Minister for the Arts (Australia)

Minister for the Arts
Incumbent Mitch Fifield since 21 September 2015
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Peter Howson
Formation	10 March 1971

The Australian Minister for the Arts is Senator the Honourable Mitch Fifield.

The minister administers the portfolio through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.^[1]

List of arts ministers

The only minister before Simon Crean to have the title of Minister for the Arts was Bob McMullan between 24 March 1993 and 25 March 1994. However, "Arts" has appeared in several ministerial titles since Peter Howson was appointed Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts on 10 March 1971. The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Arts, or any of its precedent titles:^[2]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Peter Howson		Liberal	McMahon	Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts	10 March 1971	5 December 1972	1 year, 270 days
2	Gough Whitlam		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972	19 December 1972	14 days
3	Tony Staley		Liberal	Fraser	Minister assisting the Prime Minister in matters concerning the Arts	16 August 1976	20 December 1977	1 year, 126 days
4	Barry Cohen		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment	13 December 1984	24 July 1987	2 years, 223 days
5	John Brown				Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories	24 July 1987	18 December 1987	147 days
6	Graham Richardson					19 January 1988	4 April 1990	2 years, 75 days
7	Ros Kelly					4 April 1990	27 December 1991	2 years, 354 days
				Keating	Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories	27 December 1991	24 March 1993
8	Bob McMullan				Minister for the Arts and Administrative Services	24 March 1993	30 January 1994	312 days
9	Michael Lee				Minister for Communications and the Arts	30 January 1994	11 March 1996	2 years, 41 days
10	Richard Alston		Liberal	Howard		11 March 1996	9 October 1997	7 years, 210 days
					Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts	9 October 1997	21 October 1998
					Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts	21 October 1998	7 October 2003
11	Daryl Williams					7 October 2003	18 July 2004	285 days
12	Helen Coonan					18 July 2004	3 December 2007	3 years, 138 days
13	Peter Garrett		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts	3 December 2007	8 March 2010	2 years, 285 days
					Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts	8 March 2010	28 June 2010
				Gillard		28 June 2010	14 September 2010
14	Simon Crean				Minister for the Arts	14 September 2010	25 March 2013	2 years, 192 days
15	Tony Burke					25 March 2013	26 June 2013	177 days
				Rudd		26 June 2013	18 September 2013
16	George Brandis		Liberal National	Abbott		18 September 2013	15 September 2015	2 years, 3 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015	21 September 2015
17	Mitch Fifield		Liberal			21 September 2015	Incumbent	223 days

References

1. "Second Gillard Ministry" (PDF). Australian Government. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
2. "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2013.