Colonial Secretary

The Secretary of State for the Colonies was the British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary may also refer to:

• Chief secretary (British Empire), originally colonial secretary, the official in many British colonies who headed the day-to-day functions of the colony's government, deputy to the governor, including:

Australia

• Colonial Secretary of New South Wales from 1821 to 1959 when the role was renamed to Chief Secretary
• Colonial Secretary of South Australia, from 1836 to 1856 when the role was renamed to Chief Secretary
• Colonial Secretary of Tasmania, from 1856 to 1873, previously Colonial Secretary of Van Diemen's Land from 1826 to 1856
• Colonial Secretary of Western Australia, from 1828 to 1924

Other colonies

• Chief Secretary (Hong Kong), renamed from the Colonial Secretary in 1976
• Chief Secretary, Singapore, renamed from the Colonial Secretary in 1955
• Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, one of six offices that held a seat in the Executive Council of Ceylon
• Colonial Secretary (New Zealand), the chief administrator of New Zealand from 1840 to 1907

See also

• Provincial secretary, a senior in the executive councils in North American colonial governments