Premier of Tasmania

Template:Infobox official postThe premier of Tasmania is the head of government of the Australian state of Tasmania. The premier is the leader of the cabinet of Tasmania, and nominates its ministers for appointment by the governor. The premier is appointed by the governor based on the premier's ability to command confidence within the House of Assembly. To this end, the governor usually appoints the leader of the party or coalition that controls a majority of seats in the House of Assembly. However, due to Tasmania's electoral system and tendency to elect minority governments, the governor can appoint a premier on the expectation that confidence is tested in parliament. Since 8 April 2022, the premier of Tasmania has been Jeremy Rockliff, leader of the Liberal Party, which holds 14 of the 35 seats in the House of Assembly. Due to Rockliff not holding a majority since 2023, he has had to negotiate with crossbenchers to form a government. Since the 2024 state election, he has been supported intermittently by the Jacqui Lambie Network, the Greens, the SFF and various independents, including David O'Byrne whom Rockliff offered a ministerial position to. The current cabinet Rockliff leads is the third Rockliff ministry.

The premier of Tasmania is the lowest-paid Australian premier, and the second-lowest paid head of government nationwide. Incumbent premier Jeremy Rockliff turned down a 22% pay rise in 2025.

List of premiers of Tasmania

Before the 1890s, there was no formal party system in Tasmania. Party labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. The current convention of appointing the premier from the House of Assembly did not develop until the late 19th century, with eight premiers appointed from the Legislative Council (the last being Philip Fysh from 1887 to 1892). Template:Politics of Tasmania

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral division (Birth–death)	Election	Term of office			Political party	Monarch
				Term start	Term end	Time in office
1	File:William-Champ-1856.jpg	William Champ MHA for Launceston (1808–1892)	1856	1 November 1856	26 February 1857	Template:Ayd	Independent	Victoria (1837–1901) Governor: Sir Henry Young (1855–1861) Sir Thomas Browne (1862–1868) Sir Charles Du Cane (1869–1874) Sir Frederick Weld (1875–1880) Sir John Henry Lefroy (1880–1881) Sir George Strahan (1881–1886) Sir Robert Hamilton (1887–1892) The Viscount Gormanston (1893–1900)
2	File:Thomas Gregson.jpg	Thomas Gregson MHA for Richmond (1796–1874)	—	26 February 1857	25 April 1857	Template:Ayd	Independent
3	File:William Weston Premier.jpg	William Weston MHA for Ringwood (1804–1888)	—	25 April 1857	12 May 1857	Template:Ayd	Independent
4	File:Sir Francis Smith.jpg	Francis Smith MHA for Fingal (1819–1909)	—	12 May 1857	1 November 1860	Template:Ayd	Independent
(3)	File:William Weston Premier.jpg	William Weston MLC for Longford (1804–1888)	—	1 November 1860	2 August 1861	Template:Ayd	Independent
5	File:Thomas Chapman.jpg	Thomas Chapman MHA for Queensborough (until 1862) MHA for Campbell Town (from 1862) (1815–1884)	1861	2 August 1861	20 January 1863	Template:Ayd	Independent
6	File:James Whyte.jpg	James Whyte MLC for Pembroke (1820–1882)	1862	20 January 1863	24 November 1866	Template:Ayd	Independent
7	File:Sir Richard Dry.jpg	Sir Richard Dry MLC for Tamar (1815–1869)	1866	24 November 1866	1 August 1869 (†)	Template:Ayd	Independent
8	File:James Milne Wilson.jpg	James Milne Wilson MLC for Hobart (1812–1880)	—	4 August 1869	4 November 1872	Template:Ayd	Independent
			1871
9	File:Frederick Innes.jpg	Frederick Innes MHA for Selby (1816–1882)	1872	4 November 1872	4 August 1873	Template:Ayd	Independent
10	File:Alfred Kennerley.jpg	Alfred Kennerley MLC for Hobart (1810–1897)	—	4 August 1873	20 July 1876	Template:Ayd	Independent
11	File:Thomas Reiby.jpg	Thomas Reibey MHA for Westbury (1821–1912)	—	20 July 1876	9 August 1877	Template:Ayd	Independent
12	File:Philip Fysh 1898.jpg	Philip Fysh MHA for East Hobart (1835–1919)	1877	9 August 1877	5 March 1878	Template:Ayd	Independent
13	File:WRGiblinsmall.jpg	William Giblin MHA for Wellington (1840–1887)	—	5 March 1878	20 December 1878	Template:Ayd	Independent
14	File:William Crowther.jpg	William Crowther MHA for Queensborough (1817–1885)	—	20 December 1878	30 October 1879	Template:Ayd	Independent
(13)	File:WRGiblinsmall.jpg	William Giblin MHA for Wellington (1840–1887)	—	30 October 1879	15 August 1884	Template:Ayd	Independent
			1882
15	File:AdyeDouglas.jpg	Adye Douglas MLC for South Esk (1815–1906)	—	15 August 1884	8 March 1886	Template:Ayd	Independent
16	File:James Agnew.jpg	James Agnew MLC for Macquarie (1815–1901)	—	8 March 1886	29 March 1887	Template:Ayd	Independent
			1886
(12)	File:Philip Fysh 1898.jpg	Philip Fysh MLC for Buckingham (1835–1919)	—	29 March 1887	27 August 1892	Template:Ayd	Protectionist
			1891
17	File:Henry Dobson (1898).jpg	Henry Dobson MHA for Brighton (1841–1918)	—	27 August 1892	14 April 1894	Template:Ayd	Free Trade
			1893
18	File:Edwardbraddon.jpg	Sir Edward Braddon MHA for West Devon (1829–1904)	—	14 April 1894	12 October 1899	Template:Ayd	Free Trade
			1897
19	File:N.E. Lewis (1898).jpg	Sir Elliott Lewis MHA for Richmond (1858–1935)	—	12 October 1899	9 April 1903	Template:Ayd	Free Trade
			1900
								Edward VII (1901–1910) Governor: Sir Arthur Havelock (1901–1904) Sir Gerald Strickland (1904–1909) Sir Harry Barron (from 1909)
20	File:William Propsting.jpg	William Propsting MHA for North Hobart (1861–1937)	1903	9 April 1903	12 July 1904	Template:Ayd	Protectionist
21	File:Sir John William Evans.jpg	John Evans MHA for Kingborough (until 1909) MHA for Franklin (from 1909) (1855–1943)	—	12 July 1904	19 June 1909	Template:Ayd	Anti-Socialist
			1906
			1909
(19)	File:N.E. Lewis (1898).jpg	Sir Elliott Lewis MHA for Denison (1858–1935)	—	19 June 1909	20 October 1909	Template:Ayd	Liberal League
22	File:John Earle (Australian politician).jpg	John Earle MHA for Franklin (1865–1932)	—	20 October 1909	27 October 1909	Template:Ayd	Labor
(19)	File:N.E. Lewis (1898).jpg	Sir Elliott Lewis MHA for Denison (1858–1935)	—	27 October 1909	14 June 1912	Template:Ayd	Liberal League
								George V (1910–1936) Governor: Sir Harry Barron (until 1913) Sir William Ellison-Macartney (1913–1917) Sir Francis Newdegate (1917–1920) Sir William Allardyce (1920–1922) Sir James O'Grady (1924–1930) Sir Ernest Clark (from 1933)
			1912
23	File:Albert Edgar Solomon.jpg	Albert Solomon MHA for Bass (1876–1914)	—	14 June 1912	6 April 1914	Template:Ayd	Liberal League
			1913
(22)	File:John Earle (Australian politician).jpg	John Earle MHA for Franklin (1865–1932)	—	6 April 1914	15 April 1916	Template:Ayd	Labor
24	File:Sir Walter Lee.jpg	Sir Walter Lee MHA for Wilmot (1874–1963)	1916	15 April 1916	12 August 1922	Template:Ayd	Liberal League (until 1917)
							Nationalist
			1919
			1922
25	File:John Blyth Hayes.jpg	John Hayes MHA for Bass (1868–1956)	—	12 August 1922	14 August 1923	Template:Ayd	Nationalist
(24)	File:Sir Walter Lee.jpg	Sir Walter Lee MHA for Wilmot (1874–1963)	—	14 August 1923	25 October 1923	Template:Ayd	Nationalist
26	File:Joseph Lyons.jpg	Joseph Lyons MHA for Wilmot (1879–1939)	—	25 October 1923	15 June 1928	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1925
27	File:Sir John McPhee.jpg	John McPhee MHA for Denison (1878–1952)	1928	15 June 1928	15 March 1934	Template:Ayd	Nationalist
			1931
(24)	File:Sir Walter Lee.jpg	Sir Walter Lee MHA for Wilmot (1874–1963)	—	15 March 1934	22 June 1934	Template:Ayd	Nationalist
28	File:Albert Ogilvie.jpg	Albert Ogilvie MHA for Franklin (1890–1939)	1934	22 June 1934	10 June 1939 (†)	Template:Ayd	Labor
								Edward VIII (1936) Governor: Sir Ernest Clark
								George VI (1936–1952) Governor: Sir Ernest Clark (until 1945) Sir Hugh Binney (1945–1951) Sir Ronald Cross (from 1951)
			1937
29	File:Edmund Dwyer Gray TasGovPhoto.jpg	Edmund Dwyer-Gray MHA for Denison (1870–1945)	—	11 June 1939	18 December 1939	Template:Ayd	Labor
30	File:Robert Cosgrove.jpg	Robert Cosgrove MHA for Denison (1884–1969)	—	18 December 1939	18 December 1947	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1941
			1946
31	File:Edward Brooker.jpg	Edward Brooker MHA for Franklin (1891–1948)	—	18 December 1947	25 February 1948	Template:Ayd	Labor
(30)	File:Robert Cosgrove.jpg	Robert Cosgrove MHA for Denison (1884–1969)	—	25 February 1948	26 August 1958	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1948
			1950
								Elizabeth II (1952–2022) Governor: Sir Ronald Cross (until 1958) The Lord Rowallan (1959–1963) Sir Charles Gairdner (1963–1968) Sir Edric Bastyan (1968–1973) Sir Stanley Burbury (1973–1982) Sir James Plimsoll (1982–1987) Sir Phillip Bennett (1987–1995) Sir Guy Green (1995–2003) Richard Butler (2003–2004) William Cox (2004–2008) Peter Underwood (2008–2014) Kate Warner (2014–2021) Barbara Baker (from 2021)
			1955
			1956
32	File:Eric Reece 1973 (cropped).jpg	Eric Reece MHA for Braddon (1909–1999)	—	26 August 1958	26 May 1969	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1959
			1964
33	File:Angus Bethune 1971.jpg	Angus Bethune MHA for Wilmot (1908–2004)	1969	26 May 1969	3 May 1972	Template:Ayd	Liberal
(32)	File:Eric Reece 1973 (cropped).jpg	Eric Reece MHA for Braddon (1909–1999)	1972	3 May 1972	31 March 1975	Template:Ayd	Labor
34	File:Bill Neilson 1975 (cropped).jpg	Bill Neilson MHA for Franklin (1925–1989)	—	31 March 1975	1 December 1977	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1976
35	File:Doug Lowe premier.jpg	Doug Lowe MHA for Franklin (born 1942)	—	1 December 1977	11 November 1981	Template:Ayd	Labor
			1979
36		Harry Holgate MHA for Bass (1933–1997)		11 November 1981	26 May 1982	Template:Ayd	Labor
37	File:Robin Gray 1975.jpg	Robin Gray MHA for Wilmot (until 1984) MHA for Lyons (from 1984) (born 1940)	1982	26 May 1982	29 June 1989	Template:Ayd	Liberal
			1986
38		Michael Field MHA for Braddon (born 1948)	1989	29 June 1989	17 February 1992	Template:Ayd	Labor
39		Ray Groom MHA for Denison (born 1944)	1992	17 February 1992	18 March 1996	Template:Ayd	Liberal
			1996
40		Tony Rundle MHA for Braddon (1939–2025)	—	18 March 1996	14 September 1998	Template:Ayd	Liberal
41		Jim Bacon MHA for Denison (1950–2004)	1998	14 September 1998	21 March 2004	Template:Ayd	Labor
			2002
42		Paul Lennon MHA for Franklin (born 1955)	—	21 March 2004	26 May 2008	Template:Ayd	Labor
			2006
43	File:DavidBartlettW1.JPG	David Bartlett MHA for Denison (born 1968)	—	26 May 2008	24 January 2011	Template:Ayd	Labor
			2010
44	File:Lara Giddings.jpg	Lara Giddings MHA for Franklin (born 1972)	—	24 January 2011	31 March 2014	Template:Ayd	Labor
45	File:Will Hodgman apples cropped.jpg	Will Hodgman MHA for Franklin (born 1969)	2014	31 March 2014	20 January 2020	Template:Ayd	Liberal
			2018
46	File:Peter Gutwein.jpg	Peter Gutwein MHA for Bass (born 1964)	—	20 January 2020	8 April 2022	Template:Ayd	Liberal
			2021
47	File:Jeremy-Rockliff.jpg	Jeremy Rockliff MHA for Braddon (born 1970)	—	8 April 2022	Incumbent	Template:Age in years and days	Liberal
			2024					Charles III (2022–present) Governor: Barbara Baker
			2025

See also

• List of premiers of Tasmania by time in office
• Leader of the Opposition (Tasmania)
• Governors of Tasmania

External links

• PREMIERS OF TASMANIA Parliament of Tasmania