The table shows every Premier of Western Australia since self-government began in 1890.
Western Australia has a bicameral Parliament with a Legislative Assembly (lower house) of 59 members and a Legislative Council (upper house) of 36 members. The premier is chosen from the majority in the lower house. On one occasion in 1919, Hal Colebatch, a member of the Legislative Council, served as premier for a month. Unable to secure a seat in the Assembly, he relinquished the position in favour of Sir James Mitchell.
The first premier was Sir John Forrest, who took office on December 29, 1890, following elections earlier that month.
The current Premier, Roger Cook, is the state’s 31st premier and the 14th from the ALP. Labor premiers are shaded yellow in the table below.
The longest-serving premier was the Liberal Party’s Sir David Brand, who served for 11 years, 335 days between 1959 and 1971.
Four premiers have served non-consecutive terms: George Leake (1901-1901 and 1901-1902); Frank Wilson (1910-1911 and 1916-1917); Sir James Mitchell (1919-1924 and 1930-1933); and Philip Collier (1924-1930 and 1933-36).
| Premiers of Western Australia Since 1890 |
| No. |
Name |
Party |
From |
Until |
Elections won |
Term |
| 1. |
Sir John Forrest |
Pro-Forrest |
29-12-1890 |
15-02-1901 |
1890, 1894, 1897 |
10 years, 1 month, 17 days |
| 2. |
George Throssell |
Pro-Forrest |
15-02-1901 |
27-05-1901 |
– |
3 months, 12 days |
| 3. |
George Leake |
– |
27-05-1901 |
21-11-1901 |
1901 |
5 months, 25 days |
| 4. |
Alf Morgans |
– |
21-11-1901 |
23-12-1901 |
– |
1 month, 2 days |
|
George Leake |
– |
23-12-1901 |
01-07-1902 |
– |
6 months, 8 days |
| 5. |
Sir Walter James |
– |
01-07-1902 |
10-08-1904 |
1904 |
2 years, 1 months, 9 days |
| 6. |
Henry Daglish |
ALP |
10-08-1904 |
25-08-1905 |
– |
1 year, 15 days |
| 7. |
Sir Hector Rason |
Ministerialist |
25-08-1905 |
07-05-1906 |
1905 |
8 months, 12 days |
| 8. |
Sir Newton Moore |
Ministerialist |
07-05-1906 |
16-09-1910 |
1908 |
4 years, 4 months, 9 days |
| 9. |
Frank Wilson |
Ministerialist |
16-09-1910 |
07-10-1911 |
– |
1 year, 21 days |
| 10. |
John Scadden |
ALP |
07-10-1911 |
27-07-1916 |
1911, 1914 |
4 years, 9 months, 20 days |
|
Frank Wilson |
Liberal |
27-07-1916 |
28-06-1917 |
– |
11 months, 29 days |
| 11. |
Henry Lefroy |
Nationalist |
28-06-1917 |
17-04-1919 |
1917 |
1 year, 9 months, 20 days |
| 12. |
Sir Hal Colebatch |
Nationalist |
17-04-1919 |
17-05-1919 |
– |
1 month |
| 13. |
Sir James Mitchell |
Nationalist |
17-05-1919 |
16-04-1924 |
1921, 1924 |
4 years, 10 months, 30 days |
| 14. |
Philip Collier |
ALP |
16-04-1924 |
24-04-1930 |
1924, 1927 |
6 years, 8 days |
|
Sir James Mitchell |
Nationalist |
24-04-1930 |
24-04-1933 |
1930, 1933 |
3 years |
|
Phillip Collier |
ALP |
24-04-1933 |
19-08-1936 |
1936 |
3 years, 3 months, 26 days |
| 15. |
John Willcock |
ALP |
20-08-1936 |
31-07-1945 |
1939, 1943 |
9 years, 11 months, 11 days |
| 16. |
Frank Wise |
ALP |
31-07-1945 |
01-04-1947 |
– |
1 year, 7 months, 1 day |
| 17. |
Sir Ross McLarty |
Liberal |
01-04-1947 |
25-02-1953 |
1947, 1950 |
5 years, 10 months, 24 days |
| 18. |
Albert Hawke |
ALP |
23-02-1953 |
02-04-1959 |
1953, 1956 |
6 years, 1 month, 10 days |
| 19. |
Sir David Brand |
Liberal |
02-04-1959 |
03-03-1971 |
1959, 1962, 1965, 1968 |
11 years, 11 months, 1 day |
| 20. |
John Tonkin |
ALP |
03-03-1971 |
08-04-1974 |
1971 |
3 years, 1 month, 5 days |
| 21. |
Sir Charles Court |
Liberal |
08-04-1974 |
25-01-1982 |
1974, 1977, 1980 |
7 years, 9 months, 17 days |
| 22. |
Ray O’Connor |
Liberal |
25-01-1982 |
25-02-1983 |
– |
1 year, 1 month |
| 23. |
Brian Burke |
ALP |
25-02-1983 |
25-02-1988 |
1983, 1986 |
5 years |
| 24. |
Peter Dowding |
ALP |
25-02-1988 |
12-02 1990 |
1989 |
1 year, 11 months, 18 days |
| 25. |
Dr. Carmen Lawrence |
ALP |
12-02-1990 |
16-02-1993 |
– |
3 years, 4 days |
| 26. |
Richard Court |
Liberal |
16-02-1993 |
10-02-2001 |
1993, 1996 |
7 years, 11 months, 25 days |
| 27. |
Dr. Geoff Gallop |
ALP |
10-02-2001 |
25-01-2006 |
2001, 2005 |
4 years, 11 months, 15 days |
| 28. |
Alan Carpenter |
ALP |
25-01-2006 |
23-09-2008 |
– |
2 years, 6 months, 29 days |
| 29. |
Colin Barnett |
Liberal |
23-09-2008 |
17-03-2017 |
2008, 2013 |
8 years, 5 months, 22 days |
| 30. |
Mark McGowan |
ALP |
17-03-2017 |
08-06-2023 |
2017, 2021 |
6 years, 2 months, 22 days |
| 31. |
Roger Cook |
ALP |
08-06-2023 |
– |
– |
– |