The Premiers of the Australian states are the heads of the executive governments in the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia. They perform the same functions at the state level as the Prime Minister of Australia performs at the national level. The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

Each of the Australian states is governed under the Westminster system of parliamentary government. Each state has an elected legislature, and the party or coalition of parties which hold a majority of seats in the lower house of the state legislature forms the government, with the head of the government holding the title of Premier. The Premier must resign if his or her party is defeated at a general election, or if he or she loses a vote of confidence in the lower house. (Premiers may also of course resign for other reasons, such as losing the confidence of their own party). The Westminster System - also called Parliamentary System is a democratic system of government modelled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the British parliament. ...

The Australian states were originally founded as British colonies, and executive power was held by a Governor (or sometimes a Lieutenant-Governor) appointed by the British Government (see Governors of the Australian states). From the 1820s the power of the Governors was gradually transferred to legislative bodies, at first appointed, later partly elected, and finally fully elected. Victoria gained full responsible parliamentary government in 1855, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania in 1856, Queensland in 1859 and Western Australia (owing to its much smaller population) in 1890. The Governors of the Australian states are the representatives in the six states of Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governors perform the same constitutional and ceremonial functions in the states as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

In the 19th century the heads of the colonial ministries were commonly called Prime Ministers, since this was the term used in Britain (see Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), although the term Premier was also used. When the six colonies federated in 1901, it was realised that it would be confusing to have seven Prime Ministers in one country, and the term Premier became standardised. This practice may have been influenced by the example of Canada, which became a federation in 1867 and used the title of Premier for the heads of its provincial governments. In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Until the rise of the Australian Labor Party in the 1890s, the Australian colonies did not have formal party systems, although many colonial politicians called themselves Liberals or Conservatives. Ministries were usually formed on the basis of personal or factional loyalties, and rose and fell with great frequency as loyalties changed. Colonial politics were commonly regarded as parochial, corrupt and cynical, and in many cases they were. Victorian Premier James Munro, for example, fled the colony to escape his creditors in 1890, and Queensland Premier Sir Thomas McIlwraith was notoriously corrupt. The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... James Munro James Munro (7 January 1832 – 25 February 1908), Australian colonial politician, was the 15th Premier of Victoria. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG (1835-1900) was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. ...

The rise of Labor forced the colonies to move towards a two-party system of Labor versus non-Labor, although state politics remained more personalised and less ideological than national politics for many years. The first minority Labor government was formed by Anderson Dawson in Queensland in 1899, and the first majority Labor government was led by James McGowen in New South Wales in 1910. Since about 1910 state politics have followed much the same party pattern as Australian national politics (see Politics of Australia). Andrew Dawson (usually known as Anderson Dawson) (1863-1910), was Premier of Australia for one week in 1899, this was the first Labor Party government anywhere in the world. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... James Sinclair Taylor McGowen (Born At Sea August 16, 1855; Died Petersham, April 7, 1922}. Premier of New South Wales October 21, 1910 - June 30, 1913. ... -1... -1... ...

Although the legislative powers of the states are defined in the Constitution, the real power of the Australian Premiers has been declining steadily ever since Federation in 1901, as the power and responsibility of the national government has expanded at the expense of the states. The most important transfer of power came in 1943, when in the interests of national unity during World War II the states gave up their power to levy their own income taxes to the Commonwealth. Since then the states' finances have essentially been controlled by the Commonwealth. 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Combatants Allies: • Soviet Union, • UK & Commonwealth, • USA, • France/Free France, • China, • Poland, • ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Japan, • Italy, • ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II...

The first women premiers of an Australian state were Dr Carmen Lawrence, who became Labor Premier of Western Australia on 12 February 1990, and Joan Kirner, who became Labor Premier of Victoria on 10 August 1990. Both succeeded male Premiers of their own party who had resigned in the face of scandals and/or party divisions, and both were defeated at subsequent elections: no woman has yet been elected as the Premier of an Australian state, though women have been elected to the almost-equivalent post of Chief Minister in both the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Dr Carmen Lawrence Dr Carmen Mary Lawrence (born 2 March 1948), Australian politician, former Premier of Western Australia and the first directly elected Federal President of the Australian Labor Party in 2003. ... John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Joan Kirner Joan Elizabeth Kirner (born 20 June 1938), Australian politician, was the first female Premier of Victoria. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...

Since February 2002 there have been Labor Premiers in each of the six Australian states, a feat Labor had not achieved previously. A similar feat was achieved by the Coalition for a short period in 1969-70. For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Lists of Premiers of the Australian states

• Premiers of New South Wales
• Premiers of Victoria
• Premiers of Queensland
• Premiers of Western Australia
• Premiers of South Australia
• Premiers of Tasmania

Before the 1890s, there was no formal party system in New South Wales. ... List of Premiers of Victoria Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Victoria. ... List of Premiers of Queensland Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Queensland. ... John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. ... This is a list of Premiers of South Australia. ... Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Tasmania. ...

See also

• List of Australian politicians
• Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryTemplate:Surya