Premier of Victoria

The premier of Victoria is the head of government in the Australian state of Victoria. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

Premier of Victoria
Victorian Coat of arms
Flag of Victoria
Incumbent Daniel Andrews since 4 December 2014
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable (formal) Premier (informal)
Status	Head of Government
Member of	Parliament National Cabinet Cabinet Executive Council
Reports to	Parliament
Seat	1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
Appointer	Governor of Victoria by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly
Term length	At the Governor's pleasure contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament
Constituting instrument	None (constitutional convention)
Formation	30 November 1855
First holder	William Haines
Deputy	Deputy Premier of Victoria
Salary	AU$464,918 (from 1 July 2022)^[1]
Website	www.premier.vic.gov.au

Responsible government came to the colony of Victoria in 1855. Between 1856 and 1892, the head of the government was commonly called the premier or the prime minister, but neither title had any legal basis. The head of government always held another portfolio, usually Chief Secretary or Treasurer, for which they were paid a salary. The first head of government to hold the title of premier without holding another portfolio was William Shiels in 1892.

Premiers of Victoria who have served for more than 3,000 days have a statue installed at Treasury Place. Four Victorian premiers have been afforded this honour: Albert Dunstan, Henry Bolte, Rupert Hamer and John Cain Junior.^[2][3][4]

Every Premier of Victoria since 1933 (with the exception of Ian MacFarlan, who was Premier for 51 days) has a portrait of them displayed at Queens Hall in Parliament House. The idea of creating a portrait gallery for former Premiers of Victoria was initiated by the Hon. Fred Grimwade, the President of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1979-1985. Prior to 2001, the portraits were originally displayed in the corridor leading to the Members Dining Room, leading to the corridor being known as the "Premiers’ Corridor".^[5]

The incumbent premier of Victoria since the 2014 election is Daniel Andrews of the Australian Labor Party.

List of premiers of Victoria

Political parties

  Independent

  Reform

  Commonwealth Liberal

  Labor

  Nationalist

  Country

  United Australia

  Liberal

No.	Portrait	Premier	Election	Term of office			Political party	Constituency	Ministry
				Took office	Left office	Time in office^[6]
1		William Haines	1856	30 November 1855	11 March 1857	1 year, 102 days	Independent	South Grant	Haines I
2		John O'Shanassy	—	11 March 1857	29 April 1857	50 days	Independent	Kilmore	O'Shanassy I
(1)		William Haines	—	29 April 1857	10 March 1858	316 days	Independent	South Grant	Haines II
(2)		John O'Shanassy	—	10 March 1858	27 October 1859	1 year, 232 days	Independent	Kilmore	O'Shanassy II
3		William Nicholson	1859	27 October 1859	26 November 1860	1 year, 31 days	Independent	Sandridge	Nicholson
4		Richard Heales	1861	26 November 1860	14 November 1861	354 days	Independent	East Bourke Boroughs	Heales
(2)		John O'Shanassy	—	14 November 1861	27 June 1863	1 year, 226 days	Independent	Kilmore	O'Shanassy III
5		James McCulloch	1864 1866 1868	27 June 1863	6 May 1868	4 years, 315 days	Independent	Mornington	McCulloch I
6		Charles Sladen	—	6 May 1868	11 July 1868	67 days	Independent	Western Province	Sladen
(5)		James McCulloch	—	11 July 1868	20 September 1869	1 year, 72 days	Independent	Mornington	McCulloch II
7		John Alexander MacPherson	—	20 September 1869	9 April 1870	202 days	Independent	Dundas	MacPherson
(5)		James McCulloch	1871	9 April 1870	19 June 1871	1 year, 72 days	Independent	Mornington	McCulloch III
8		Charles Gavan Duffy	—	19 June 1871	10 June 1872	358 days	Independent	Dalhousie	Duffy
9		James Francis	1874	10 June 1872	31 July 1874	2 years, 52 days	Independent	Richmond	Francis
10		George Kerferd	—	31 July 1874	7 August 1875	1 year, 8 days	Independent	Ovens	Kerferd
11		Graham Berry	—	7 August 1875	20 October 1875	75 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Geelong West	Berry I
(5)		James McCulloch	—	20 October 1875	21 May 1877	1 year, 214 days	Non-Party Conservatism	Warrnambool	McCulloch IV
(11)		Graham Berry	1877 Feb. 1880	21 May 1877	5 March 1880	2 years, 290 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Geelong	Berry II
12		James Service	Feb. 1880	5 March 1880	3 August 1880	152 days	Non-Party Conservatism	Maldon	Service I
(11)		Graham Berry	Jul. 1880	3 August 1880	9 July 1881	341 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Geelong	Berry III
13		Bryan O'Loghlen	—	9 July 1881	8 March 1883	1 year, 243 days	Non-Party Liberalism	West Bourke	O'Loghlen
(12)		James Service	1883	8 March 1883	18 February 1886	2 years, 348 days	Non-Party Conservatism	Castlemaine	Service II
14		Duncan Gillies	1886 1889	18 February 1886	5 November 1890	4 years, 261 days	Non-Party Conservatism	Rodney Eastern Suburbs	Gillies
15		James Munro	—	5 November 1890	16 February 1892	1 year, 104 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Geelong	Munro
16		William Shiels	1892	16 February 1892	23 January 1893	343 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Normanby	Shiels
17		James Patterson	—	23 January 1893	27 September 1894	1 year, 248 days	Non-Party Conservatism	Castlemaine	Patterson
18		George Turner	1894 1897	27 September 1894	5 December 1899	5 years, 70 days	Non-Party Liberalism	St Kilda	Turner I
19		Allan McLean	—	5 December 1899	19 November 1900	350 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Gippsland North	McLean
(18)		George Turner	1900	19 November 1900	12 February 1901	86 days	Non-Party Liberalism	St Kilda	Turner II
20		Alexander Peacock	—	12 February 1901	10 June 1902	1 year, 119 days	Non-Party Liberalism	Clunes and Allandale	Peacock I
21		William Irvine	1902	10 June 1902	16 February 1904	1 year, 252 days	Reform	Lowan	Irvine
22		Thomas Bent	1904 1907 1908	16 February 1904	8 January 1909	4 years, 328 days	Reform	Brighton	Bent
23		John Murray	1911	8 January 1909	18 May 1912	3 years, 132 days	Commonwealth Liberal	Warrnambool	Murray
24		William Watt	—	18 May 1912	9 December 1913	1 year, 206 days	Commonwealth Liberal	Essendon	Watt I
25		George Elmslie	—	9 December 1913	22 December 1913	14 days	Labor	Albert Park	Elmslie
(24)		William Watt	—	22 December 1913	18 June 1914	179 days	Commonwealth Liberal	Essendon	Watt II
(20)		Alexander Peacock	1914	18 June 1914	29 November 1917	3 years, 165 days	Commonwealth Liberal	Allandale	Peacock II
26		John Bowser	1917	29 November 1917	21 March 1918	144 days	Nationalist	Wangaratta	Bowser
27		Harry Lawson	1920 1921	21 March 1918	28 April 1924	6 years, 39 days	Nationalist	Castlemaine and Maldon	Lawson I Lawson II Lawson III
(20)		Alexander Peacock	—	28 April 1924	18 July 1924	82 days	Nationalist	Allandale	Peacock III
28		George Prendergast	1924	18 July 1924	18 November 1924	124 days	Labor	North Melbourne	Prendergast
29		John Allan	—	18 November 1924	20 May 1927	2 years, 184 days	Country	Rodney	Allan
30		Edmond Hogan	1927	20 May 1927	22 November 1928	1 year, 187 days	Labor	Warrenheip and Grenville	Hogan I
31		William McPherson	—	22 November 1928	12 December 1929	1 year, 21 days	Nationalist	Hawthorn	McPherson
(30)		Edmond Hogan	1929	12 December 1929	19 May 1932	2 years, 160 days	Labor	Warrenheip and Grenville	Hogan II
32		Stanley Argyle	1932 1935	19 May 1932	2 April 1935	2 years, 319 days	United Australia	Toorak	Argyle I Argyle II
33		Albert Dunstan	1937 1940 1943	2 April 1935	14 September 1943	8 years, 166 days	United Country	Korong and Eaglehawk	Dunstan I
34		John Cain Sr.	—	14 September 1943	18 September 1943	5 days	Labor	Northcote	Cain I
(33)		Albert Dunstan	—	18 September 1943	2 October 1945	2 years, 15 days	United Country	Korong and Eaglehawk	Dunstan II
35		Ian Macfarlan	—	2 October 1945	21 November 1945	51 days	Liberal	Brighton	Macfarlan
(34)		John Cain Sr.	1945	21 November 1945	20 November 1947	2 years, 0 days	Labor	Northcote	Cain II
36		Thomas Hollway	1947 1950	20 November 1947	27 June 1950	2 years, 220 days	Liberal Liberal and Country	Ballarat	Hollway I Hollway II
37		John McDonald	—	27 June 1950	28 October 1952	2 years, 124 days	Country	Shepparton	McDonald I
(36)		Thomas Hollway	—	28 October 1952	31 October 1952	4 days	Electoral Reform	Ballarat	Hollway III
(37)		John McDonald	—	31 October 1952	17 December 1952	48 days	Country	Shepparton	McDonald II
(34)		John Cain Sr.	1952	17 December 1952	7 June 1955	2 years, 173 days	Labor	Northcote	Cain III
38		Henry Bolte	1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970	7 June 1955	23 August 1972	17 years, 78 days	Liberal and Country Liberal	Hampden	Bolte I Bolte II Bolte III Bolte IV Bolte V Bolte VI
39		Rupert Hamer	1973 1976 1979	23 August 1972	5 June 1981	8 years, 287 days	Liberal	Kew	Hamer I Hamer II Hamer III Hamer IV
40		Lindsay Thompson	—	5 June 1981	8 April 1982	308 days	Liberal	Malvern	Thompson
41		John Cain Jr.	1982 1985 1988	8 April 1982	10 August 1990	8 years, 125 days	Labor	Bundoora	Cain
42		Joan Kirner	—	10 August 1990	6 October 1992	2 years, 58 days	Labor	Williamstown	Kirner
43		Jeff Kennett	1992 1996	6 October 1992	20 October 1999	7 years, 15 days	Liberal	Burwood	Kennett I Kennett II
44		Steve Bracks	1999 2002 2006	20 October 1999	30 July 2007	7 years, 284 days	Labor	Williamstown	Bracks I Bracks II Bracks III
45		John Brumby	—	30 July 2007	2 December 2010	3 years, 126 days	Labor	Broadmeadows	Brumby
46		Ted Baillieu	2010	2 December 2010	6 March 2013	2 years, 95 days	Liberal	Hawthorn	Baillieu
47		Denis Napthine	—	6 March 2013	4 December 2014	1 year, 274 days	Liberal	South-West Coast	Napthine
48		Daniel Andrews	2014 2018 2022	4 December 2014	Incumbent	8 years, 127 days	Labor	Mulgrave	Andrews I Andrews II Andrews III

Timeline

See also

• Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria
• Deputy Premier of Victoria
• List of premiers of Victoria by time in office

References

1. Ilanbey, Sumeyya (26 June 2022). "Pay rise cements Andrews' position as highest-paid state leader". The Age. Fairfax Media. from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
2. Sakkal, Paul (26 June 2021). "New challenges, new risks for returning Andrews". The Age. Fairfax Media. from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
3. "Hard hat? Check: Hi-vis? Check: Dan Andrews is back and combative as ever". The Age. Fairfax Media. 28 June 2021. from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
4. Money, Lawrence (30 May 2012). "Navigating through politics and beyond". The Age. Fairfax Media. from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
5. . Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
6. "Parliament of Victoria - Premier of Victoria". www.parliament.vic.gov.au. from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Premiers of Victoria, Australia.

• ABC News – Premiers of Victoria