First Menzies ministry

25th Ministry of Australia
photograph of Menzies
Robert Menzies
photograph of Hughes
Billy Hughes
Date formed26 April 1939
Date dissolved14 March 1940
People and organisations
MonarchGeorge VI
Governor-GeneralLord Gowrie
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
No. of ministers16
Member partyUnited Australia
Status in legislatureMinority government
Opposition partyLabor
Opposition leaderJohn Curtin
History
Legislature term(s)15th
PredecessorPage ministry
SuccessorSecond Menzies ministry
This article is part of
a series about
Robert Menzies

Prime Minister of Australia

First term of government (1939–1941)

Second term of government (1949–1966)

Ministries

Elections

Government of Australia

The First Menzies ministry (United Australia) was the 25th ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 12th Prime Minister, Robert Menzies. The First Menzies ministry succeeded the Page ministry, which dissolved on 26 April 1939 following the election of Menzies as UAP leader after the death of former Prime Minister Joseph Lyons. However, due to the Country Party withdrawing from the Coalition after relations between caretaker Prime Minister Sir Earle Page and Menzies broke down, the First Menzies ministry was composed solely of UAP ministers, and was effectively a minority government. The ministry was replaced by the Second Menzies ministry on 14 March 1940 after Menzies took the Country Party back into his government - now led by Archie Cameron.[1]

Percy Spender, who died in 1985, was the last surviving member of the First Menzies ministry; Spender was also the last surviving minister of the Second Menzies ministry, Third Menzies ministry, Fadden ministry, and the Fourth Menzies ministry.

Ministry

Party Minister Portrait Portfolio
  United Australia Rt Hon Robert Menzies KC
(1894–1978)

MP for Kooyong
(1934–1966)

  Rt Hon Billy Hughes KC
(1862–1952)

MP for North Sydney
(1922–1949)

  Hon Geoffrey Street MC
(1894–1940)

MP for Corangamite
(1934–1940)

  Hon Richard Casey DSO MC
(1890–1976)

MP for Corio
(1931–1940)

  Hon Sir Henry Gullett KCMG
(1878–1940)

MP for Henty
(1925–1940)

  Hon George McLeay
(1892–1955)

Senator for South Australia
(1935–1947)

  Hon John Lawson
(1897–1956)

MP for Macquarie
(1931–1940)

  Hon Eric Harrison
(1892–1974)

MP for Wentworth
(1931–1956)

  Hon James Fairbairn
(1897–1940)

MP for Flinders
(1933–1940)

  Hon Sir Frederick Stewart
(1884–1961)

MP for Parramatta
(1931–1946)

  Hon Harry Foll
(1890–1977)

Senator for Queensland
(1917–1947)

  Hon Percy Spender KC
(1897–1985)

MP for Warringah
(1937–1951)

  Hon John Perkins
(1878–1954)

MP for Eden-Monaro
(1931–1943)

  Hon Herbert Collett CMG DSO VD
(1877–1947)

Senator for Western Australia
(1933–1947)

  Hon Harold Holt
(1908–1967)

MP for Fawkner
(1935–1949)

  Hon Philip McBride
(1892–1982)

Senator for South Australia
(1937–1944)

Notes

  1. ^ "Ministries and Cabinets". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
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