List of prime ministers of Australia
Thirty people have served as Prime Minister of Australia since the office was created in 1901.[1]
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.
Since the office was established in 1901, 29 men and one woman have served as 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 30th and current prime minister is Scott Morrison (since 24 August 2018). There are currently six living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Bob Hawke, on 16 May 2019.
The prime ministership of Frank Forde, who was replaced 7 days after taking office in 1945, was the shortest in Australian history. Robert Menzies served the longest, over eighteen years.
Of those who have served as the nation's prime minister, three died in office (Joseph Lyons, John Curtin and Harold Holt), one was dismissed (Gough Whitlam) and six resigned following leadership spills (John Gorton, Bob Hawke, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull).
List of officeholders
- Political parties
Australian Labor Party
Liberal Party of Australia
Australian Country Party
Nationalist Party
United Australia Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
National Labor Party
Free Trade Party
Protectionist Party
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Elected | Term of office | Political party | Electorate served | Ministry | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||||
| 1 |  |
Edmund Barton (1849–1920) |
1901 | 1 January 1901 |
24 September 1903 |
2 years, 266 days | Protectionist | Hunter, NSW, 1901–1903 (resigned) |
Barton | [2] |
| 2 |  |
Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) |
1903 | 24 September 1903 |
27 April 1904 |
216 days | Protectionist | Ballaarat, Vic,[lower-alpha 1] 1901–1913 (retired) |
1st Deakin | [3] |
| 3 |  |
Chris Watson (1867–1941) |
— | 27 April 1904 |
18 August 1904 |
113 days | Labor | Bland, NSW, 1901–1906 South Sydney, NSW, 1906–1910 (retired) |
Watson | [4] |
| 4 |  |
George Reid (1845–1918) |
— | 18 August 1904 |
5 July 1905 |
321 days | Free Trade | East Sydney, NSW, 1901–1909 (resigned) |
Reid | [5] |
| (2) |  |
Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) |
1906 | 5 July 1905 |
13 November 1908 |
3 years, 131 days | Protectionist | Ballaarat, Vic,[lower-alpha 1] 1901–1913 (retired) |
2nd Deakin | |
| 5 |  |
Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) |
— | 13 November 1908 |
2 June 1909 |
201 days | Labor | Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned) |
1st Fisher | [6] |
| (2) | .tif.png.webp) |
Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) |
— | 2 June 1909 |
29 April 1910 |
331 days | Commonwealth Liberal | Ballaarat, Vic,[lower-alpha 1] 1901–1913 (retired) |
3rd Deakin | |
| (5) | .jpg.webp) |
Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) |
1910 | 29 April 1910 |
24 June 1913 |
3 years,
56 days |
Labor | Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned) |
2nd Fisher | |
| 6 |  |
Joseph Cook (1860–1947) |
1913 | 24 June 1913 |
17 September 1914 |
1 year,
85 days |
Commonwealth Liberal | Parramatta, NSW, 1901–1921 (resigned) |
Cook | [7] |
| (5) |  |
Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) |
1914 | 17 September 1914 |
27 October 1915 |
1 year,
40 days |
Labor | Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned) |
3rd Fisher | |
 |
Billy Hughes (1862–1952) |
— | 27 October 1915 |
14 November 1916 |
7 years, 105 days | Labor | West Sydney, NSW, 1901–1917 Bendigo, Vic, 1917–1922 North Sydney, NSW, 1922–1949 Bradfield, NSW, 1949–1952 (died) |
1st Hughes | [8] | |
| 7 | — | 14 November 1916 |
17 February 1917 |
National Labor | 2nd Hughes | |||||
| — | 17 February 1917 |
9 February 1923 |
Nationalist | 3rd Hughes | ||||||
| 1917 | 4th Hughes | |||||||||
| 1919 | 5th Hughes | |||||||||
| 8 |  |
Stanley Bruce (1883–1967) |
1922 | 9 February 1923 |
22 October 1929 |
6 years, 255 days | Nationalist (Coalition) |
Flinders, Vic, 1918–1929 (defeated) ; 1931–1933 (resigned) |
1st Bruce | [9] |
| 1925 | 2nd Bruce | |||||||||
| 1928 | 3rd Bruce | |||||||||
| 9 |  |
James Scullin (1876–1953) |
1929 | 22 October 1929 |
6 January 1932 |
2 years,
76 days |
Labor | Corangamite, Vic, 1910–1913 (defeated) Yarra, Vic, 1922–1949 (retired) |
Scullin | [10] |
| 10 |  |
Joseph Lyons (1879–1939) |
1931 | 6 January 1932 |
7 April 1939 † |
7 years,
91 days |
United Australia (Coalition post-1934) |
Wilmot, Tas, 1929–1939 (died) |
1st Lyons | [11] |
| 1934 | 2nd Lyons | |||||||||
| — | 3rd Lyons | |||||||||
| 1937 | 4th Lyons | |||||||||
| 11 |  |
Earle Page (1880–1961) |
— | 7 April 1939 |
26 April 1939 |
19 days | Country (Coalition) |
Cowper, NSW 1919–1961 (defeated) |
Page | [12] |
| 12 |  |
Robert Menzies (1894–1978) |
— | 26 April 1939 |
29 August 1941 |
2 years, 125 days | United Australia (Coalition post-1940) |
Kooyong, Vic, 1934–1966 (resigned) |
1st Menzies | [13] |
| 2nd Menzies | ||||||||||
| 1940 | 3rd Menzies | |||||||||
| 13 |  |
Arthur Fadden (1894–1973) |
— | 29 August 1941 |
7 October 1941 |
39 days | Country (Coalition) |
Darling Downs, Qld 1936–1949 McPherson, Qld 1949–1958 (retired) |
Fadden | [14] |
| 14 |  |
John Curtin (1885–1945) |
— | 7 October 1941 |
5 July 1945 † |
3 years, 271 days | Labor | Fremantle, WA, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1934–1945 (died) |
1st Curtin | |
| 1943 | 2nd Curtin | |||||||||
| 15 |  |
Frank Forde (1890–1983) |
— | 6 July 1945 |
13 July 1945 |
7 days | Labor | Capricornia, Qld, 1922–1946 (defeated) |
Forde | |
| 16 |  |
Ben Chifley (1885–1951) |
— | 13 July 1945 |
19 December 1949 |
4 years, 159 days | Labor | Macquarie, NSW, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1940–1951 (died) |
1st Chifley | |
| 1946 | 2nd Chifley | |||||||||
| (12) |  |
Robert Menzies (1894–1978) |
1949 | 19 December 1949 |
26 January 1966 |
16 years, 38 days | Liberal (Coalition) |
Kooyong, Vic, 1934–1966 (resigned) |
4th Menzies | |
| 1951 | 5th Menzies | |||||||||
| 1954 | 6th Menzies | |||||||||
| 1955 | 7th Menzies | |||||||||
| 1958 | 8th Menzies | |||||||||
| 1961 | 9th Menzies | |||||||||
| 1963 | 10th Menzies | |||||||||
| 17 |  |
Harold Holt (1908–1967) |
— | 26 January 1966 |
19 December 1967 † |
1 year,
327 days |
Liberal (Coalition) |
Fawkner, Vic, 1935–1949 Higgins, Vic, 1949–1967 (died) |
1st Holt | |
| 1966 | 2nd Holt | |||||||||
| 18 |  |
John McEwen (1900–1980) |
— | 19 December 1967 |
10 January 1968 |
22 days | Country (Coalition) |
Echuca, Vic, 1934–1937 Indi, Vic, 1937–1949 Murray, Vic, 1949–1971 (resigned) |
McEwen | |
| 19 |  |
John Gorton (1911–2002) |
— | 10 January 1968 |
10 March 1971 |
3 years,
59 days |
Liberal (Coalition) |
Senator 1950–1968 (resigned)[lower-alpha 2] MP for Higgins, Vic, |
1st Gorton | |
| 1969 | 2nd Gorton | |||||||||
| 20 | .jpg.webp) |
William McMahon (1908–1988) |
— | 10 March 1971 |
5 December 1972 |
1 year,
270 days |
Liberal (Coalition) |
Lowe, NSW, 1949–1982 (resigned) |
McMahon | |
| 21 |  |
Gough Whitlam (1916–2014) |
1972 | 5 December 1972 |
11 November 1975 |
2 years, 341 days | Labor | Werriwa, NSW, 1952–1978 (resigned) |
1st Whitlam | |
| — | 2nd Whitlam | |||||||||
| 1974 | 3rd Whitlam | |||||||||
| 22 |  |
Malcolm Fraser (1930–2015) |
— | 11 November 1975 |
11 March 1983 |
7 years, 120 days | Liberal (Coalition) |
Wannon, Vic, 1955–1983 (resigned) |
1st Fraser | |
| 1975 | 2nd Fraser | |||||||||
| 1977 | 3rd Fraser | |||||||||
| 1980 | 4th Fraser | |||||||||
| 23 |  |
Bob Hawke (1929–2019) |
1983 | 11 March 1983 |
20 December 1991 |
8 years, 284 days | Labor | Wills, Vic, 1980–1992 (resigned) |
1st Hawke | |
| 1984 | 2nd Hawke | |||||||||
| 1987 | 3rd Hawke | |||||||||
| 1990 | 4th Hawke | |||||||||
| 24 |  |
Paul Keating (b. 1944) |
— | 20 December 1991 |
11 March 1996 |
4 years,
82 days |
Labor | Blaxland, NSW, 1969–1996 (resigned) |
1st Keating | |
| 1993 | 2nd Keating | |||||||||
| 25 |  |
John Howard (b. 1939) |
1996 | 11 March 1996 |
3 December 2007 |
11 years, 267 days | Liberal (Coalition) |
Bennelong, NSW, 1974–2007 (defeated) |
1st Howard | |
| 1998 | 2nd Howard | |||||||||
| 2001 | 3rd Howard | |||||||||
| 2004 | 4th Howard | |||||||||
| 26 |  |
Kevin Rudd (b. 1957) |
2007 | 3 December 2007 |
24 June 2010 |
2 years, 203 days | Labor | Griffith, Qld, 1998–2013 (resigned) |
1st Rudd | |
| 27 |  |
Julia Gillard (b. 1961) |
— | 24 June 2010 |
27 June 2013 |
3 years,
3 days |
Labor | Lalor, Vic, 1998–2013 (retired) |
1st Gillard | |
| 2010 | 2nd Gillard | |||||||||
| (26) | |
Kevin Rudd (b. 1957) |
— | 27 June 2013 |
18 September 2013 |
83 days | Labor | Griffith, Qld, 1998–2013 (resigned) |
2nd Rudd | |
| 28 |  |
Tony Abbott (b. 1957) |
2013 | 18 September 2013 |
15 September 2015 |
1 year,
362 days |
Liberal (Coalition) |
Warringah, NSW, 1994–2019 (defeated) |
Abbott | |
| 29 | .jpg.webp) |
Malcolm Turnbull (b. 1954) |
— | 15 September 2015 |
24 August 2018 |
2 years, 343 days | Liberal (Coalition) |
Wentworth, NSW, 2004–2018 (resigned) |
1st Turnbull | |
| 2016 | 2nd Turnbull | |||||||||
| 30 |  |
Scott Morrison (b. 1968) |
— | 24 August 2018 |
Incumbent | 2 years, 162 days[lower-alpha 4] | Liberal (Coalition) |
Cook, NSW, since 2007 |
1st Morrison | |
| 2019 | 2nd Morrison | |||||||||
Timeline
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
Prime Ministers of Australia (1901–today)
See also
- Politics of Australia
- History of Australia
- List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office
- List of Prime Ministers of Australia (graphical)
- Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia
Notes
- The Electoral Division of Ballaarat was spelled with a double a until 1977.
- Gorton was elected to the Senate at the general election of 10 December 1949, but his term did not commence until 22 February 1950. He was appointed Prime Minister on 10 January 1968; resigned from the Senate on 1 February; and was elected to the House of Representatives at a by-election on 24 February.
- Gorton retired from the House of Representatives at the double dissolution of 11 November 1975, and stood for an Australian Capital Territory Senate seat as an independent at the general election of 13 December 1975, but was unsuccessful.
- Scott Morrison's time in office as of 2 February 2021
References
- "Prime Minister". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- Rutledge.
- Norris 1981.
- Nairn 1990.
- McMinn.
- Murphy.
- Crowley.
- Fitzhardinge.
- Radi 1979.
- Robertson 1988.
- Hart 1986.
- Bridge.
- Martin.
- Cribb.
Bibliography
- Bridge, Carl. "Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Cribb, Margaret Bridson. "Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Crowley, F. K. "Cook, Sir Joseph (1860–1947)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
- Fitzhardinge, L. F. "Hughes, William Morris (Billy) (1862–1952)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
- Hart, P. R. (1986). "Lyons, Joseph Aloysius (1879–1939)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Martin, A. W. "Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- McMinn, W. G. "Reid, Sir George Houstoun (1845–1918)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
- Murphy, D. J. "Fisher, Andrew (1862–1928)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
- Nairn, Bede (1990). "Watson, John Christian (1867–1941)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Norris, R. (1981). "Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Radi, Heather (1979). "Bruce, Stanley Melbourne [Viscount Bruce] (1883–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Robertson, J. R. (1988). "Scullin, James Henry (1876–1953)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Rutledge, Martha. "Barton, Sir Edmund (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
External links
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