Premier of New South Wales
In Australia, a
Premier is the head of government of a state. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of the state, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party, or coalition of parties, holds the majority of seats in the lower house of the state parliament (in New South Wales, the Legislative Assembly). However, in times of constitutional crisis the Governor can appoint someone else as Premier. This is exactly what happened in 1932, when Premier Jack Lang refused to co-operate with the Commonwealth. The Governor sacked him, on the grounds that he was acting unconstitutionally, and appointed the opposition leader Bertram Stevens as Premier. Shortly afterwards, Stevens won a landslide election.
Premiers of New South Wales
(Note: prior to the 1890s, formal political parties did not exist in NSW)
- Bob Carr, 1995-present, ALP
- John Fahey, 1992-1995, Liberals
- Nick Greiner, 1988-1992, Liberals
- Barry Unsworth, 1986-1988, ALP
- Neville Wran, 1976-1986, ALP
- Eric Willis, 1976-1976, Liberals
- Tom Lewis, 1975-1976, Liberals
- Robert Askin, 1965-1975, Liberals
- John Renshaw, 1964-1965, ALP
- Robert Heffron, 1959-64, ALP
- John Joseph Cahill, 1952-1959 (died in office), ALP
- James McGirr, 1947-52, ALP
- William McKell, 1941-1947, ALP
- Alexander Mair, 1939-1941, UAP
- Bertram Stevens, 1932-1939, UAP
- Jack Lang, 1930-1932 (again), ALP
- Thomas Bavin, 1927-1930, Nationalist Party
- Jack Lang, 1925-1927, ALP
- George Fuller, 1922-1925 (again), UAP?
- James Dooley, 1921-1922, ALP
- George Fuller, 1921-1921 (7 hours), UAP?
- James Dooley, 1921-1921, ALP
- John Storey, 1920-1921, ALP
- William Holman, 1913-1920, originally ALP, defected to Nationalists in 1916
- Chales Wade, 1907-1910, Liberal Reform
- Joseph Carruthers, 1904-1907, Liberal Reform
- Thomas Waddell, 1904-1904, Protectionist
- John See, 1901-1904, Protectionist
- William Lyne, 1899-1901, Protectionist
- George Houstoun Reid, 1894-1899, Free Trade
- George Dibbs, 1891-1894, Protectionist
- Henry Parkes, 1889-1891, Free Trade
- George Dibbs, 1889-1889
- Henry Parkes, 1887-1889
- Patrick Jennings, 1886-1887
- John Robertson, 1885-1886
- George Dibbs, 1885-1885
- Alexander Stuart, 1883-1885
- Henry Parkes, 1878-1883
- James Squire Farnell, 1877-1878
- John Robertson, 1877-1877
- Henry Parkes, 1877-1877
- John Robertson, 1875-1877
- Henry Parkes, 1872-1875
- James Martin, 1870-1872
- Charles Cowper, 1870-1870
- John Robertson, 1868-1870
- James Martin, 1866-1868
- Charles Cowper, 1865-1866
- James Martin, 1863-1865
- Charles Cowper, 1861-1863
- John Robertson, 1860-1861
- William Forster, 1859-1860
- Charles Cowper, 1857-1859
- Henry W. Parker, 1856-1857
- Charles Cowper, 1856-1856
- Stuart A. Donaldson, 1856-1856 (first premier of NSW)