The Second Whitlam ministry (Labor) was the 48th ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 21st Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. The Second Whitlam ministry succeeded the first Whitlam ministry, which dissolved on 19 December 1972 after the final results of the federal election that took place on 2 December became known and the full ministry was able to be sworn in. The ministry was replaced by the Third Whitlam ministry on 12 June 1974 following the 1974 federal election.
The order of seniority in the second Whitlam ministry was determined by the order in which members were elected to the Ministry by the Caucus on 18 December 1972, except for the four parliamentary leaders, who were elected separately.
As of 5 December 2023, Doug McClelland is the last surviving member of the second Whitlam ministry.
Ministry
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!colspan="2" | Party
! Minister
! Portrait
! Portfolio
|-
| | ||rowspan=27| Labor
| Gough Whitlam <br />
for Werriwa <br />
| 100px
|
- Prime Minister
- Leader of the Labor Party
- Minister for Foreign Affairs <small>(to 6 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Lance Barnard <br />
for Bass <br />
| 100px
|
- Deputy Prime Minister
- Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
- Minister for Defence
- Minister for Supply <small>(to 9 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for the Army <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister for the Navy <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister for Air <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Jim Cairns <br />
for Lalor <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Overseas Trade
- Minister for Secondary Industry <small>(to 9 October 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Bill Hayden <br />
for Oxley <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Social Security
|-
| |
| Frank Crean <br />
for Melbourne Ports <br />
| 100px
|
- Treasurer
|-
| |
| Lionel Murphy <br />
Senator for New South Wales <br />
| 100px
|
- Leader of the Government in the Senate
- Attorney-General
- Minister for Customs and Excise
|-
| |
| Don Willesee <br />
Senator for Western Australia <br />
| 100px
|
- Special Minister of State <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Vice-President of the Executive Council <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister assisting the Prime Minister <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister for Foreign Affairs <small>(from 6 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Doug McClelland <br />
Senator for New South Wales <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for the Media
|-
| |
| Rex Patterson <br />
for Dawson <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Northern Development
- Minister for the Northern Territory <small>(from 19 October 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Reg Bishop <br />
Senator for South Australia <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Repatriation
- Minister assisting the Minister for Defence
|-
| |
| Fred Daly <br />
for Grayndler <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Services and Property
- Leader of the House
|-
| |
| Clyde Cameron <br />
for Hindmarsh <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Labour
|-
| |
| Tom Uren <br />
for Reid <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Urban and Regional Development
|-
| |
| Charles Jones <br />
for Newcastle <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Transport
- Minister for Civil Aviation <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Kim Beazley <br />
for Fremantle <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Education
|-
| |
| Frank Stewart <br />
for Lang <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Tourism and Recreation
- Minister assisting the Treasurer <small>(from 15 February 1973)</small>
- Vice-President of the Executive Council <small>(from 30 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Jim Cavanagh <br />
Senator for South Australia <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Works <small>(to 9 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for Aboriginal Affairs <small>(from 9 October 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Ken Wriedt <br />
Senator for Tasmania <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Primary Industry
|-
| |
| Gordon Bryant <br />
for Wills <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Aboriginal Affairs <small>(to 9 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for the Capital Territory <small>(from 9 October 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Rex Connor <br />
for Cunningham <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Minerals and Energy
|-
| |
| Al Grassby <br />
for Riverina <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Immigration
|-
| |
| Les Johnson <br />
for Hughes <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Housing <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister for Works <small>(from 9 October 1973 to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister for Housing and Construction <small>(from 30 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Kep Enderby <br />
for Australian Capital Territory <br />
for Canberra <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for the Capital Territory <small>(to 9 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for the Northern Territory <small>(to 19 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for Secondary Industry <small>(from 9 October 1973)</small>
- Minister for Supply <small>(from 9 October 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Lionel Bowen <br />
for Kingsford-Smith <br />
| 100px
|
- Postmaster-General
- Special Minister of State <small>(from 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister assisting the Prime Minister <small>(from 30 November 1973)</small>
|-
| |
| Doug Everingham <br />
for Capricornia <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Health
|-
| |
| Moss Cass <br />
for Maribyrnong <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for the Environment and Conservation
|-
| |
| Bill Morrison <br />
for St George <br />
| 100px
|
- Minister for Science
- Minister for External Territories <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
- Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to Papua New Guinea <small>(to 30 November 1973)</small>
|}
See also
- First Whitlam ministry
- Third Whitlam ministry