List of Australian Prime
Ministers Since 1901
Some interesting
facts:
-
There have been 30 Prime
Ministers and 45 elections up to 2018.
-
The 30 Prime Ministers have served 36
separate terms of office.
-
11 Prime Ministers have been defeated at
a general election: Deakin, Fisher,
Cook, Bruce, Scullin, Chifley, McMahon,
Fraser, Keating, Howard, Rudd.
-
10 Prime Ministers assumed the office
through winning an election: Fisher (2),
Cook, Scullin, Lyons, Menzies, Whitlam,
Hawke, Howard, Rudd, Abbott.
-
There have been 24 changes of Prime
Minister without an election. Reasons
include:
-
party-room coups (8):
Hughes, Menzies, Gorton, Hawke,
Rudd, Gillard, Abbott, Turnbull
-
defeat in Parliament (6):
Deakin (2), Watson, Reid, Fisher,
Fadden
-
voluntary departure (3):
Barton, Fisher, Menzies
-
death (3): Lyons,
Curtin, Holt
-
stop-gap leaders following
death of predecessor (3):
Page, Forde, McEwen
-
vice-regal intervention (1):
Whitlam
-
There have been 7 Prime Ministers who
never won an election: Watson, Reid,
Page, Fadden, Forde, McEwen, McMahon.
-
There have been 10 Opposition Leaders
who led their parties to elections but
never became Prime Minister: Tudor,
Charlton, Evatt, Calwell, Snedden,
Hayden, Peacock, Hewson, Beazley &
Latham.
Australian Prime
Ministers Since 1901 – by order
of term in 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 |
FT
|
18-08-04
|
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, 4 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
|
02-06-09
|
29-04-10
|
10 months, 28 days
|
Defeated at General Election |
|
Fisher,
Andrew |
ALP
|
29-04-10
|
24-06-13
|
3 years, 1 month, 26 days
|
Defeated at General Election |
6
|
Cook,
Joseph |
Lib
|
24-06-13
|
17-09-14
|
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
|
Country Party vetoed Hughes
as PM in coalition |
8
|
Bruce,
Stanley Melbourne |
Nat
|
09-02-23
|
22-10-29
|
6 years, 8 months, 14 days
|
Defeated and Lost Seat at
General Election |
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
|
26-04-39
|
20 days
|
Relinquished Position to new
UAP Leader |
12
|
Menzies,
Robert Gordon |
UAP
|
26-04-39
|
29-08-41
|
2 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
|
13-07-45
|
8 days
|
Relinquished Position to New
ALP 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 |
Lib
|
19-12-49
|
26-01-66
|
16 years, 1 month, 7 days
|
Retired |
17
|
Holt,
Harold Edward |
Lib
|
26-01-66
|
19-12-67
|
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 |
Lib
|
10-01-68
|
10-03-71
|
3 years, 2 months
|
Technically resigned as
leader but effectively deposed |
20
|
McMahon,
William |
Lib
|
10-03-71
|
05-12-72
|
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 Party 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
|
11-03-96
|
03-12-07
|
11 years, 8 months, 22 days
|
Defeated and Lost Seat at
General Election |
26
|
Rudd, Kevin
Michael |
ALP
|
03-12-07
|
24-06-10
|
2 years, 6 months, 21 days
|
Deposed as Party Leader |
27
|
Gillard,
Julia Eileen |
ALP
|
24-06-10
|
27-06-13
|
3 years, 3 days
|
Deposed as Party Leader |
|
Rudd,
Kevin Michael |
ALP
|
27-06-13
|
18-09-13
|
2 months, 22 days
|
Defeated at General Election |
28
|
Abbott,
Anthony John |
Lib
|
18-09-13
|
15-09-15
|
1 year, 11 months, 28 days
|
Deposed as Party Leader |
29
|
Turnbull,
Malcolm Bligh |
Lib
|
15-09-15
|
24-08-18
|
2 years, 11 months, 9 days
|
Deposed as Party Leader |
30
|
Morrison,
Scott John |
Lib
|
24-08-18
|
–
|
0 days
|
– |
|
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