List of prime ministers of New Zealand

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is the head of government of New Zealand, and the leader of the Cabinet of New Zealand, with various powers and responsibilities defined by convention. This list includes individuals who held the titles of Colonial Secretary and Premier, the direct predecessors to the modern position of Prime Minister. The title of the office was formally changed to "Premier" in 1869, and then to "Prime Minister" in 1907 when New Zealand was granted the status of a Dominion in the British Empire.

Thirty-eight individuals have so far held the premiership, not including Hugh Watt, who was briefly the acting Prime Minister in 1974. Henry Sewell is regarded as New Zealand's first premier. Nine Prime Ministers have held the position more than one discrete term in office. The longest single term in office was that of Richard Seddon, who held the position for thirteen years between 1893 and 1906. The current Prime Minister is John Key, who took office on 19 November 2008.

List

Colour key (for political parties)
Independent   Liberal   Reform   United   Labour   National

No.		Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Portrait	Term of office		Elected (Parliament)	Party	Government
Colonial Secretaries (1856–1869)
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	1	Henry Sewell (1807–1879) MP for Christchurch		7 May 1856	20 May 1856	1855 (2nd)	Independent	Sewell
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	2	William Fox (1812–1893) MP for Wanganui		20 May 1856	2 June 1856	— (2nd)	Independent	Fox I
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	3	Edward Stafford (1819–1901) MP for Nelson		2 June 1856	12 July 1861	— (2nd)	Independent	Stafford I
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(2)	William Fox (1812–1893) MP for Rangitikei		12 July 1861	6 August 1862	1860–61 (3rd)	Independent	Fox II
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	4	Alfred Domett (1811–1887) MP for Nelson		6 August 1862	30 October 1863	— (3rd)	Independent	Domett
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	5	Frederick Whitaker (1812–1891) Councillor		30 October 1863	24 November 1864	— (3rd)	Independent	Whitaker–Fox
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	6	Frederick Weld (1823–1891) MP for Cheviot		24 November 1864	16 October 1865	— (3rd)	Independent	Weld
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(3)	Edward Stafford (1819–1901) MP for Nelson until 1868 MP for Timaru from 1868		16 October 1865	28 June 1869	— (3rd) 1866 (4th)	Independent	Stafford II
Premiers (1869–1907)
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(2)	William Fox (1812–1893) MP for Rangitikei		28 June 1869	10 September 1872	— (4th) 1871 (5th)	Independent	Fox III
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(3)	Edward Stafford (1819–1901) MP for Timaru		10 September 1872	11 October 1872	— (5th)	Independent	Stafford III
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	7	George Waterhouse (1824–1906) Councillor		11 October 1872	3 March 1873	— (5th)	Independent	Waterhouse
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(2)	William Fox (1812–1893) MP for Rangitikei		3 March 1873	8 April 1873	— (5th)	Independent	Fox IV
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	8	Julius Vogel (1835–1899) MP for Auckland East		8 April 1873	6 July 1875	— (5th)	Independent	Vogel I
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	9	Daniel Pollen (1813–1896) Councillor		6 July 1875	15 February 1876	— (5th)	Independent	Pollen
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(8)	Julius Vogel (1835–1899) MP for Wanganui		15 February 1876	1 September 1876	1875–76 (6th)	Independent	Vogel II
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	10	Harry Atkinson (1831–1892) MP for Egmont		1 September 1876	13 October 1877	— (6th)	Independent	Atkinson I • II "Continuous Ministry"
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	11	George Grey (1812–1898) MP for Thames		13 October 1877	8 October 1879	— (6th)	Independent	Grey
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	12	John Hall (1824–1907) MP for Selwyn		8 October 1879	21 April 1882	1879 (7th) 1881 (8th)	Independent	Hall "Continuous Ministry"
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(5)	Frederick Whitaker (1812–1891) Councillor		21 April 1882	25 September 1883	— (8th)	Independent	Whitaker "Continuous Ministry"
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(10)	Harry Atkinson (1831–1892) MP for Egmont		25 September 1883	16 August 1884	— (8th)	Independent	Atkinson III "Continuous Ministry"
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	13	Robert Stout (1844–1930) MP for Dunedin East		16 August 1884	28 August 1884	1884 (9th)	Independent	Stout–Vogel I
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(10)	Harry Atkinson (1831–1892) MP for Egmont		28 August 1884	3 September 1884	— (9th)	Independent	Atkinson IV "Continuous Ministry"
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(13)	Robert Stout (1844–1930) MP for Dunedin East		3 September 1884	8 October 1887	— (9th)	Independent	Stout–Vogel II
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(10)	Harry Atkinson (1831–1892) MP for Egmont		8 October 1887	24 January 1891	1887 (10th)	Independent	Atkinson V "Scarecrow Ministry"
style="background:Template:New Zealand Liberal Party/meta/color;"|	14	John Ballance (1839–1893) MP for Wanganui		24 January 1891	27 April 1893†	1890 (11th)	Liberal	Liberal
style="background:Template:New Zealand Liberal Party/meta/color;"|	15	Richard Seddon (1845–1906) MP for Westland		1 May 1893	10 June 1906†	— (11th) 1893 (12th) 1896 (13th) 1899 (14th) 1902 (15th) 1905 (16th)	Liberal
style="background:Template:New Zealand Liberal Party/meta/color;"|	16	William Hall-Jones (1851–1936) MP for Timaru		21 June 1906	6 August 1906	— (16th)	Liberal
Prime Ministers (1907–present)
style="background:Template:New Zealand Liberal Party/meta/color;"|	17	Joseph Ward (1856–1930) MP for Awarua		6 August 1906	12 March 1912	— (16th) 1908 (17th) 1911 (18th)	Liberal
style="background:Template:New Zealand Liberal Party/meta/color;"|	18	Thomas Mackenzie (1853–1930) MP for Egmont		28 March 1912	10 July 1912	— (18th)	Liberal
style="background:Template:New Zealand Reform Party/meta/color; color:white"|	19	William Massey (1856–1925) MP for Franklin		10 July 1912	10 May 1925†	— (18th) 1914 (19th) 1919 (20th) 1922 (21st)	Reform	Reform
style="background:Template:New Zealand Reform Party/meta/color; color:white"|	20	Francis Bell (1851–1936) Councillor		14 May 1925	30 May 1925	— (21st)	Reform
style="background:Template:New Zealand Reform Party/meta/color; color:white"|	21	Gordon Coates (1878–1943) MP for Kaipara		30 May 1925	10 December 1928	— (21st) 1925 (22nd)	Reform
style="background:Template:United Party (New Zealand)/meta/color;"|	(17)	Joseph Ward (1856–1930) MP for Invercargill		10 December 1928	28 May 1930	1928 (23rd)	United	United
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:United Party (New Zealand)/meta/color;"|	22	George Forbes (1869–1947) MP for Hurunui		28 May 1930	6 December 1935	— (23rd)	United
1931 (24th)						United-Reform Coalition
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	23	Michael Joseph Savage (1872–1940) MP for Auckland West		6 December 1935	27 March 1940†	1935 (25th) 1938 (26th)	Labour	First Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	24	Peter Fraser (1884–1950) MP for Wellington Central until 1946 MP for Brooklyn from 1946		1 April 1940	13 December 1949	— (26th) 1943 (27th) 1946 (28th)	Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	25	Sidney Holland (1893–1961) MP for Fendalton		13 December 1949	20 September 1957	1949 (29th) 1951 (30th) 1954 (31st)	National	First National
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	26	Keith Holyoake (1904–1983) MP for Pahiatua	File:Keith Holyoake.jpg	20 September 1957	12 December 1957	— (31st)	National
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	27	Walter Nash (1882–1968) MP for Hutt		12 December 1957	12 December 1960	1957 (32nd)	Labour	Second Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	(26)	Keith Holyoake (1904–1983) MP for Pahiatua	File:Keith Holyoake.jpg	12 December 1960	7 February 1972	1960 (33rd) 1963 (34th) 1966 (35th) 1969 (36th)	National	Second National
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	28	Jack Marshall (1912–1988) MP for Karori		7 February 1972	8 December 1972	— (36th)	National
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	29	Norman Kirk (1923–1974) MP for Sydenham		8 December 1972	31 August 1974†	1972 (37th)	Labour	Third Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	—	Hugh Watt (1912–1980) MP for Onehunga Acting Prime Minister		31 August 1974	6 September 1974	— (37th)	Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	30	Bill Rowling (1927–1995) MP for Tasman		6 September 1974	12 December 1975	— (37th)	Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	31	Robert Muldoon (1921–1992) MP for Tamaki		12 December 1975	26 July 1984	1975 (38th) 1978 (39th) 1981 (40th)	National	Third National
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	32	David Lange (1942–2005) MP for Mangere		26 July 1984	8 August 1989	1984 (41st) 1987 (42nd)	Labour	Fourth Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	33	Geoffrey Palmer (born 1942) MP for Christchurch Central		8 August 1989	4 September 1990	— (42nd)	Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	34	Mike Moore (born 1949) MP for Christchurch North		4 September 1990	2 November 1990	— (42nd)	Labour
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	35	Jim Bolger (born 1935) MP for King Country		2 November 1990	8 December 1997	1990 (43rd) 1993 (44th) 1996 (45th)	National	Fourth National with New Zealand First 1996–98; with Mauri Pacific 1998–99.
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:white"|	36	Jenny Shipley (born 1952) MP for Rakaia		8 December 1997	5 December 1999	— (45th)	National
style="background:Template:New Zealand Labour Party/meta/color; color:white"|	37	Helen Clark (born 1950) MP for Mount Albert		5 December 1999	19 November 2008	1999 (46th) 2002 (47th) 2005 (48th)	Labour	Fifth Labour with Alliance; C&S with Greens, United Future.
style="background:Template:New Zealand National Party/meta/color; color:blue"|	38	John Key (born 1961) MP for Helensville		19 November 2008	12 December 2016	2008 (49th) 2011 (50th) 2014 (51st)	National	Fifth National C&S with ACT, United Future, Māori Party.

Timeline

See also

• List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by age
• List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by date of birth
• List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by place of birth
• List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand by tenure