Western Australian Education Ministers
An Education Ministry was first established in the Forest Government, the first Ministry after Responsible Government was achieved in 1890. Hal Pateshall Colebatch was Minister for Education in 4 separate Governments from 1916 - 1924.
Ministry Name Ministry Title Assumption Retirement of Office Date of Office Date
Forrest (Forrest) Hon. Edward Horne Wittenoom, Minister for Mines & Education 19 Dec 1894 12 May 1897 1890 - 1901 MLC Hon. Henry Bruce Lefroy, MLA Minister for Education 12 May 1897 28 April 1898
Colonial Secretary & Minister for 28 April 1898 15 Feb 1901 Education.
Throssell (Forrest) Hon. George Randell, MLC Colonial Secretary & Minister for 15 Feb 1901 27 May 1901 1901 Education.
No Minister for Education in the Leake (1901), Morgan (1901) & Leake (1901 - 1902) Governments
James (Lib) Hon. Walter Kingsmill, MLC Colonial Secretary & Minister for 01 July 1902 10 Aug 1904 1902 - 1904 Education.
Daglish (ALP) Hon. Henry Daglish, MLA Premier & Colonial Treasurer, 10 Aug 1904 07 June 1905 1904 - 1905 Minister for Education
Hon. Thomas Henry Bath, MLA Minister for Lands & Education 07 June 1905 25 Aug 1905
Rason (Lib) Hon. Walter Kingsmill, MLC Colonial Secretary & Minister for 25 Aug1905 07 May 1906 1905 - 1906 Education
Moore (Min) Hon. Frank Wilson, MLA Colonial Treasure, Minister for 07 May 1906 30 June 1909 1906 - 1909 Agriculture & Education
Hon, John Leighton Nanson, Attorney General & Minister for 30 June 1909 16 Sept 1910 MLA Education
Wilson (Lib) Hon. John Leighton Nanson, Attorney General & Minister for 16 Sept 1910 07 Oct 1911 1910 - 1911 MLA Education
Scaddan (ALP) Hon. Thomas Walker, MLA Attorney General & Minister for 07 Oct 1911 27 July 1916 1911 - 1916 Education
Wilson (Lib) Hon. Hal Pateshall Colebatch, Attorney General & Minister for 27 July 1916 28 June 1917 1916 - 1917 MLC Education
Lefroy (Lib) Hon. Hal Pateshall Colebatch, Attorney General & Minister for 28 June 1917 17 April 1919 1917 - 1919 MLC Education
Colebatch (Nat) Hon. Hal Pateshall Colebatch, Minister for Railways & 17 April 1919 17 May 1919 1919 MLC Education
Mitchell (Nat) Hon. Hal Pateshall Colebatch, Minister for Public Health, 17 May 1919 03 April 1921 1919 - 1924 MLC Education, Agriculture & North West
Minister for Education, North 03 April 1921 17 June 1923 West & Justice
Hon. John Ewing, MLC Minister for Education, North 18 June 1923 15 April 1924 Succeeded Colebatch West & Justice
Collier (ALP) Hon. John Michael Drew, MLC Chief Education, Minister for 16 April 1924 30 April 1927 1924 - 1930 Education, Health & the North West
Chief Secretary & Minister for 30 April 1927 23 April 1930 Education
Mitchell (Nat) Hon. Norbert Keenan, MLA, KC Chief Secretary & Minister for 24 April 1930 21 Sept1931 1930 - 1933 Education
Hon. Thomas Arthur Lewis Attorney General & Minister for 24 Oct 1931 18 Feb 1933 Davy, MLA, KC Education
Hon. Hubert Stanley Wyborn Attorney General & Minister for 22 Feb 1933 24 April 1933 Parker, MLA, DSO Education
Collier (ALP) Hon. John Collings Willcock, Minister for Justice, Railways & 24 April 1933 26 March 1935 1933 - 1936 MLA Education
Hon. Harold Millington, MLA Minister for Water Supplies, 26 Mar 1935 15 July 1936 Education & Police
Hon. Frank Joseph Scott Wise, Minister for Agriculture, 15 July 1936 19 Aug 1936 MLA Education & Police
Willcock (ALP) Hon. Frank Joseph Scott Wise, Minister for Education, 20 Aug 1936 24 March 1937 1936 - 1945 MLA Agriculture & Police
Minister for Agriculture & 24 March 1937 18 April 1939 Education
Hon. William Henry Kitson, MLA Chief Secretary & Minister for 18 April 1939 09 Dec 1943 Education
Hon. John Trezise Tonkin, MLA Minister for Education & Social 09 Dec 1943 31 July 1945 Services
Wise (ALP) Hon. John Trezise Tonkin, MLA Minister for Education & Social 31 July 1945 03 Aug 1945 1945 1947 Services
Minister for Education, 03 August 1945 01 April 1947 Agriculture & Social Services
McLarty (Nat) Hon. Arthur Frederick Watts, Minister for Education, Local 01 April 1947 07 Oct 1949 1947 - 1953 MLA, CMG Government & Industrial Development
Minister for Education, 07 Oct 1949 06 April 1950 Industrial Development & Housing
Last update 19 March 2021
Minister for Education, Child 06 April 1950 23 Feb 1953 Welfare & Industrial Development
Hawke (ALP) Hon. John Trezise Tonkin, MLA Minister for Education, Works, 23 Feb 1953 13 May 1954 1953 - 1959 & Water Supplied
Hon. William Hegney, MLA Minister for Education, Native 13 May 1954 20 April 1956 Welfare & Labour
Minister for Education & Labour 20 April 1956 02 April 1959
Brand (Lib) Hon. Arthur Frederick Watts, Deputy Premier, Minister for 02 April 1959 31 Jan1962 1959 - 1971 MLA, CMG Education & Electricity & Attorney General
Hon. Edgar Henry Mead Lewis, Minister for Education & 01 Feb 1962 11 April 1962 MLA Electricity
Minister for Education & Native 12 April 1962 03 March 1971 Welfare
Tonkin (ALP) Hon. John Trezise Tonkin, MLA Premier & Minister for 03 March 1971 12 Oct1971 1971 - 1974 Education, Environmental Protection & Cultural Affairs
Hon. Thomas Daniel Evans, Minister for Education & 12 Oct 1971 06 July 1972 MLA Attorney General
Minister for Education & 06 July 1972 30 May 1973 Recreation, Attorney General, Assistant to the Treasurer
Hon. John Dolan, MLC Minister for Education, 30 May 1973 08 April 1974 Transport & Railways & Leader of Government Legislative Council
Court (Lib) Hon. Graham Charles Minister for Education, Cultural 08 April 1974 10 March 1977 1974 - 1982 MacKinnon, MLC Affairs & Recreation
Hon. Peter Vernon Jones, MLA Minister for Education, Cultural 10 March 1977 05 March 1980 Affairs & Recreation
Hon. William Leonard Grayden, Minister for Education, Cultural 05 March 1980 25 January MLA Affairs & Recreation 1982
O'Connor (Lib) Hon. Andrew Mensaros, MLA Minister for Works, Water 25 Jan 1982 14 May 1982 1982 - 1983 Resources & Education
Hon. James George Clarko, Minister assisting the Minister in 25 Jan 1982 14 May 1982 MLA (Honorary Minister) the portfolio of Education
Minister for Education 14 May 1982 25 Feb1983
Burke (ALP) Hon. Robert John Pearce, MLA Minister for Education 25 Feb 1983 20 Dec 1984 1983 - 1988 Minister for Education & 20 Dec 1984 26 Feb 1986 Planning
Last update 19 March 2021
Minister for Education & 26 Feb 1986 12 May 1986 Planning & Leader of House in Legislative Assembly
Minister for Education & 12 May 1986 25 July 1986 Planning, Police & Emergency Services & Leader of House in Legislative Assembly
Minister for Education & 25 July 1986 16 March 1987 Planning & Leader of House in Legislative Assembly
Minister for Education & 16 March 1987 25 Feb 1988 Planning, Intergovernmental Regulation & Leader of House in Legislative Assembly
Dowding (ALP) Hon. Carmen Mary Lawrence, Minister for Education 25 Feb 1988 28 Feb 1989 1988 - 1990 MLA Minister for Education & 28 Feb 1989 12 Feb 1990 Aboriginal Affairs
Lawrence (ALP) Hon. Carmen Mary Lawrence, Premier, Minister for Public 12 Feb 1990 19 Feb 1990 1990 - 1993 MLA Sector Management, Women’s Interests, Education, & Aboriginal Affairs
Hon. Geoffrey Ian Gallop, MLA Minister for Education, & 19 Feb 1990 20 Dec 1990 Parliamentary & Electoral Reform
Minister for Education, & 20 Dec 1990 05 Feb 1991 Parliamentary & Electoral Reform & Minister assisting the Treasurer
Hon. Elsie Kay Hallahan, MLC Minister for Education, 05 Feb 1991 07 Sept 1992 Employment & Training, the Arts
Minister for Education, & 07 Sept 1992 16 Feb 1993 Training, the Arts
Court (Lib) Hon. Norman Frederick Moore, Minister for Education, 16 Feb 1993 25 Aug 1993 1993 - 2001 MLC Employment & Training & Assisting Minister for Commerce & Trade
Minister for Education, 25 Aug 1993 10 Feb 1995 Employment & Training & Sport & Recreation & Assisting Minister for Commerce & Trade
Minister for Education, 10 Feb 1995 21 Dec 1995 Employment & Training & Sport & Recreation & Parliamentary & Electoral Affair
Hon. Colin James Barnett, MLA Minister for Resources 21 Dec 1995 16 Feb 2001 Development, Energy, Education & Leader of House in Legislative Assembly
Last update 19 March 2021
Gallop (ALP) Hon. Alan John Carpenter, MLA Minister for Education, Sport & 16 Feb 2001 27 June 2003 2001 - 2006 Recreation, & Indigenous Affairs
Minister for Education & 27 June 2003 10 March 2005 Training
Hon. Ljiljanna Maria Ravlich, Minister for Education & 10 March 2005 25 Jan 2006 MLC Training
Carpenter (ALP) Hon. Ljiljanna Maria Ravlich, Minister for Education & 25 Jan 2006 13 Dec 2006 2006 - 2008 MLC Training
Hon. Mark McGowan, MLA Minister for Education & 13 Dec 2006 26 Feb 2007 Training; South West
Minister for Education & 26 Feb 2007 2 March 2007 Training; South West; the Environment; Climate Change; Disability Services
Minister for Education & 2 March 2007 23 Sept 2008 Training; South West
Barnett (Lib) Hon. Dr Elizabeth Constable, Minister for Education; 23 Sept 2008 13 Jan 2009 2008 - 2013 MLA (Independent) Tourism; Women’s Interests
Minister for Education; Early 13 Jan 2009 28 Apr 2010 Childhood Development; Tourism;
Minister for Education and 28 Apr 2010 14 Dec 2010 Tourism
Minister for Education 14 Dec 2010 29 June 2012
Hon. Peter Charles Collier, MLC Minister for Education; Energy; 29 June 2012 21 March 2013 Indigenous Affairs
Barnett (Lib) Hon. Peter Charles Collier, MLC Minister for Education; 21 March 2013 17 March 2017 2013 - 2017 Aboriginal Affairs; Electoral Affairs
McGowan (ALP) Hon. Suzanne Mary Ellery, Minister for Education and 17 March 2017 13 March 2021 2017 - 2021 MLC Training
McGowan (ALP) Minister for Education and 19 March 2021 2021 Training
Abbreviations ALP Australian Labor Party Govt Government LA Legislative Assembly LC Legislative Council Lib. Liberal Min. Ministeralist MLA Member of the Legislative Assembly
Last update 19 March 2021 MLC Member of the Legislative Council Nat. Nationalist
Sources:
1. The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook/ edited by David Black. 21st Revised Edition, 2005. 2. Western Australian Government Gazette, No 28, (Special) 3 February 2006. 3. Parliament of Western Australia website 2007 - http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au. 4. Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 163, (Special) 23 September 2008. 5. Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 47, (Special), 22 March 2013 6. Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 57, (Special), 5 April 2016 7. Parliament of Western Australia website, Current Members, Ministers & Parl Secretaries 2016 http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/memblist.nsf/WPolOffHold 8. Premier announces re-elected Labor Government Ministry portfolios / Hon Mark McGowan. Media Statement 18 March 2021
Last update 19 March 2021