title: First McIlwraith ministry
text: # First McIlwraith ministry
  
  The First McIlwraith Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Premier Thomas McIlwraith. It succeeded the Douglas Ministry on 21 January 1879 after the latter lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament after the 1878 election. It was in turn succeeded by the First Griffith Ministry on 13 November 1883 after losing the 1883 election.
  
  ## First ministry
  
  On 21 January 1879, the Governor, Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy, designated 6 principal executive offices of the Government, and appointed the following Members of the Parliament of Queensland to the Ministry as follows:
  
  | Office | Minister |
  | - | - |
  | Premier Colonial Treasurer (until 24 December 1881) Colonial Secretary (from 24 December 1881) | Thomas McIlwraith, MLA |
  | Colonial Secretary Secretary for Public Instruction | Arthur Hunter Palmer, MLA (until 24 December 1881) |
  | Colonial Treasurer Secretary for Public Instruction | Archibald Archer, MLA (from 5 January 1882) |
  | Secretary for Public Works Secretary for Mines | John Murtagh Macrossan, MLA (until 13 March 1883) Albert Norton, MLA (from 13 March 1883) |
  | Attorney-General | John Malbon Thompson, MLA (until 16 May 1879) Ratcliff Pring, MLA (16 May 1879 — 4 June 1880) Henry Beor, MLA (4 June 1880 — 25 December 1880) Pope Alexander Cooper, MLA (31 December 1880 — 5 January 1883) Charles Chubb, MLA (from 5 January 1883) |
  | Secretary for Public Lands | Patrick Perkins, MLA |
  | Postmaster-General Representative of Government in the Legislative Council | Charles Hardie Buzacott, MLC (until 17 December 1880) Boyd Dunlop Morehead, MLC (from 17 December 1880) |
  
      $^1$ Macrossan did not hold a seat at the time of his appointment; however, the member for Electoral district of Townsville resigned and Macrossan was seated in the Assembly on 4 March 1879.
      $^2$ Pring lost his seat at a ministerial by-election on 29 May 1879 but continued as Attorney-General without a seat.
  