The Minister for Jobs and Tourism is a minister in the Government of New South Wales with responsibilities for tourism in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Tourism has often been combined with other portfolio responsibilities, most commonly Sport.
The Minister in Charge of Tourist Activities and Immigration was a ministry in the government of New South Wales, responsible for promoting New South Wales as a place to visit and encouraging migration through its offices in London, and for the management of government-owned resorts. It was created in 1946 and abolished in 1950.
Role and responsibilities
A government agency responsible for tourism and immigration was first created in 1905, the Intelligence Department, whose duties were "designed to make the attractions and possibilities of the State better known at home and a abroad, and to promote settlement on the land and to encourage immigration". It was renamed the Immigration and Tourist Bureau in 1908. In 1919 the bureau was divided into two separate agencies, with immigration becoming the responsibility of the Minister for Labour and Industry while the Tourist Bureau was the responsibility of the Chief Secretary. In 1938 Management of the Tourist Bureau was transferred to the Department of Railways. The responsibilities of the Tourist Bureau were managing the tourist resorts at Jenolan Caves, Jenolan Caves House, Abercrombie Caves, Yarrangobilly Caves, Wombeyan Caves and Hotel Kosciusko. The also conducted tours and published promotional material on NSW tourist attractions.
The elevation of tourist activities to a ministerial level was controversial. The Premier William McKell stated that there was a need for a Minister to devote himself to these matters and that "It is becoming increasingly, recognised, not only here but throughout the world, that we have much to offer the tourist, but to take full advantage of our opportunities we must take active steps to organise the trade and provide the facilities required". The Sydney Morning Herald criticised the unnecessary cost of the portfolio, stating there was no justification for the new office as immigration was a commonwealth matter and the political sphere was the worst way to develop tourist activities.
The portfolio was abolished in the third McGirr ministry, with a new portfolio of immigration, while tourism ceased to be represented at a ministerial level until the fourth Cahill ministry in 1959.
List of ministers Jobs Minister for Employment was a title which existed beside Industrial Relations in the Wran and Unsworth ministries. Employment continued at a portfolio as part of composite portfolios until the Third Fahey ministry in 1995 when it was merged into the Industrial relations portfolio.
The portfolio was responsible for developing and managing job creation programs, to advise the government on the employment impacts of its policies and to analyse the labour market with particular interest in the effects of structural change and constraints in employment growth. Employment had not previously been represented in a portfolio.
The following individuals have served as Minister where Employment was one of the responsibilities in the portfolio: Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for Employment
Wran (6) 10 February 1984 5 April 1984
Wran (7) (8) 5 April 1984 4 July 1986
Minister for EmploymentMinister for Industrial Relations Unsworth 4 July 1986 21 March 1988
Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment
Greiner (1) 25 March 1988 24 July 1990
Minister for Further Education, Training and EmploymentMinister for Industrial Relations Greiner (1) (2)Fahey (1) 24 July 1990 3 July 1992 Minister for Employment and Training Fahey (2) 3 July 1992 26 May 1993
Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment Fahey (3) 26 May 1993 4 April 1995
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney
Berejiklian 2 April 2019 21 December 2021
Minister for Jobs and Tourism
Minns 6 April 2023 17 March 2025
17 March 2025 Incumbent
Tourism The following individuals have served as minister where tourism was one of the responsibilities in the portfolio: Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister in Charge of Tourist Activities and Immigration
McKell (2) 9 May 1946 6 February 1947
McGirr (1) (2) 6 February 1947 9 March 1948
McGirr (2) 9 March 1948 21 September 1949
21 September 1949 30 June 1950
Minister for Tourist Activities
Cahill (4)Heffron (1) (2)Renshaw 1 April 1959 13 May 1965
Askin (1) 13 May 1965 5 March 1968
Minister for Tourism Askin (2) (3) (4) 5 March 1968 11 March 1971 Minister for Tourism and Sport Askin (4) 11 March 1971 19 June 1972 Minister for Tourism Askin (4) (5) (6) 19 June 1972 3 January 1975
Lewis (1) 3 January 1975 16 December 1975
Lewis (2) 17 December 1975 23 January 1976
Willis 23 January 1976 14 May 1976
Wran (1) (2) (3) 14 May 1976 2 October 1981
Wran (4) 2 October 1981 26 May 1982
Minister for Leisure, Sport and Tourism Wran (4) (5) 26 May 1982 10 February 1984 Minister for Tourism Wran (6) (7) (8)Unsworth 10 February 1984 25 March 1988
Greiner (1) 25 March 1988 6 June 1991
Greiner (2) 6 June 1991 24 June 1992
Fahey (1) 24 June 1992 3 July 1992
Fahey (2) 3 July 1992 26 May 1993
Fahey (3) 26 May 1993 4 April 1995
Carr (1) 4 April 1995 1 December 1997
Carr (2) 1 December 1997 8 April 1999
Carr (3) 8 April 1999 2 April 2003
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation Carr (4)Iemma (1) 2 April 2003 2 April 2007 Minister for Tourism Iemma (2) 2 April 2007 5 September 2008
ReesKeneally 8 September 2008 28 March 2011
Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing
O'Farrell 4 April 2011 23 April 2014
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Baird (1) 23 April 2014 17 October 2014
17 October 2014 2 April 2015
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events
Baird (2) 2 April 2015 30 January 2017
Minister for Tourism and Major Events
Berejiklian (1) 30 January 2017 23 March 2019
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney
Berejiklian (2)Perrottet (1) 2 April 2019 21 December 2021
Minister for Tourism and Sport Perrottet (2) 21 December 2021 3 August 2022 Minister for Tourism 5 August 2022 28 March 2023 Minister for the Arts Minns 28 March 2023 6 April 2023 Minister for Jobs and Tourism 6 April 2023 17 March 2025 17 March 2025 Incumbent
Former ministerial titles Major events The Minister for Major Events was a ministry first established in 2010 in the Keneally ministry and combined with Tourism and Gaming and Racing in the O'Farrell ministry. Major Events was abolished as a portfolio title in the second Berejiklian ministry.
The first minister with specific responsibility for a major event was Michael Knight as the Minister for Olympics, following the success of the Sydney bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. The minister concurrently held the portfolios of Public Works and Services and Roads and was closely linked to the provisions of buildings and infrastructure for the event.
The portfolio of Major Events was not responsible for a department, nor any legislation, with the Major Events Act 2009 remaining the responsibility of the Premier. The first minister, Ian Macdonald, also held the portfolios of State and Regional Development, Mineral and Forest Resources, and Central Coast. In 2011 the portfolio was absorbed by the new portfolio of Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing and remained a named part of portfolios until 2019 when it became part of the portfolio of Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney.
The following individuals have served as minister before major events was combined with tourism: Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for the Olympics Carr (1) 4 April 1995 12 January 2001 Minister for Major Events Keneally 11 March 2010 5 June 2010 5 June 2010 28 March 2011 Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing
O'Farrell 4 April 2011 23 April 2014
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Baird (1) 23 April 2014 17 October 2014
17 October 2014 2 April 2015
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events
Baird (2) 2 April 2015 30 January 2017
Minister for Tourism and Major Events
Berejiklian (1) 30 January 2017 23 March 2019
Assistant ministers
See also
List of New South Wales government agencies Minister for Tourism (Australia) Minister for Tourism (Victoria) Minister for Tourism (Western Australia)
Notes
References