Premier of Queensland

The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland.

By convention, the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is appointed by the governor of Queensland.

The incumbent premier is David Crisafulli.

Constitutional role

Under section 43 of the Constitution of Queensland the premier and other members of Cabinet are appointed by the governor. They are collectively responsible to Parliament in accordance with responsible government. The text of the Constitution assigns to the premier certain powers, such as the power to assign roles (s 25) to assistant ministers (formerly known as parliamentary secretaries), and to appoint ministers as acting ministers (s 45) for a period of 14 days.

In practice, under the conventions of the Westminster System followed in Queensland, the premier's power is derived from two sources: command of a majority in the Legislative Assembly, and the premier's role as chair of Cabinet, determining the appointment and roles of ministers. Although ministerial appointments are the prerogative of the governor of Queensland, in normal circumstances the governor will make these appointments on the advice of the premier.

Immediately following an election for the Legislative Assembly, the governor will call on the leader of the party which commands a majority in the Legislative Assembly to become premier and ask them to commission a government. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the premier.

Prior to the existence of political parties within the Leglislative Assembly, to become premier, that member had to be able to command the support of a majority of the individual members of the assembly; this group of members were known informally as Ministerialists, while those who did not support the member who became premier were known informally as Oppositionists (or the Opposition).

Premier's office

The premier has an office in the Executive Annexe of Parliament House, Brisbane, which is normally used while Parliament is sitting. Their main office is located in 1 William Street, a skyscraper across the road from Parliament House. The office faces south-west, with floor to ceilings windows granting an impressive view of the Brisbane and its surrounds.

List of premiers of Queensland

Before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan="2" |

! rowspan="2" | Portrait

! rowspan="2" | Name

! rowspan="2" | Election

! colspan="3" | Term of office

! rowspan="2" | Political party

! rowspan="2" | Constituency

! Took office

! Left office

! Term in office

! style="background:;" | 1

| 166x166px

| Robert Herbert (1831–1905)

| 1860 1863

| 10 December 1859

| 1 February 1866

| Squatter Conservative

| Leichhardt

! style="background:;" | 2

| 130x130px

| Arthur Macalister (1818–1883)

||—

| 1 February 1866

| 20 July 1866

| Independent

| Town of Ipswich

! style="background:;" | (1)

| 166x166px

| Robert Herbert (1831–1905)

||—

| 20 July 1866

| 7 August 1866

| Squatter Conservative

| West Moreton

! style="background:;" | (2)

| 128x128px

| Arthur Macalister (1818–1883)

||—

| 7 August 1866

| 15 August 1867

| Independent

| Town of Ipswich

! style="background:;" | 3

| 141x141px

| Robert Mackenzie (1811–1873)

| 1867

| 15 August 1867

| 25 November 1868

| Squatter Conservative

| Burnett

! style="background:;" | 4

| 149x149px

| Charles Lilley (1827–1897)

| 1868

| 25 November 1868

| 2 May 1870

| Independent

| Hamlet of Fortitude Valley

! style="background:;" | 5

| 118x118px

| Arthur Hunter Palmer (1819–1898)

| 1870 1871

| 3 May 1870

| 7 January 1874

| Squatter Conservative

| Port Curtis

! style="background:;" | (2)

| 128x128px

| Arthur Macalister (1818–1883)

| 1873

| 8 January 1874

| 5 June 1876

| Independent

| Ipswich

! style="background:;" | 6

| 134x134px

| George Thorn (1838–1905)

||—

| 5 June 1876

| 8 March 1877

| Independent

| Ipswich

! style="background:;" | 7

| 116x116px

| John Douglas (1828–1904)

||—

| 8 March 1877

| 21 January 1879

| Independent

| Maryborough

! style="background:;" | 8

| 161x161px

| Sir Thomas McIlwraith (1835–1900)

| 1878

| 21 January 1879

| 13 November 1883

| Conservative

| Mulgrave

! style="background:;" | 9

| 137x137px

| Sir Samuel Griffith (1845–1920)

| 1883

| 13 November 1883

| 13 June 1888

| Liberal

| North Brisbane

! style="background:;" | (8)

| 161x161px

| Sir Thomas McIlwraith (1835–1900)

||—

| 13 June 1888

| 30 November 1888

| Conservative

| Brisbane North

! style="background:;" | 10

| 122x122px

| Boyd Dunlop Morehead (1843–1905)

| 1888

| 30 November 1888

| 12 August 1890

| Conservative

| Balonne

! style="background:;" | (9)

| 137x137px

| Sir Samuel Griffith (1845–1920)

||—

| 12 August 1890

| 27 March 1893

| Liberal

| North Brisbane

! style="background:;" | (8)

| 161x161px

| Sir Thomas McIlwraith (1835–1900)

| 1893

| 27 March 1893

| 27 October 1893

| Conservative

| Brisbane North

! style="background:;" | 11

| 132x132px

| Sir Hugh Nelson (1833–1906)

| 1896

| 27 October 1893

| 13 April 1898

| Ministerial

| Murilla

! style="background:;" | 12

| 142x142px

| Thomas Joseph Byrnes (1860–1898)

||—

| 13 April 1898

| 27 September 1898 (†)

| Ministerial

| Warwick

! style="background:;" | 13

| 141x141px

| James Dickson (1832–1901)

| 1899

| 1 October 1898

| 1 December 1899

| Ministerial

| Bulimba

! style="background:;" | 14

| 143x143px

| Anderson Dawson (1863–1910)

||—

| 1 December 1899

| 7 December 1899

| Labour

| Charters Towers

! style="background:;" | 15

| 132x132px

| Robert Philp (1851–1922)

| 1902

| 7 December 1899

| 17 September 1903

| Ministerial

| Townsville

! style="background:;" | 16

| 144x144px

| Arthur Morgan (1856–1916)

| 1904

| 17 September 1903

| 19 January 1906

| Liberal

| Warwick

! style="background:;" | 17

| rowspan="2" | 126x126px

| rowspan="2" | William Kidston (1849–1919)

| rowspan="2" | 1907

| rowspan="2" | 19 January 1906

| rowspan="2" | 19 November 1907

| rowspan="2" |

| Labor

| rowspan="2" | Rockhampton

! style="background:;" | (17)

| Kidstonite

! style="background:;" | (15)

| 131x131px

| Robert Philp (1851–1922)

||—

| 19 November 1907

| 18 February 1908

| Conservative

| Townsville

! style="background:;" | (17)

| 126x126px

| William Kidston (1849–1919)

| 1908 1909

| 18 February 1908

| 7 February 1911

| Kidston; Liberal

| Rockhampton

! style="background:;" | 18

| 127x127px

| Digby Denham (1859–1944)

| 1912

| 7 February 1911

| 1 June 1915

| Liberal

| Oxley

! style="background:;" | 19

| 140x140px

| T. J. Ryan (1876–1921)

| 1915 1918

| 1 June 1915

| 22 October 1919

| Labor

| Barcoo

! style="background:;" | 20

| 140x140px

| Ted Theodore (1884–1950)

| 1920 1923

| 22 October 1919

| 26 February 1925

| Labor

| Chillagoe

! style="background:;" | 21

| 137x137px

| William Gillies (1868–1928)

||—

| 26 February 1925

| 22 October 1925

| Labor

| Eacham

! style="background:;" | 22

| 134x134px

| William McCormack (1879–1947)

| 1926

| 22 October 1925

| 21 May 1929

| Labor

| Cairns

! style="background:;" | 23

| 146x146px

| Arthur Edward Moore (1876–1963)

| 1929

| 21 May 1929

| 17 June 1932

| CPNP

| Aubigny

! style="background:;" | 24

| 133x133px

| William Forgan Smith (1887–1953)

| 1932 1935 1938 1941

| 17 June 1932

| 16 September 1942

| Labor

| Mackay

! style="background:;" | 25

| 140x140px

| Frank Arthur Cooper (1872–1949)

| 1944

| 16 September 1942

| 7 March 1946

| Labor

| Bremer

! style="background:;" | 26

| 140x140px

| Ned Hanlon (1887–1952)

| 1947 1950

| 7 March 1946

| 15 January 1952 (†)

| Labor

| Ithaca

! style="background:;" | 27

| rowspan="2" | 140x140px

| rowspan="2" | Vince Gair (1901–1980)

| rowspan="2" | 1953 1956

| rowspan="2" | 17 January 1952

| rowspan="2" | 12 August 1957

| rowspan="2" |

| Labor

| rowspan="2" | South Brisbane

! style="background:;" | (27)

| Queensland Labor

! style="background:;" | 28

| 140x140px

| Frank Nicklin (1895–1978)

| 1957 1960 1963 1966

| 12 August 1957

| 17 January 1968

| Country

| Landsborough

! style="background:;" | 29

| 140x140px

| Jack Pizzey (1911–1968)

||—

| 17 January 1968

| 31 July 1968 (†)

| Country

| Isis

! style="background:;" | 30

| 133x133px

| Gordon Chalk (1913–1991)

||—

| 1 August 1968

| 8 August 1968

| Liberal

| Lockyer

! style="background:;" | 31

| 133x133px

| Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen (knighted in 1984) (1911–2005)

| 1969 1972 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986

| 8 August 1968

| 1 December 1987

| Country/National

| Barambah

! style="background:;" | 32

| frameless|111x111px

| Mike Ahern (1942–2023)

||—

| 1 December 1987

| 25 September 1989

| National

| Landsborough

! style="background:;" | 33

| 70px

| Russell Cooper (*1941)

||—

| 25 September 1989

| 7 December 1989

| National

| Roma

! style="background:;" | 34

| 145x145px

| Wayne Goss (1951–2014)

| 1989 1992 1995

| 7 December 1989

| 19 February 1996

| Labor

| Logan

! style="background:;" | 35

| 70px

| Rob Borbidge (*1954)

||—

| 19 February 1996

| 20 June 1998

| National

| Surfers Paradise

! style="background:;" | 36

| 140x140px

| Peter Beattie (*1952)

| 1998 2001 2004 2006

| 20 June 1998

| 13 September 2007

| Labor

| Brisbane Central

! style="background:;" | 37

| 138x138px

| Anna Bligh (*1960)

| 2009

| 13 September 2007

| 26 March 2012

| Labor

| South Brisbane

! style="background:;" | 38

| 134x134px

| Campbell Newman (*1963)

| 2012

| 26 March 2012

| 14 February 2015

| Liberal National

| Ashgrove

! style="background:;" | 39

| 126x126px

| Annastacia Palaszczuk (*1969)

| 2015 2017 2020

| 14 February 2015

| 15 December 2023

| Labor

| Inala

! style="background:;" | 40

| 126x126px

| Steven Miles (*1977)

||—

| 15 December 2023

| 28 October 2024

| Labor

| Murrumba

! style="background:;" | 41

| 100px

| David Crisafulli (*1979)

| 2024

| 28 October 2024

| Incumbent

| Liberal National

| Broadwater

Timelines

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Colors =

id:PRE value:gray(0.8) legend: Independent

id:LAB value:red legend: Labor_Party

id:PCN value:dullyellow legend: Conservative

id:CON value:orange legend: Continuous_Ministry

id:LNP value:blue legend: Liberal-National_Party

id:LIB value:skyblue legend: Liberal/Liberal_Party

id:NAT value:green legend: National/Country_Party

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bar:Herbert

bar:Macalister

bar:Mackenzie

bar:Lilley

bar:Palmer

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bar:Gillies

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bar:Herbert

from: 1859 till: 1866 color:PCN text:

from: 1866 till: 1866 color:PCN text:"Robert Herbert"

bar:Macalister

from: 1866 till: 1866 color:PRE text:

from: 1866 till: 1867 color:PRE text:

from: 1874 till: 1876 color:PRE text:"Arthur Macalister"

bar:Mackenzie

from: 1867 till: 1868 color:PCN text:"Robert Mackenzie"

bar:Lilley

from: 1868 till: 1870 color:PRE text:"Charles Lilley"

bar:Palmer

from: 1870 till: 1874 color:PCN text:"Arthur Hunter Palmer"

bar:Thorn

from: 1876 till: 1877 color:PRE text:"George Thorn"

bar:Douglas

from: 1877 till: 1879 color:PRE text:"John Douglas"

bar:McIlwraith

from: 1879 till: 1883 color:PCN text:

from: 1888 till: 1888 color:CON text:"Thomas McIlwraith"

bar:Griffith

from: 1883 till: 1888 color:LIB text:

from: 1890 till: 1893 color:CON text:"Samuel Griffith"

bar:Morehead

from: 1888 till: 1890 color:PCN text:"Boyd Dunlop Morehead"

bar:Nelson

from: 1893 till: 1898 color:CON text:"Hugh Nelson"

bar:Byrnes

from: 1898 till: 1898 color:CON text:"Thomas Joseph Byrnes"

bar:Dickson

from: 1898 till: 1899 color:CON text:"James Dickson"

bar:Dawson

from: 1899 till: 1899 color:LAB text:"Anderson Dawson"

bar:Philp

from: 1899 till: 1901 color:CON text:

from: 1907 till: 1908 color:PRE text:"Robert Philp"

bar:Morgan

from: 1903 till: 1906 color:PRE text:"Arthur Morgan"

bar:Kidston

from: 1906 till: 1907 color:LAB text:

from: 1908 till: 1911 color:LIB text:"William Kidston"

bar:Denham

from: 1911 till: 1915 color:LIB text:"Digby Denham"

bar:Ryan

from: 1915 till: 1919 color:LAB text:"T. J. Ryan"

bar:Theodore

from: 1919 till: 1925 color:LAB text:"Ted Theodore"

bar:Gillies

from: 1925 till: 1925 color:LAB text:"William Gillies"

bar:McCormack

from: 1925 till: 1929 color:LAB text:"William McCormack"

bar:Moore

from: 1929 till: 1932 color:CPN text:"Arthur Edward Moore"

bar:Smith

from: 1932 till: 1942 color:LAB text:"William Forgan Smith"

bar:Cooper

from: 1942 till: 1946 color:LAB text:"Frank Arthur Cooper"

bar:Hanlon

from: 1946 till: 1952 color:LAB text:"Ned Hanlon"

bar:Gair

from: 1952 till: 1957 color:LAB text:"Vince Gair"

bar:Nicklin

from: 1957 till: 1968 color:NAT text:"Frank Nicklin"

bar:Pizzey

from: 1968 till: 1968 color:NAT text:"Jack Pizzey"

bar:Chalk

from: 1968 till: 1968 color:LIB text:"Gordon Chalk"

bar:Bjelke

from: 1968 till: 1987 color:NAT text:"Joh Bjelke-Petersen"

bar:Ahern

from: 1987 till: 1989 color:NAT text:"Mike Ahern"

bar:Cooper2

from: 1989 till: 1989 color:NAT text:"Russell Cooper"

bar:Goss

from: 1989 till: 1996 color:LAB text:"Wayne Goss"

bar:Borbidge

from: 1996 till: 1998 color:NAT text:"Rob Borbidge"

bar:Beattie

from: 1998 till: 2007 color:LAB text:"Peter Beattie"

bar:Bligh

from: 2007 till: 2012 color:LAB text:"Anna Bligh"

bar:Newman

from: 2012 till: 2015 color:LNP text:"Campbell Newman"

bar:Palaszczuk

from: 2015 till: 2023 color:LAB text:"Annastacia Palaszcuk"

bar:Miles

from: 2023 till: 2024 color:LAB text:"Steven Miles"

bar:Crisafulli

from: 2024 till: 2025 color:LNP text:"David Crisafulli"

</timeline>

Premier of Queensland

Constitutional role

Premier's office

List of premiers of Queensland

Timelines

See also

Notes

References

External links