First Kidston Ministry


The First Kidston Ministry was the 23rd ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Premier William Kidston, who led a Labour–Liberal coalition. It succeeded the Morgan Ministry on 19 January 1906 upon the appointment of Arthur Morgan as president of the Queensland Legislative Council. The Labour Party split in 1907, with Kidston and several other moderate Labour members combining with the remaining Liberals in a new party, the "Kidstonites".
Despite maintaining the confidence of the Legislative Assembly at the 1907 election, the Ministry fell when Kidston resigned on 12 November 1907 after failing to have sympathetic members appointed to the Council. It was succeeded by the short-lived Second Philp Ministry headed by his conservative opponent Robert Philp on 19 November.

The Ministry

On 19 January 1906, the Governor, Lord Chelmsford, designated eight principal executive offices of the Government, and appointed the following Members of the Parliament of Queensland to the Ministry as follows. On 4 February 1907, Digby Denham left the Ministry and joined the opposition Conservative party. Peter Airey lost his parliamentary seat at the 1907 election held on 18 May 1907, but was retained as a minister without portfolio from 3 July 1907.
OfficeMinister

Premier

Chief Secretary

Treasurer
William Kidston

Deputy Premier

Secretary for Public Instruction
Andrew Henry Barlow, MLC

Attorney-General

Secretary for Mines		James Blair

Secretary for Public Lands

Secretary for Railways 		Joshua Thomas Bell

Secretary for Agriculture

Secretary for Railways		Digby Denham

Home Secretary

Minister without portfolio 		Peter Airey

Secretary for Public Works

Secretary for Agriculture
Thomas O'Sullivan

Home Secretary
Arthur Hawthorn

Secretary for Railways		George Kerr