Ministerialists and Oppositionists

[1] Prior to federation in 1901 (and for a short period after) a formal political party structure was not fully in place, and the terminology was used in the parliaments of Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

[4] At the establishment of the Parliament of Western Australia in 1890, Ministerialists were defined as those who supported the government of the day (led by John Forrest), while Oppositionists were opposed to it.

The Australian Labour Party (ALP) was the only major grouping outside this structure.

At the 1901 election, the Ministerialists (aligned with Forrest) lost to the Oppositionists (led by George Leake).

Immediately after this, the Ministerialist grouping became the centre-right Western Australian Liberal Party under the continued guidance of John Forrest.