: Executive Building
15 Murray Street, Hobart
- **appointer**: Governor of Tasmania
- **appointer qualified**: by Convention (norm)#Government, convention, based on appointee's ability to Parliamentary system, command confidence in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly
- **termlength**: At the Governor's pleasure
- **termlength qualified**: contingent on the premier's ability to Parliamentary system, command confidence in the lower house of Parliament
- **formation**: 1 November 1856
- **first**: William Champ
- **deputy**: Deputy Premier of Tasmania
- **website**: [http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/ www.premier.tas.gov.au]