The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the Australian state of Victoria. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria and must be a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. To be appointed, the premier must command confidence in the Legislative Assembly, meaning that they must have the support of a majority of Legislative Assembly members. In practice, this is typically the leader of the political party who holds the support of a majority of lower house members.
Each premier since 1933, apart from Ian Macfarlan, who only served for 51 days, has had a portrait commissioned for the Victorian Parliament's portrait collection. The tradition was initiated by Legislative Council President Fred Grimwade. Premiers who hold the office for 3,000 days are granted a statue as a commemoration of their legacy. Five premiers, Daniel Andrews, Henry Bolte, John Cain Jr, Albert Dunstan, and Rupert Hamer, have achieved this milestone and four have their statues near the premier's office at 1 Treasury Place. James McCulloch also served for over 3,000 days but he did so across four separate terms between 1863 and 1877 and has not been honoured with a statue; the prior five achieved 3,000 in a single term (Dunstan then served a second, shorter, term).
The longest-serving premier was Henry Bolte, who served from 7 June 1955 to 23 August 1972 for a total of 17 years, and 77 days in office. He was a member of the Liberal Party. By contrast, the shortest-serving premier was George Elmslie, who served from 9 December 1913 to 22 December 1913 for a total of 13 days in office. He was also the first premier from the Labor Party. The current premier is Jacinta Allan of the Labor Party, who assumed the office on 27 September 2023 following the resignation of Daniel Andrews. Allan is the second female to have held the office.
List of premiers of Victoria
Political parties
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Premier
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Election
! colspan="3" scope="colgroup" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Political party/ alignment
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Ministry
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Monarch
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Governor
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Notes
|-
! scope="col" |Took office
! scope="col" |Left office
! scope="col" |Time in office
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | 1
| rowspan="2" | 127x127px
| rowspan="2" | William Haines<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1856
| rowspan="2" | 28 November 1855
| rowspan="2" | 11 March 1857
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |Independent
| rowspan="2" | Haines I
| rowspan="37" |Victoria
|Charles Hotham
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="8" |Henry Barkly
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 2
| 145x145px
| John O'Shanassy<br /><br />
|
| 11 March 1857
| 29 April 1857
|
|Independent
| O'Shanassy I
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(1)</small>
| 126x126px
| William Haines<br /><br />
|
| 29 April 1857
| 10 March 1858
|
|Independent
| Haines II
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 4
| 136x136px
| Richard Heales<br /><br />
| 1861
| 26 November 1860
| 14 November 1861
|
|Independent
| Heales
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(2)</small>
| 146x146px
| John O'Shanassy<br /><br />
|
| 14 November 1861
| 27 June 1863
|
|Independent
| O'Shanassy III
|
|-
|Charles Darling
|-
| rowspan="7" |Lord Canterbury
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 6
| 142x142px
| Charles Sladen<br /><br />
|
| 6 May 1868
| 11 July 1868
|
| Independent
| Sladen
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(5)</small>
| 147x147px
| James McCulloch<br /><br />
|
| 11 July 1868
| 20 September 1869
|
| Independent
| McCulloch II
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(5)</small>
| 147x147px
| James McCulloch<br /><br />
| 1871
| 9 April 1870
| 19 June 1871
|
| Independent
| McCulloch III
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | 9
| rowspan="2" | 137x137px
| rowspan="2" | James Francis<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1874
| rowspan="2" | 10 June 1872
| rowspan="2" | 31 July 1874
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Independent
| rowspan="2" | Francis
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="5" |George Bowen
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 10
| 127x127px
| George Kerferd<br /><br />
|
| 31 July 1874
| 7 August 1875
|
| Independent
| Kerferd
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" | 11
| 174x174px
| Graham Berry<br /><br />
|
| 7 August 1875
| 20 October 1875
|
| Non-Party Liberalism
| Berry I
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(5)</small>
| 147x147px
| James McCulloch<br /><br />
|
| 20 October 1875
| 21 May 1877
|
| Non-Party Conservatism
| McCulloch IV
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" | <small>(11)</small>
| 174x174px
| Graham Berry<br /><br />
| Jul. 1880
| 3 August 1880
| 9 July 1881
|
| Non-Party Liberalism
| Berry III
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | <small>(12)</small>
| rowspan="2" | 133x133px
| rowspan="2" | James Service<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1883
| rowspan="2" | 8 March 1883
| rowspan="2" | 18 February 1886
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Non-Party Conservatism
| rowspan="2" | Service II
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="5" |Lord Hopetoun
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" | 15
| 143x143px
| James Munro<br /><br />
|
| 5 November 1890
| 16 February 1892
|
| Non-Party Liberalism
| Munro
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" | 16
| 147x147px
| William Shiels<br /><br />
| 1892
| 16 February 1892
| 23 January 1893
|
| Non-Party Liberalism
| Shiels
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 17
| 144x144px
| James Patterson<br /><br />
|
| 23 January 1893
| 27 September 1894
|
| Non-Party Conservatism
| Patterson
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:#2993FB" | 18
| rowspan="2" | 140x140px
| rowspan="2" | George Turner<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1894<br />1897
| rowspan="2" | 27 September 1894
| rowspan="2" | 5 December 1899
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Protectionist and Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Turner I
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Lord Brassey
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" | 19
| 138x138px
| Allan McLean<br /><br />
|
| 5 December 1899
| 19 November 1900
|
| Non-Party Liberalism
| McLean
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:#FFFF00" | <small>(18)</small>
| rowspan="2" | 140x140px
| rowspan="2" | George Turner<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1900
| rowspan="2" | 19 November 1900
| rowspan="2" | 12 February 1901
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Non-Party Liberalism
| rowspan="2" | Turner II
| rowspan="2" |vacant
| rowspan="2" |
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#9966CC" | 21
| 131x131px
| William Irvine<br /><br />
| 1902
| 10 June 1902
| 16 February 1904
|
| Reform
| Irvine
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:#9966CC" | 22
| rowspan="2" | 159x159px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas Bent<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1904<br />1907<br />1908
| rowspan="2" | 16 February 1904
| rowspan="2" | 8 January 1909
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Reform
| rowspan="2" | Bent
|Reginald Talbot
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="3" |Thomas Gibson-Carmichael
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" style="background:;" | 23
| rowspan="3" | 133x133px
| rowspan="3" | John Murray<br /><br />
| rowspan="3" | 1911
| rowspan="3" | 8 January 1909
| rowspan="3" | 18 May 1912
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" | Commonwealth Liberal
| rowspan="3" | Murray
| rowspan="3" |
|-
| rowspan="18" |George V
|-
| rowspan="2" |John Fuller
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 24
| 130x130px
| William Watt<br /><br />
|
| 18 May 1912
| 9 December 1913
|
| Commonwealth Liberal
| Watt I
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 25
| 151x151px
| George Elmslie<br /><br />
|
| 9 December 1913
| 22 December 1913
|
| Labor
| Elmslie
|vacant
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(24)</small>
| 132x132px
| William Watt<br /><br />
|
| 22 December 1913
| 18 June 1914
|
|Commonwealth Liberal
| Watt II
| rowspan="4" |Arthur Stanley
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | 27
| rowspan="2" | 147x147px
| rowspan="2" | Harry Lawson<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1920<br />1921
| rowspan="2" | 21 March 1918
| rowspan="2" | 28 April 1924
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Nationalist
| rowspan="2" | Lawson I<br />Lawson II<br />Lawson III
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="4" |Lord Stradbroke
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(20)</small>
| 144x144px
| Alexander Peacock<br /><br />
|
| 28 April 1924
| 18 July 1924
|
| Nationalist
| Peacock III
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 29
| rowspan="2" | 149x149px
| rowspan="2" | John Allan<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 18 November 1924
| rowspan="2" | 20 May 1927
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Country
| rowspan="2" | John Allan
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="4" |Lord Somers
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 30
| 145x145px
| Edmond Hogan<br /><br />
| 1927
| 20 May 1927
| 22 November 1928
|
| Labor
| Hogan I
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 31
| 142x142px
| William McPherson<br /><br />
|
| 22 November 1928
| 12 December 1929
|
| Nationalist
| McPherson
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(30)</small>
| 145x145px
| Edmond Hogan<br /><br />
| 1929
| 12 December 1929
| 19 May 1932
|
| Labor
| Hogan II
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="4" style="background:; color:white" | 33
| rowspan="4" | 140x140px
| rowspan="4" | Albert Dunstan<br /><br />
| rowspan="4" | 1937<br />1940<br />1943
| rowspan="4" | 2 April 1935
| rowspan="4" | 14 September 1943
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" | United Country
| rowspan="4" | Dunstan I
| rowspan="4" |
|-
|Edward VIII
|-
| rowspan="9" |George VI
|-
| rowspan="6" |Lord Dugan
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 34
| 135x135px
| John Cain Sr.<br /><br />
|
| 14 September 1943
| 18 September 1943
|
| Labor
| Cain Sr. I
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" | <small>(33)</small>
| 140x140px
| Albert Dunstan<br /><br />
|
| 18 September 1943
| 2 October 1945
|
| United Country
| Dunstan II
|
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | <small>(34)</small>
| 135x135px
| John Cain Sr.<br /><br />
| 1945
| 21 November 1945
| 20 November 1947
|
| Labor
| Cain Sr. II
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |Dallas Brooks
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 37
| rowspan="2" | 143x143px
| rowspan="2" | John McDonald<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 27 June 1950
| rowspan="2" | 28 October 1952
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Country
| rowspan="2" | McDonald I
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="25" |Elizabeth II
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" | <small>(36)</small>
| 126x126px
| Thomas Hollway<br /><br />
|
| 28 October 1952
| 31 October 1952
|
| Electoral Reform
| Hollway II
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 38
| rowspan="2" | 128x128px
| rowspan="2" | Henry Bolte<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1955<br />1958<br />1961<br />1964<br />1967<br />1970
| rowspan="2" | 7 June 1955
| rowspan="2" | 23 August 1972
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Liberal and Country<br />Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Bolte I<br />Bolte II<br />Bolte III<br />Bolte IV<br />Bolte V<br />Bolte VI
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Rohan Delacombe
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 39
| rowspan="2" | 128x128px
| rowspan="2" | Rupert Hamer<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1973<br />1976<br />1979
| rowspan="2" | 23 August 1972
| rowspan="2" | 5 June 1981
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Hamer I<br />Hamer II<br />Hamer III<br />Hamer IV
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Henry Winneke
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 40
| rowspan="2" | 130x130px
| rowspan="2" | Lindsay Thompson<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 5 June 1981
| rowspan="2" | 8 April 1982
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Thompson
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Brian Murray
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | 41
| rowspan="2" | 125x125px
| rowspan="2" | John Cain Jr.<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1982<br />1985<br />1988
| rowspan="2" | 8 April 1982
| rowspan="2" | 10 August 1990
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Labor
| rowspan="2" | Cain Jr.
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Davis McCaughey
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:;" | 42
| rowspan="2" | 154x154px
| rowspan="2" | Joan Kirner<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 10 August 1990
| rowspan="2" | 6 October 1992
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Labor
| rowspan="2" | Kirner
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Richard McGarvie
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 43
| rowspan="2" | 148x148px
| rowspan="2" | Jeff Kennett<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 1992<br />1996
| rowspan="2" | 6 October 1992
| rowspan="2" | 20 October 1999
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Kennett I<br />Kennett II
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |James Gobbo
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" style="background:;" | 44
| rowspan="3" | 141x141px
| rowspan="3" | Steve Bracks<br /><br />
| rowspan="3" | 1999<br />2002<br />2006
| rowspan="3" | 20 October 1999
| rowspan="3" | 30 July 2007
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" | Labor
| rowspan="3" | Bracks I<br />Bracks II<br />Bracks III
| rowspan="3" |
|-
|John Landy
|-
| rowspan="3" |David de Kretser
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 45
| 125x125px
| John Brumby<br /><br />
|
| 30 July 2007
| 2 December 2010
|
| Labor
| Brumby
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white" | 46
| rowspan="2" | 143x143px
| rowspan="2" | Ted Baillieu<br /><br />
| rowspan="2" | 2010
| rowspan="2" | 2 December 2010
| rowspan="2" | 6 March 2013
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Baillieu
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| rowspan="3" |Alex Chernov
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" | 47
| 154x154px
| Denis Napthine<br /><br />
|
| 6 March 2013
| 4 December 2014
|
| Liberal
| Napthine
|
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="4" style="background:;" | 48
| rowspan="4" | 140x140px
| rowspan="4" | Daniel Andrews<br /><br />
| rowspan="4" | 2014<br />2018<br />2022
| rowspan="4" | 4 December 2014
| rowspan="4" | 27 September 2023
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" | Labor
| rowspan="4" | Andrews I<br />Andrews II<br />Andrews III
| rowspan="4" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Linda Dessau
|-
| rowspan="3" |Charles III
|-
| rowspan="2" |Margaret Gardner
|-
! scope="row" style="background:;" | 49
| 140x140px
| Jacinta Allan<br /><br />
|
| 27 September 2023
| Incumbent
|
| Labor
| Allan
|
|}
Timeline
See also
- Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria
- Deputy Premier of Victoria
- List of premiers of Victoria by time in office
- Longest-serving members of the Parliament of Victoria