List_of_prime_ministers_of_Australia

List of prime ministers of Australia

List of prime ministers of Australia

List of Australian prime ministers since 1901

The prime minister of Australia is the leader of the Australian Government and the Cabinet of Australia, with the support of the majority of the House of Representatives.[1][2] Thirty-one people (thirty men and one woman) have served in the position since the office was created in 1901.[3] The role of prime minister is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia,[4] but the prime minister is still appointed by the governor-general who under Section 64 of the constitution has the executive power to appoint ministers of state. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch of Australia based on the advice of the incumbent prime minister.[2] Governors-general do not have fixed terms, but usually serve for five years.[5]

The Lodge, the official residence of the prime minister

Federal elections must be held every three years, although prime ministers may call elections early.[6] Prime ministers do not have fixed terms, and generally serve the full length of their term unless they lose the majority of the House or are replaced as the leader of their party. Three former prime ministers lost a majority in the House (Alfred Deakin on two occasions, George Reid and Andrew Fisher), six resigned following leadership spills (John Gorton, Bob Hawke, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull) and three died in office (Joseph Lyons, John Curtin and Harold Holt, who disappeared and is presumed to have died).[7] Two prime ministers also lost their role in a double dissolution election, a snap election where the entire Senate stands for re-election rather than the typical half to resolve deadlocks between the two houses. These were Joseph Cook in 1914 and Malcolm Fraser in 1983. One prime minister, Gough Whitlam, was controversially dismissed by the governor-general during a constitutional crisis.[8]

Since the office was established in 1901, thirty men and one woman have been prime minister. Robert Menzies and Kevin Rudd served two non-consecutive terms in office while Alfred Deakin and Andrew Fisher served three non-consecutive terms.[9]

The prime ministership of Frank Forde, who was prime minister for seven days in 1945, was the shortest in Australian history.[10] Menzies served the longest, with eighteen years over two non-consecutive periods.[11]

The 31st and current prime minister is Anthony Albanese, who assumed office on 23 May 2022.[9] There are currently seven living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Hawke, on 16 May 2019.[12]

List of prime ministers

The parties shown are those to which the prime ministers belonged at the time they held office, and the electoral divisions shown are those they represented while in office. Several prime ministers belonged to parties other than those given and represented other electorates before and after their time in office.

Political parties

  Australian Labor Party
  Liberal Party of Australia
  Australian Country Party
  Nationalist Party
  United Australia Party
  Fusion Liberal Party
  National Labor Party
  Free Trade Party
  Protectionist Party

Status

  Background indicates caretaker prime minister

More information No., Portrait ...

Timeline

Anthony AlbaneseScott MorrisonMalcolm TurnbullTony AbbottJulia GillardKevin RuddJohn HowardPaul KeatingBob HawkeMalcolm FraserGough WhitlamWilliam McMahonJohn GortonJohn McEwenHarold HoltBen ChifleyFrank FordeJohn CurtinArthur FaddenRobert MenziesEarle PageJoseph LyonsJames ScullinStanley BruceBilly HughesJoseph CookAndrew FisherGeorge ReidChris WatsonAlfred DeakinEdmund Barton

Career-based timeline

This timeline shows most of the early life, the political career and death of each prime minister from 1901. The first prime minister was Edmund Barton in the early 20th century.[45]

Key

  • Each dark coloured bar denotes the time spent as prime minister
  • A light colour denotes time spent in Parliament before or after serving as prime minister
  • A grey colour bar denotes the time the prime minister spent outside Parliament, either before or after their political career

Notable moments

Timeline

Anthony AlbaneseScott MorrisonMalcolm TurnbullTony AbbottJulia GillardKevin RuddJohn HowardPaul KeatingBob HawkeMalcolm FraserGough WhitlamWilliam McMahonJohn GortonJohn McEwenHarold HoltBen ChifleyFrank FordeJohn CurtinArthur FaddenRobert MenziesEarle PageJoseph LyonsJames ScullinStanley BruceBilly HughesJoseph CookAndrew FisherGeorge Reid (Australian politician)Chris WatsonAlfred DeakinEdmund Barton

See also

Notes

  1. Ballarat was spelt Ballaarat until the 1973 election.
  2. Died in office
  3. Died in office
  4. Died in office
  5. Gorton was a Senator until he resigned from the Senate on 1 February 1968; he was elected to the House of Representatives at the Higgins by-election on 24 February 1968.[31]
  6. As of 25 April 2024

References

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    "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Prime Minister". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
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    "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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    "Governor-General - Parliamentary Education Office". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
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    "Elections and voting in Australia" (PDF). Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
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    "Australia's PMs and how they left office". SBS News. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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    "Infosheet 18 - Double dissolution". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Australia's Prime Ministers". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
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    "Australia's five shortest prime ministerships (and how they ended)". ABC News. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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    "Robert Menzies | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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    "Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dies aged 89". The Guardian. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    Rutledge, Martha (1979). "Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
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    Norris, R. (1981). "Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
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    Martin, A. W. "Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
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    Cribb, Margaret Bridson. "Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
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    Serle, Geoffrey, "Curtin, John (1885–1945)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
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    Lloyd, Neil; Saunders, Malcolm, "Forde, Francis Michael (Frank) (1890–1983)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
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    Waterson, D. B., "Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) (1885–1951)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
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    Lloyd, C. J., "McEwen, Sir John (1900–1980)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
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    Williams, Evan (11 March 2020). "From the Archives, 1968: The day the PM became an MP". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
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    "John Gorton | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    Leeser, Julian, "McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
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    "Malcolm Fraser | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Bob Hawke | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Paul Keating | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "John Howard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Kevin Rudd | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Julia Gillard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Tony Abbott | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Malcolm Turnbull | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
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    "Scott Morrison | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  44. [44]
    "Anthony Albanese | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  45. [45]
    Rutledge, Martha (1979). "Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
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