Records of prime ministers of Australia explained

This page details numerous records and characteristics of individuals who have held the office of Prime Minister of Australia.

Period of service

See main article: List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office.

Time in office

Sir Robert Menzies was the longest serving prime minister of Australia, serving for 18 years and 163 days total. His first tenure (1939–1941) lasted 2 years and 125 days and his second tenure (1949–1966) 16 years and 38 days. Menzies’ second term of over 16 years was the longest single term. This term is also longer than the accumulated period of terms of any other prime minister.The shortest serving prime minister was Frank Forde, who served in the position in an interim capacity for one week in July 1945 after the death of John Curtin.The prime minister with the longest time between the beginning of the first and end of the last terms was also Menzies, with over 25 years between those dates.[1]

Number of terms

If a “term” is defined as a contiguous period served as prime minister, both Alfred Deakin and Andrew Fisher served the greatest number of terms, with three each. Robert Menzies and Kevin Rudd both served two separate terms as prime ministers.If a “term” is defined as a period of office separated by an election, Robert Menzies served the most terms, winning eight terms.

Terms of prime ministers and reigns of monarchs of Australia

The office of Prime Minister of Australia has existed under the reigns of seven monarchs since Federation in 1901.

Number of monarchs served under

Joseph Lyons is the only prime minister to have served under three monarchs during one term (Lyons died in 1939):

Through being in office at transitions between reigns, four prime ministers each served under two monarchs. These include:

Queen Elizabeth II had by far the greatest number of prime ministers serve her during her reign, being 16. In descending numerical order, numbers of prime ministers in office during all monarch's reigns are:

Prime ministers born during reigns in which they held office

Only seven prime ministers came to serve office under sovereigns in whose own reigns they were born in. The present prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was the sixth prime minister to have been born in the reign of Elizabeth II.

Queen Victoria (reigned 1837–1901)

Queen Elizabeth II (reigned 1952–2022)

Morrison has the additional distinction of being younger than all of his monarch's children.

Prime ministers who lived under most reigns

Billy Hughes (1862–1952), Stanley Bruce (1883–1967), James Scullin (1876–1953), Earle Page (1880–1961), Robert Menzies (1894–1978), Arthur Fadden (1894–1973), Frank Forde (1890–1983), and John McEwen (1900–1980) all lived under the reigns of six sovereigns: Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II.

Number of governors-general served under

Robert Menzies is the only prime minister to have served under six governors-general during his time in office (1939–1941, 1949–1966):

Two prime ministers each served under three governors-general. These include:

Lord Gowrie has the distinction of having the greatest number of prime ministers serve during his term, being 5:

Lord Casey follows with 4:

Six governors general each had three prime ministers serve during their term. These include:

Age

Age of appointment

The youngest prime minister upon appointment by the Governor-General was Chris Watson, who was 37 years, and 18 days old when his term began on 27 April 1904.[2] The oldest prime minister upon appointment was John McEwen, who was 67 years, and 265 days old when he took office in a temporary capacity on 17 December 1967.

Age on leaving office

The youngest prime minister to leave office was also Watson, who left office only four months after he was appointed at the age of 37 years, and 131 days.The oldest prime minister to leave office was Menzies, who was 71 years and 37 days old when he stepped down on 26 January 1966.

Age differences between incoming and outgoing prime ministers

The largest age gap between an incoming prime minister and outgoing one was 22 years and 44 days between Chris Watson and George Reid during 1904. In recent years, the largest age gap between an incoming prime minister and outgoing one was 18 years and 57 days between John Howard and Kevin Rudd during 2007. The smallest age gap between an incoming prime minister and outgoing one was 27 days between Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes during 1915. In recent years, the smallest age gap between an incoming prime minister and outgoing one was 44 days between Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott during 2013.

Longest lived

The longest-lived prime minister was Gough Whitlam, who lived for 98 years and 102 days (1916–2014)

Shortest lived

The shortest-lived prime minister was Harold Holt, born 1908, who died in office at age 59 years and 134 days in 1967.

Longest retirement

The longest period of retirement (retirement being the period between the end of their last term and their death) for a prime minister was Whitlam's, which was 38 years, 344 days long (1975-2014).

Shortest retirement

The shortest period of retirement was Ben Chifley, who died in 1951, 1 year and 176 days after he left office.

Intervals between terms of office

Of the prime ministers who have served more than one term, the largest interval was that of Menzies, which lasted 10 years from 1939 to 1949.

Birthplace

See main article: List of prime ministers of Australia by birthplace. Of the 31 prime ministers, 24 have been born in Australia. Of the ones that were not born in Australia, six were born in the United Kingdom:[3]

Of the 24 prime ministers born within Australia:

Some prime ministers represented electorates in states other than they were born in.

Federal elections

Most prime ministers in office between federal elections

There have been three periods between elections in which three prime ministers were in office.

Most elections contested

The largest number of elections contested by a prime minister is nine. Menzies contested the 1940, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1961, and 1963 elections. The greatest number of elections won by a prime minister is eight, a record also held by Menzies, who won 8 of the 9 elections he contested. The greatest number of elections lost by an individual is three, George Reid, H. V. Evatt, Arthur Calwell, and Gough Whitlam all lost three federal elections.

Age at losing an election

The oldest prime minister to lose a federal election was John Howard, who lost his own seat and the election of 2007 at 68 years and 121 days old. The oldest person to lose a federal election was Arthur Calwell, who lost the election of 1966 at 70 years and 90 days old. The youngest prime minister to lose a federal election was Stanley Bruce, who was 46 years, and 180 days old when he lost the 1929 election. In recent years, the youngest prime minister to lose a federal election was Paul Keating, who was 52 years and 44 days old when he lost the 1996 election. The youngest person to lose a federal election was Chris Watson who was 36 years and 251 days old when he lost the 1903 election. The youngest person to lose a federal election without ever becoming prime minister was Mark Latham who was 43 years and 223 days old when he lost the 2004 election.

Age at winning an election

The oldest prime minister to lead a party to victory at a federal election was Robert Menzies, who won the 1963 election aged 68 years and 347 days. The oldest prime minister to lead a party to victory at a federal election for the first time was Malcolm Turnbull, who won the 2016 election aged 61 years and 251 days. The youngest prime minister to win an election was Stanley Bruce, who was 42 years, and 213 days old when he won the 1925 election. In recent years, the youngest prime minister to win an election was Julia Gillard, who was 48 years, and 326 days old when she won the 2010 election.

Prime ministers in office without an election

Nearly all (24) prime ministers of Australia have held the office at some point during their tenures without the mandates from an election. This is a common occurrence due to the parliamentary and party systems in Australia, when the position is often made vacant by a spill or leader who is resigning or retiring. In the early days of the office, the unstable non-majority party system also caused many changes in power.Prime ministers who have taken office due to inter-party confidence prior to the development of the stable two-party system:

Prime ministers who took office after their predecessors resigned:

Prime ministers who took office after their predecessors retired:

Prime ministers who took office after their predecessors died:

Prime ministers who took office after defeating the government in a vote of no confidence:

Prime ministers who took office after defeating their predecessors in a party spill:

Prime minister who took office after the incumbent government was dismissed by the Governor-General:

Service to Parliament

Service in the Senate

Only John Gorton has come from the Senate. He served as a senator for Victoria for 17 years before he contested and won Harold Holt’s seat of Higgins in the House of Representatives.[7]

Service in the House of Representatives

The shortest interval between entering Parliament and being appointed prime minister was achieved by Bob Hawke, who entered Parliament in October 1980 and was appointed prime minister only 29 months later in March 1983. The longest period of service prior to becoming prime minister was that of John McEwen, who had served 33 years in the House of Representatives before he became prime minister in December 1967. For a non-interim prime minister, the longest period of prior service was 30 years by Harold Holt, who was elected in a by-election in August 1935 and became prime minister in January 1966.The longest service as an MP of a prime minister was Billy Hughes, who served from March 1901 until his death in October 1952, a total of 51 years. This is to date the longest period of service in the Australian Parliament and Hughes was father of the House from 1938 until 1952. The prime minister with the longest service in a single seat is 42 years by Earle Page, who served the seat of Cowper from December 1919 until December 1961. In recent years, the prime minister with the longest service in a single seat is 33 years by John Howard, who served the seat of Bennelong from May 1974 until December 2007.

Prime ministers who were Fathers of the House

Only one prime minister has held both that office and been Father of the House: John McEwen, from December 1967 until January 1968. Five prime ministers have served a long enough period in the House of Representatives to become Father of the House:[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Italics indicate that a former or incumbent prime minister was a joint Father of the House.

NameEntered HousePrime MinisterBecame FatherLeft HousePartyConstituency
Billy Hughes19011915–192319381952 (died)
Sir Earle Page1919193919521961 (lost seat)Cowper
Sir Robert Menzies19341939–1941,
1949–1966
19651966 (resigned)Kooyong
Sir John McEwen1967–196819651971 (resigned)
Sir William McMahon19491971–197219811982 (resigned)Lowe
Malcolm Fraser19551975–198319821983 (resigned)Wannon

Ancestry

As of, all 31 prime ministers of Australia have been white European Australians. The vast majority of them have been Anglo-Celtic Australians, tracing their ancestry to England, Ireland, and/or Scotland. Additionally, Alfred Deakin and Billy Hughes had some Welsh ancestry.[13] Julia Gillard was born in Wales to Welsh parents, and is of almost exclusively Welsh descent.

Only four prime ministers are known to have been at least partly of non-Anglo-Celtic descent: Chris Watson, whose father was a German Chilean;[14] Harold Holt, whose maternal grandmother was German; Malcolm Fraser, whose maternal grandfather was a Jewish New Zealander;[15] and Anthony Albanese, whose father was Italian.[16] [17]

Religion

See also: Religion in Australia. Most Australian prime ministers have been Christian.[18] [19]

Agnostic/Atheist

Catholic

Protestant

Anglican

Methodist

Presbyterian

Pentecostal

Unspecified or other Christian

Military service

Eight of the thirty one prime ministers of Australia have served in the military. As of 2020, the last prime minister who had any military service was Gough Whitlam, who served as a pilot in the Air Force from 1941 to 1945, during World War II.Only Harold Holt has served in the military during his parliamentary career. He served in the Armed Forces from 1939 to 1940, when he was asked to return by Menzies due to low parliamentary numbers and difficulties.

Living prime ministers

Currently living former prime ministers

As of, there are seven living former Australian prime ministers.[64]

Died in office

Three prime ministers have died in office:

Died while immediate successor was in office

Earle Page and Ben Chifley's successor, Robert Menzies, was in office when Chifley and Page died in 1951 and 1961 respectively.

Miscellaneous records

The prime minister who had the most children is Joseph Lyons, who fathered 12 children.

The tallest prime minister is believed to be Gough Whitlam, who stood at around 6 feet 4 inches (194 cm) in height.[65]

The longest personal name held by an Australian prime minister was that of Earle Page whose four names – Earle Christmas Grafton Page – total 25 letters. The shortest baptismal names, each 10 letters long, were held by John Curtin and John McEwen.

The following Prime minsters have had facial hair. Alfred Deakin, Chris Watson, George Reid, Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook and Billy Hughes. Most prime ministers, when in office, have been predominately clean-shaven men.

By-elections

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.nma.gov.au/explore/features/prime-ministers National Museum of Australia – Prime Ministers
  2. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/Quick_Guides/AustPM Australian Parliamentary Publications - Traits and Trends of prime ministers of Australia
  3. https://primeministers.moadoph.gov.au/collections-search?display=list&page=11&per_page=16&resource_id=3c39ec70-b4eb-4f12-8599-ee06cff6336a Individual Records of Prime Ministers (MOADOPH)
  4. Web site: 8 May 2023. National Archives of Australia. About Alfred Deakin.
  5. Web site: 8 May 2023. National Archives of Australia. About Chris Watson.
  6. Web site: 8 May 2023. National Archives of Australia. About George Reid.
  7. Web site: Fathers of the House. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. 8 May 2023.
  8. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39091581 1 Trove Archive
  9. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189921367 2
  10. http://cometherevolution.com.au/untold-story-canberras-first-coup-political-assassination-pm-john-gorton-part-8/ 3 Untold Story of Canberra’s First Coup
  11. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansardr/1981-03-10/toc_pdf/H%201981-03-10.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf 8 (page 48) Hansard, 1981
  12. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansardr/1983-04-21/toc_pdf/H%201983-04-21.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf 9/10/11 (page 14) Hansard, 1983
  13. News: Australia's pioneering Welsh PM . 24 June 2010 .
  14. Web site: ParlInfo - A great pioneer - John Christian 'Chris' Watson .
  15. Web site: Archived copy . www.australianbiography.gov.au . 30 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060823015726/http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/fraser/interview10.html . 23 August 2006 . dead.
  16. Web site: Anthony Albanese is Australia's first PM with a non-Anglo surname. So how do you pronounce it? . . 23 May 2022 .
  17. Web site: Anthony Albanese to be first Australian prime minister with non-Anglo-Celtic heritage .
  18. Web site: The religious beliefs of Australia's prime ministers . 10 November 2010 .
  19. Web site: Just how religious were Australia's Prime Ministers? A Christian appraisal . . 12 August 2013 .
  20. News: Bob Hawke mourns his father's death . . 64 . 19,980 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 24 December 1989 . 17 May 2019 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  21. News: Hawke's mother . . 54 . 16,057 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 10 September 1979 . 17 May 2019 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  22. Elders Part 5: Bob Hawke. Elders with Andrew Denton. Enough Rope. 11 January 2010. 23 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20170825235442/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2301431.htm. 25 August 2017. dead.
  23. Blanche d'Alpuget, Robert J. Hawke, 87
  24. News: Wright . Tony . PM tells it as she sees it on the God issue . . 30 June 2010 . 30 June 2010.
  25. Web site: Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks to Jon Faine. ABC News. 27 January 2016. 29 June 2010.
  26. Web site: 8 May 2023. National Archives of Australia. About James Scullin.
  27. Web site: Francis Michael Forde, PC . static.moadoph.gov.au . Moadoph .
  28. Book: MacCallum, Mungo . Mungo Wentworth MacCallum . 2019 . The Good, The Bad & the Unlikely: Australia's Prime Ministers: From Barton to Albanese . Black Inc . 111 . 978-1760641559 .
  29. News: Australia's conservative leader Tony Abbott. Reuters. 10 February 2011. Michael. Perry. 16 August 2010.
  30. News: Australia's 'Mad Monk' deals blow to eco-campaign. The Times. UK. 10 February 2011. Paul. Ham . 6 December 2009.
  31. Web site: Williams . Roy . The faith story of Malcolm Turnbull . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023707/http://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/news-malcolm-turnbull-faith . 17 November 2015 . 14 December 2015 . Tma.melbourneanglican.org.au.
  32. News: 3 August 2009 . Malcolm Turnbull interview with Belinda Hawkins . ABC Australia .
  33. Book: Bolton, Geoffrey . Geoffrey Bolton . 2011 . Edmund Barton: The One Man For The Job . . 21 . 978-1743310458 .
  34. Book: Lee, David . 2010 . Stanley Melbourne Bruce: Australian Internationalist . London . Continuum Press . 978-0-8264-4566-7 . 3–4.
  35. Book: Williams, Roy. 2013. In God They Trust?: The Religious Beliefs of Australia's Prime Ministers, 1901–2013. Bible Society Australia. 154. 9780647518557.
  36. Tom Stayner. "Our man in the Lodge." Woroni. 28 February – 12 March 2008.
  37. News: Cosima . Marriner . The lonely road to the top . The Sydney Morning Herald . 33 . 9 December 2006 . 27 May 2007.
  38. Web site: Sir Joseph Cook, PC, GCMG . live . static.maodoph.gov.au . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200407102926/http://static.moadoph.gov.au/ophgovau/media/images/apmc/docs/06-Cook-Web.pdf . 7 April 2020 .
  39. Web site: Biography Joseph Cook (1860–1947) . live . exhibitions.senate.gov.au . https://web.archive.org/web/20190317102543/https://exhibitions.senate.gov.au/pogg/members/pdf/cook_jos.pdf . 17 March 2019 .
  40. Web site: Sir Joseph Cook GCMG PC . live . aph.gov.au . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230401115557/https://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Art/Stories_and_Histories/HMC/Prime_Ministers/Sir_Joseph_Cook_GCMG_PC . 1 April 2023 .
  41. Book: Wilks, Stephen . 2020 . 'Now is the Psychological Moment': Earle Page and the Imagining of Australia . . 27 . 978-1760463670 .
  42. Web site: Wilks . Stephen . 18 October 2017 . Sir Earle Page . aph.org.au .
  43. Web site: EARLE PAGE: THE POLITICIAN AND THE MAN . live . page.org.au . Page Research Centre . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317225701/https://www.page.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/EARLE-PAGE-LECTURE.pdf . 17 March 2018 . 1 .
  44. Book: McMinn, W. G. . 1989 . George Reid . . 4 . 978-0522843736 .
  45. Book: Bastian, Peter . 2010 . Andrew Fisher: An Underestimated Man . ReadHowYouWant.com. 11–12 . 978-1459603455 .
  46. Web site: Andrew Fisher: before office . live . naa.gov.au . . https://web.archive.org/web/20210419130330/https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/australias-prime-ministers/andrew-fisher/before-office . 19 April 2021 .
  47. Web site: 2007 . The last man: the making of Andrew Fisher and the Australian Labor Party . live . nma.gov.au . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813184242/https://www.nma.gov.au/audio/historical-interpretation-series/transcripts/the-last-man-the-making-of-andrew-fisher-and-the-australian-labor-party . 13 August 2020 .
  48. Web site: Fisher, Andrew . live . legalopinions.ags.gov.au . https://web.archive.org/web/20210420050454/https://legalopinions.ags.gov.au/opinionauthor/fisher-andrew . 20 April 2021 .
  49. Book: Martin, Allan . A. W. Martin . Robert Menzies: A Life - 1894–1943 . 1 . 1993 . Melbourne University Press . 0522844421 . registration . 22–23.
  50. Book: Howard. Menzies Era. 325.
  51. Web site: Former Member Details – Arthur Fadden . parliament.qld.gov.au . .
  52. Bryant . Nick . February 2012 . Scott Morrison: So Who the Bloody Hell Are You? . . . Morrison is now a Pentecostal and thus part of the most rapidly growing denomination in the land. He worships at an American-style mega-church called Shirelive in his constituency, where the gospel of prosperity is preached in an auditorium that can accommodate over 1000 evangelicals. With its water baptisms and designer-shirt pastors, Shirelive has close ties with the better-known Hillsong community. The founder of Hillsong, Harley Davidson–riding pastor Brian Houston, is one of Morrison’s mentors. In Who’s Who Morrison lists the church as his number one hobby, and his maiden speech reads in part like a personal testimony delivered on the last night of a church retreat. It included passages from Jeremiah and also the Book of Joel: “Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” .
  53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJyb5zAOi4 How well do you know Australia's 30th Prime Minister Scott Morrison? | Kitchen Cabinet
  54. News: 12 April 2004 . In God they trust . The Sydney Morning Herald . .
  55. News: 3 November 2012 . The watchman . The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media .
  56. https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/from-talking-in-tongues-to-divine-faith-could-scott-morrisons-religion-be-a-liability/news-story/1b14b6fd3ed310f1caaee29d58e9fd77 Molloy, Shannon (28 August 2018). From talking in tongues to 'divine faith', could Scott Morrison's religion be a liability? News.com.au
  57. News: Scott Morrison: So Who the Bloody Hell Are You?. The Monthly. Nick Bryant. February 2012 . 7 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180411025709/https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2012/february/1328593883/nick-bryant/so-who-bloody-hell-are-you. 11 April 2018. live.
  58. Web site: 'Darkness' coming if Scott Morrison not re-elected, Pentecostal leader claims. Gareth. Hutchens. 7 September 2018. the Guardian. 7 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180907082445/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/07/darkness-coming-if-scott-morrison-not-re-elected-pentecostal-leader-claims. 7 September 2018. live.
  59. Book: Brett, Judith . Judith Brett . 2018 . The Enigmatic Mr Deakin . . 978-1925603712 .
  60. Web site: Alfred Deakin Spiritual Journey . alfreddeakin.com .
  61. Web site: Warhurst . John . 2010 . The Faith of Australian Prime Ministers 1901–2010 . live . dspace-prod.anu.edu.au . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240604034514/https://dspace-prod.anu.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/a5a3e582-3ca9-4dcf-9d3d-1caf908598a3/content . 4 June 2024 .
  62. Web site: A Rich Life of the Spirit Begins – Australia's 2nd Prime Minister – Alfred Deakin . aph.gov.au . .
  63. Book: Gabay, Al . 1993 . The Mystic Life of Alfred Deakin . . 978-0521446815 .
  64. Web site: The 'special moment' seven surviving Prime Ministers were photographed together. Lisa. Cox. 5 November 2014 .
  65. Web site: Gough Whitlam. National Archives of Australia. 18 October 2019.