I was musing on which Australian PM was our first home grown one to actually be born here in Australia? and was wildly out, having come up in my mind with Joseph Scullin. Not so, in fact it was our very first incumbent of that office Edmund Barton.
Here is the list of the 26 men who have held that high office.
No. Name/ Party/ Began/ Left/ Length/ Method of Departure.
1. Barton,
Edmund Prot 01-01-01 24-09 -03 2 years
8 months 24 days
Appointed Justice of High Court.
2. Deakin,
Alfred Prot 24-09-03 27-04-04 7 months 4 days
Resigned Following House Amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration Bill.
3. Watson,
John Christian ALP 27-04-04 17-08-04 3 months
21 days Resigned Following House Amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration Bill and Governor-General's Refusal To Dissolve House.
4. Reid,
George Houston FT18-08-04 05-07-05 10 months
18 days Resigned Following House Amendment of Address-In-Reply and Governor-General's Refusal to Dissolve House.
Deakin,
Alfred Prot 05-07-05 13-11-08 3 years
44 months
9 days Defeated on Floor of House.
5. Fisher,
Andrew ALP 13-11-08 02-06-09 6 months
21 days Resigned Following Defeat on Floor of House and Governor-General's Refusal to Dissolve House.
Deakin,
Alfred Lib 02-06-0929-04-10 10 months
28 days Defeated at General Election.
Fisher,
Andrew ALP 29-4-10 24-06-13 3 years
1 month
26 days Defeated at General Election.
6. Cook,
Joseph Lib 24-06-1317-09-14 1 year
2 months
25 days Defeated at General Election.
Fisher,
Andrew ALP 17-09-14 27-10-15 1 year
1 month
11 days Resigned, Appointed High Commissioner to London.
7. Hughes, William Morris ALP
Nat 27-10-15 09-02-23 7 years
3 months
14 days Deposed as Leader.
8. Bruce,
Stanley Melbourne Na 09-02-23 22-10-29 6 years
8 months
14 days Lost seat at General Election. ( the first PM to do so )
9. Scullin,
James Henry ALP 22-10-29 06-01-32 2 years
2 months
16 days Defeated at General Election Following Party Split.
10. Lyons,
Joseph Aloysius UAP 06-01-32 07-04-39 7 years
3 months
2 days Died in Office.
11. Page,
Earle Christmas Grafton CP 07-04-39 26-04-3920 days Relinquished position to new UAP Leader.
12. Menzies,
Robert Gordon UAP 26-04-3 29-08-4 12 years
4 months
4 days Resigned.
13. Fadden,
Arthur William CP 29-08-41 07-10-41 1 month
9 days Defeated on Floor of House.
14. Curtin,
John ALP 07-10-41 05-07-45 3 years
8 months
29 days Died in Office.
15. Forde,
Francis Michael ALP 06-07-45 13-07-4 8 days Relinquished Position to New Leader.
16. Chifley,
Joseph Benedict ALP 13-07-45 19-12-49 4 years
5 months
7 days Defeated at General Election.
Menzies,
Robert Gordon Lib19-12-49 26-01-66 16 years
1 month
8 days Retired.
17. Holt,
Harold Edward Lib26-01-6619-12-67 1 year
10 months
23 days Missing, presumed drowned.
18. McEwen,
John CP 19-12-67 10-01-68 23 days Relinquished Position to New Liberal Leader.
19. Gorton,
John Grey Lib10-01-68 10-03-71 3 years
2 months Deposed as Leader
20. McMahon,
William Lib10-03-71 05-12-7 1 year
8 months
25 days Defeated at General Election.
21. Whitlam,
Edward Gough ALP 05-12-72 11-11-75 2 years
11 months
7 days Commission Terminated by Governor-General.
22. Fraser,
John Malcolm Lib 11-11-75 11-03-83 7 years
4 months Defeated at General Election.
23. Hawke,
Robert James Lee ALP 11-03-83 20-12-91 8 years
9 months
9 days Deposed as Leader.
24. Keating,
Paul John ALP 20-12-91 11-03-96 4 years
2 months
20 days Defeated at General Election.
25. Howard,
John Winston Lib 11-3-96 0 3-12-07 11 years
8 months
22 days Defeated at General Election. ( only the second PM in our history to lose his seat at an election )
26. Rudd,
Kevin Michael ALP 03-12-07---Present.
I have both met and known 14, just over 50% of these 26 Prime Ministers, most of them during my time as Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency the Governor General of Australia, over 1950/1953.
Who were on the top and bottom of my list that I knew, without any reservation, Robert Gordon Menzies sits at the top, head and shoulders above all others, and at the other end, probably a dead heat between Sir Earle Page and William McMahon, both eminently forgetable.
