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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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