The Lodge, the official residence of the prime minister

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 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]

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. The 31st and current prime minister is Anthony Albanese, since 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.[10]

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

List of prime ministers of Australia
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency 		Election
(Parliament) 		Term of office Political
party 		Ministry Monarch Governor-General Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Edmund Barton
(1849–1920)
MP for Hunter, NSW 		1901 (1st) 1 January
1901 		24 September
1903 		2 years, 266 days Protectionist Barton Victoria Lord Hopetoun [13]
Edward VII
Lord Tennyson
2 Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919)
MP for Ballaarat, Vic[a] 		— (1st) 24 September
1903 		27 April
1904 		216 days Protectionist 1st Deakin [14]
1903 (2nd)
Lord Northcote
3 Chris Watson
(1867–1941)
MP for Bland, NSW 		— (2nd) 27 April
1904 		18 August
1904 		113 days Labor Watson [15]
4 George Reid
(1845–1918)
MP for East Sydney, NSW 		— (2nd) 18 August
1904 		5 July
1905 		321 days Free Trade Reid [16]
(2) Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919)
MP for Ballaarat, Vic[a] 		— (2nd) 5 July
1905 		13 November
1908 		3 years, 131 days Protectionist 2nd Deakin [14]
1906 (3rd)
Lord Dudley
5 Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		— (3rd) 13 November
1908 		2 June
1909 		201 days Labor 1st Fisher [17]
(2) Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919)
MP for Ballaarat, Vic[a] 		— (3rd) 2 June
1909 		29 April
1910 		331 days Liberal 3rd Deakin [14]
(5) Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		1910 (4th) 29 April
1910 		24 June
1913 		3 years, 56 days Labor 2nd Fisher [17]
George V
Lord Denman
6 Joseph Cook
(1860–1947)
MP for Parramatta, NSW 		1913 (5th) 24 June
1913 		17 September
1914 		1 year, 85 days Liberal Cook [18]
Ronald Munro Ferguson
(5) Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		1914 (6th) 17 September
1914 		27 October
1915 		1 year, 40 days Labor 3rd Fisher [17]
Billy Hughes
(1862–1952)
MP for West Sydney, NSW (until 1917)
MP for Bendigo, Vic (1917–22)
MP for North Sydney, NSW (from 1922) 		— (6th) 27 October
1915 		14 November
1916 		7 years, 105 days Labor 1st Hughes [19]
7 – (6th) 14 November
1916 		17 February
1917 		National Labor 2nd Hughes
– (6th) 17 February
1917 		9 February
1923 		Nationalist 3rd Hughes
1917 (7th) 4th Hughes
1919 (8th) 5th Hughes
Lord Forster
8 Stanley Bruce
(1883–1967)
MP for Flinders, Vic 		1922 (9th) 9 February
1923 		22 October
1929 		6 years, 255 days Nationalist
(Coalition) 		1st Bruce [20]
Lord Stonehaven
1925 (10th) 2nd Bruce
1928 (11th) 3rd Bruce
9 James Scullin
(1876–1953)
MP for Yarra, Vic 		1929 (12th) 22 October
1929 		6 January
1932 		2 years, 76 days Labor Scullin [21]
Sir Isaac Isaacs
10 Joseph Lyons
(1879–1939)
MP for Wilmot, Tas 		1931 (13th) 6 January
1932 		7 April
1939† 		7 years, 91 days United Australia 1st Lyons [22]
1934 (14th) 2nd Lyons
— (14th) United Australia
(Coalition) 		3rd Lyons
Edward VIII
Lord Gowrie
George VI
1937 (15th) 4th Lyons
11 Earle Page
(1880–1961)
MP for Cowper, NSW 		— (15th) 7 April
1939 		26 April
1939 		19 days Country
(Coalition) 		Page
(Caretaker) 		[23]
12 Robert Menzies
(1894–1978)
MP for Kooyong, Vic 		— (15th) 26 April
1939 		29 August
1941 		2 years, 125 days United Australia 1st Menzies [24]
United Australia
(Coalition) 		2nd Menzies
1940 (16th) 3rd Menzies
13 Arthur Fadden
(1894–1973)
MP for Darling Downs, Qld 		— (16th) 29 August
1941 		7 October
1941 		39 days Country
(Coalition) 		Fadden [25]
14 John Curtin
(1885–1945)
MP for Fremantle, WA 		— 7 October
1941 		5 July
1945† 		3 years, 271 days Labor 1st Curtin [26]
1943 (17th) 2nd Curtin
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
15 Frank Forde
(1890–1983)
MP for Capricornia, Qld 		— (17th) 5 July
1945 		13 July
1945 		7 days Labor Forde
(Caretaker) 		[27]
16 Ben Chifley
(1885–1951)
MP for Macquarie, NSW 		— (17th) 13 July
1945 		19 December
1949 		4 years, 159 days Labor 1st Chifley [28]
1946 (18th) 2nd Chifley
Sir William McKell
(12) Robert Menzies
(1894–1978)
MP for Kooyong, Vic 		1949 (19th) 19 December
1949 		26 January
1966 		16 years, 38 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		4th Menzies [24]
1951 (20th) 5th Menzies
Elizabeth II
Sir William Slim
1954 (21st) 6th Menzies
1955 (22nd) 7th Menzies
1958 (23rd) 8th Menzies
Lord Dunrossil
Lord De L'Isle
1961 (24th) 9th Menzies
1963 (25th) 10th Menzies
Lord Casey
17 Harold Holt
(1908–1967)
MP for Higgins, Vic 		— (25th) 26 January
1966 		17 December
1967† 		1 year, 327 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Holt [29]
1966 (26th) 2nd Holt
18 John McEwen
(1900–1980)
MP for Murray, Vic 		— (26th) 19 December
1967 		10 January
1968 		22 days Country
(Coalition) 		McEwen
(Caretaker) 		[30]
19 John Gorton
(1911–2002)
MP for Higgins, Vic[b] 		— (26th) 10 January
1968 		10 March
1971 		3 years, 59 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Gorton [32]
Sir Paul Hasluck
1969 (27th) 2nd Gorton
20 William McMahon
(1908–1988)
MP for Lowe, NSW 		— (27th) 10 March
1971 		5 December
1972 		1 year, 270 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		McMahon [33]
21 Gough Whitlam
(1916–2014)
MP for Werriwa, NSW 		1972 (28th) 5 December
1972 		11 November
1975 		2 years, 341 days Labor 1st Whitlam [34]
— (28th) 2nd Whitlam
1974 (29th) 3rd Whitlam
Sir John Kerr
22 Malcolm Fraser
(1930–2015)
MP for Wannon, Vic 		— (29th) 11 November
1975 		11 March
1983 		7 years, 120 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Fraser [35]
1975 (30th) 2nd Fraser
Sir Zelman Cowen
1977 (31st) 3rd Fraser
1980 (32nd) 4th Fraser
Sir Ninian Stephen
23 Bob Hawke
(1929–2019)
MP for Wills, Vic 		1983 (33rd) 11 March
1983 		20 December
1991 		8 years, 284 days Labor 1st Hawke [36]
1984 (34th) 2nd Hawke
1987 (35th) 3rd Hawke
Bill Hayden
1990 (36th) 4th Hawke
24 Paul Keating
(b. 1944)
MP for Blaxland, NSW 		— (36th) 20 December
1991 		11 March
1996 		4 years, 82 days Labor 1st Keating [37]
1993 (37th) 2nd Keating
Sir William Deane
25 John Howard
(b. 1939)
MP for Bennelong, NSW 		1996 (38th) 11 March
1996 		3 December
2007 		11 years, 267 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Howard [38]
1998 (39th) 2nd Howard
Peter Hollingworth
2001 (40th) 3rd Howard
Michael Jeffery
2004 (41st) 4th Howard
26 Kevin Rudd
(b. 1957)
MP for Griffith, Qld 		2007 (42nd) 3 December
2007 		24 June
2010 		2 years, 203 days Labor 1st Rudd [39]
Dame Quentin Bryce
27 Julia Gillard
(b. 1961)
MP for Lalor, Vic 		— (42nd) 24 June
2010 		27 June
2013 		3 years, 3 days Labor 1st Gillard [40]
2010 (43rd) 2nd Gillard
(26) Kevin Rudd
(b. 1957)
MP for Griffith, Qld 		— (43rd) 27 June
2013 		18 September
2013 		83 days Labor 2nd Rudd [39]
28 Tony Abbott
(b. 1957)
MP for Warringah, NSW 		2013 (44th) 18 September
2013 		15 September
2015 		1 year, 362 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Abbott [41]
Sir Peter Cosgrove
29 Malcolm Turnbull
(b. 1954)
MP for Wentworth, NSW 		— (44th) 15 September
2015 		24 August
2018 		2 years, 343 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Turnbull [42]
2016 (45th) 2nd Turnbull
30
Scott Morrison portrait.jpg
 Scott Morrison
(b. 1968)
MP for Cook, NSW 		— (45th) 24 August
2018 		23 May
2022 		3 years, 272 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		1st Morrison [43]
2019 (46th) 2nd Morrison
David Hurley
31 Anthony Albanese
(b. 1963)
MP for Grayndler, NSW 		2022 (47th) 23 May
2022 		Incumbent 1 year, 266 days[c] Labor Albanese [44]
Charles III

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

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. ^ a b c Ballarat was spelt Ballaarat until the 1973 election.
  2. ^ 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]
  3. ^ As of 13 February 2024

References

  1. ^ "The Ministry". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Prime Minister". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Governor-General - Parliamentary Education Office". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Elections and voting in Australia" (PDF). Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Australia's PMs and how they left office". SBS News. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Infosheet 18 - Double dissolution". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Australia's Prime Ministers". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dies aged 89". The Guardian. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Australia's five shortest prime ministerships (and how they ended)". ABC News. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Robert Menzies | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  13. ^ Rutledge, Martha. "Barton, Sir Edmund (Toby) (1849–1920)". Barton, Sir Edmund (1849–1920). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  14. ^ a b c 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.
  15. ^ Nairn, Bede (1990). "Watson, John Christian (1867–1941)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  16. ^ McMinn, W. G. Reid, Sir George Houstoun (1845–1918). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  17. ^ a b c Murphy, D. J. Fisher, Andrew (1862–1928). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Crowley, F. K. Cook, Sir Joseph (1860–1947). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Fitzhardinge, L. F. Hughes, William Morris (Billy) (1862–1952). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  20. ^ Radi, Heather (1979). "Bruce, Stanley Melbourne [Viscount Bruce] (1883–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  21. ^ Robertson, J. R. (1988). "Scullin, James Henry (1876–1953)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  22. ^ Hart, P. R.; Lloyd, C. J. (1986). "Lyons, Joseph Aloysius (1879–1939)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  23. ^ Bridge, Carl. "Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  24. ^ a b 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Serle, Geoffrey, "Curtin, John (1885–1945)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
  27. ^ 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
  28. ^ 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
  29. ^ Hancock, I. R., "Holt, Harold Edward (1908–1967)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
  30. ^ Lloyd, C. J., "McEwen, Sir John (1900–1980)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
  31. ^ Williams, Evan (11 March 2020). "From the Archives, 1968: The day the PM became an MP". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  32. ^ "John Gorton | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  33. ^ Leeser, Julian, "McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
  34. ^ "Gough Whitlam | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Malcolm Fraser | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Bob Hawke | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Paul Keating | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  38. ^ "John Howard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  39. ^ a b "Kevin Rudd | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  40. ^ "Julia Gillard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  41. ^ "Tony Abbott | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  42. ^ "Malcolm Turnbull | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  43. ^ "Scott Morrison | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  44. ^ "Anthony Albanese | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  45. ^ Rutledge, Martha. "Barton, Sir Edmund (Toby) (1849–1920)". Barton, Sir Edmund (1849–1920). Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)


External links

Prime ministers of Australia (list)
Lists of prime ministers of Australia
Category