Ministers For Defence
There was a Minister for Defence from 1 January 1901 until 13 November 1939. Robert Menzies, the Prime Minister, abolished the position on the outbreak of World War II and created separate Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air, with himself as Minister for Defence Coordination in his first ministry. He retained this position until the fall of his government, and then held the post in the brief government of Arthur Fadden. John Curtin initially followed the same arrangement as Menzies in his ministry until 14 April 1942, when he took the title of Minister for Defence. The separate titles of Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air were abolished in the second Whitlam Ministry on 30 November 1973, when the separate departments of Navy, Army and Air were also abolished. There had also been a separate Navy portfolio between 1915 and 1921.
There have also been ministers responsible for defence materiel at different times. From 1939 to 1974 they were called Minister of Supply or similar. The current Minister for Defence Materiel is Jason Clare.
There have also been ministers responsible for defence personnel for most of the period since 1987. The current Minister for Defence Personnel is Warren Snowdon.
| Period | Minister | Party affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | James Dickson | Protectionist Party |
| 1901 | John Forrest | |
| 1901–1903 | James Drake | |
| 1903–1904 | Austin Chapman | |
| 1904 | Anderson Dawson | Australian Labor Party |
| 1904–1905 | James McCay | Protectionist Party |
| 1905–1907 | Thomas Playford | |
| 1907–1908 | Thomas Ewing | |
| 1908–1909 | George Pearce | Australian Labor Party |
| 1909–1910 | Joseph Cook | Protectionist Party |
| 1910–1913 | George Pearce | Australian Labor Party |
| 1913–1914 | Edward Millen | Commonwealth Liberal Party |
| 1914–1921 | George Pearce | Australian Labor Party/ Nationalist Party of Australia |
| 1921–1923 | Walter Massy-Greene | Nationalist Party of Australia |
| 1923–1925 | Eric Bowden | |
| 1925–1927 | Neville Howse | |
| 1927–1929 | William Glasgow | |
| 1929–1931 | Albert Green | Australian Labor Party |
| 1931 | John Daly | |
| 1931–1932 | Ben Chifley | |
| 1932–1934 | George Pearce | United Australia Party |
| 1934–1937 | Archdale Parkhill | |
| 1937 | Joseph Lyons | |
| 1937–1938 | Harold Thorby | Country Party |
| 1938–1939 | Geoffrey Street | United Australia Party |
| 1939–1941 | Robert Menzies* | |
| 1941–1942 | John Curtin* | Australian Labor Party |
| 1942–1945 | John Curtin | |
| 1945–1946 | Jack Beasley | |
| 1946 | Frank Forde | |
| 1946–1949 | John Dedman | |
| 1949–1950 | Eric Harrison | Liberal Party of Australia |
| 1950–1958 | Philip McBride | |
| 1958–1963 | Athol Townley | |
| 1963–1964 | Paul Hasluck | |
| 1964–1966 | Shane Paltridge | |
| 1966–1969 | Allen Fairhall | |
| 1969–1971 | Malcolm Fraser | |
| 1971 | John Gorton | |
| 1971–1972 | David Fairbairn | |
| 1972–1975 | Lance Barnard | Australian Labor Party |
| 1975 | Bill Morrison | |
| 1975–1982 | Jim Killen | Liberal Party of Australia |
| 1982–1983 | Ian Sinclair | National Party of Australia |
| 1983–1984 | Gordon Scholes | Australian Labor Party |
| 1984–1990 | Kim Beazley | |
| 1990–1996 | Robert Ray | |
| 1996–1998 | Ian McLachlan | Liberal Party of Australia |
| 1998–2001 | John Moore | |
| 2001 | Peter Reith | |
| 2001–2006 | Robert Hill | |
| 2006–2007 | Brendan Nelson | |
| 2007–2009 | Joel Fitzgibbon | Australian Labor Party |
| 2009–2010 | John Faulkner | |
| 2010– | Stephen Smith |
* Minister for Defence Coordination.
Read more about this topic: Minister For Defence (Australia)
Famous quotes containing the words ministers and/or defence:
“All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
Are all but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)
“He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to “Defender of the Faith,” than George the Third.”
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809)