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List of prime ministers of Australia

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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 (thirty men and one woman) 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 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.[9] The prime ministership of Frank Forde, who was prime minister for seven days in 1945, was the shortest in Australian history.[10] Menzies served the longest, with eighteen years over two non-consecutive periods.[11] The current prime minister is Anthony Albanese, who assumed office on 23 May 2022.[9] There are currently seven living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Bob Hawke, on 16 May 2019.[12]

List of prime ministers

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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

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  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
List of prime ministers of Australia
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency 		Election
(Parliament) 		Term of office Political
party 		Ministry Monarch Ref.
Took office Left office Tenure
1 Edmund Barton
(1849–1920)
MP for Hunter, NSW 		1901 (1st) 1 January 1901 24 September 1903 2 years, 266 days Protectionist Barton Victoria[a]
r. 1837–1901 		[13]
Edward VII[b]
r. 1901–1910
2 Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919)
MP for Ballaarat, Vic[c] 		— (1st) 24 September 1903 27 April 1904 216 days Protectionist Deakin I [14]
1903 (2nd)
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[c] 		— (2nd) 5 July 1905 13 November 1908 3 years, 131 days Protectionist Deakin II [14]
1906 (3rd)
5 Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		— (3rd) 13 November 1908 2 June 1909 201 days Labor Fisher I [17]
(2) Alfred Deakin
(1856–1919)
MP for Ballaarat, Vic[c] 		— (3rd) 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 331 days Liberal Deakin III [14]
(5) Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		1910 (4th) 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 3 years, 56 days Labor Fisher II [17]
George V[d]
r. 1910–1936
6 Joseph Cook
(1860–1947)
MP for Parramatta, NSW 		1913 (5th) 24 June 1913 17 September 1914 1 year, 85 days Liberal Cook [18]
(5) Andrew Fisher
(1862–1928)
MP for Wide Bay, Qld 		1914 (6th) 17 September 1914 27 October 1915 1 year, 40 days Labor Fisher III [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 9 February 1923 7 years, 105 days Labor Hughes I [19]
National Labor Hughes II
7 Nationalist Hughes III
1917 (7th) Hughes IV
1919 (8th) Hughes V
8 Stanley Bruce
(1883–1967)
MP for Flinders, Vic 		1922 (9th) 9 February 1923 22 October 1929 6 years, 255 days Nationalist
(Coalition) 		Bruce I [20]
1925 (10th) Bruce II
1928 (11th) Bruce III
9 James Scullin
(1876–1953)
MP for Yarra, Vic 		1929 (12th) 22 October 1929 6 January 1932 2 years, 76 days Labor Scullin [21]
10 Joseph Lyons
(1879–1939)
MP for Wilmot, Tas 		1931 (13th) 6 January 1932 7 April 1939[e] 7 years, 91 days United Australia Lyons I [22]
1934 (14th) Lyons II
— (14th) United Australia
(Coalition) 		Lyons III Edward VIII[f]
r. 1936
George VI[g]
r. 1936–1952
1937 (15th) Lyons IV
11 Earle Page
(1880–1961)
MP for Cowper, NSW 		— (15th) 7 April 1939 26 April 1939 19 days Country
(Coalition) 		Page [23]
12 Robert Menzies
(1894–1978)
MP for Kooyong, Vic 		— (15th) 26 April 1939 29 August 1941 2 years, 125 days United Australia Menzies I [24]
United Australia
(Coalition) 		Menzies II
1940 (16th) Menzies III
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 		— (16th) 7 October 1941 5 July 1945[e] 3 years, 271 days Labor Curtin I [26]
1943 (17th) Curtin II
15 Frank Forde
(1890–1983)
MP for Capricornia, Qld 		— (17th) 5 July 1945 13 July 1945 7 days Labor Forde [27]
16 Ben Chifley
(1885–1951)
MP for Macquarie, NSW 		— (17th) 13 July 1945 19 December 1949 4 years, 159 days Labor Chifley I [28]
1946 (18th) Chifley II
(12) Robert Menzies
(1894–1978)
MP for Kooyong, Vic 		1949 (19th) 19 December 1949 26 January 1966 16 years, 38 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Menzies IV [24]
1951 (20th) Menzies V
Elizabeth II[h]
r. 1952–2022
1954 (21st) Menzies VI
1955 (22nd) Menzies VII
1958 (23rd) Menzies VIII
1961 (24th) Menzies IX
1963 (25th) Menzies X
17 Harold Holt
(1908–1967)
MP for Higgins, Vic 		— (25th) 26 January 1966 17 December 1967[e] 1 year, 327 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Holt I [29]
1966 (26th) Holt II
18 John McEwen
(1900–1980)
MP for Murray, Vic 		— (26th) 19 December 1967 10 January 1968 22 days Country
(Coalition) 		McEwen [30]
19 John Gorton
(1911–2002)
MP for Higgins, Vic[i] 		— (26th) 10 January 1968 10 March 1971 3 years, 59 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Gorton I [32]
1969 (27th) Gorton II
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 Whitlam I [34]
— (28th) Whitlam II
1974 (29th) Whitlam III
22 Malcolm Fraser
(1930–2015)
MP for Wannon, Vic 		— (29th) 11 November 1975 11 March 1983 7 years, 120 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Fraser I [35]
1975 (30th) Fraser II
1977 (31st) Fraser III
1980 (32nd) Fraser IV
23 Bob Hawke
(1929–2019)
MP for Wills, Vic 		1983 (33rd) 11 March 1983 20 December 1991 8 years, 284 days Labor Hawke I [36]
1984 (34th) Hawke II
1987 (35th) Hawke III
1990 (36th) Hawke IV
24 Paul Keating
(b. 1944)
MP for Blaxland, NSW 		— (36th) 20 December 1991 11 March 1996 4 years, 82 days Labor Keating I [37]
1993 (37th) Keating II
25 John Howard
(b. 1939)
MP for Bennelong, NSW 		1996 (38th) 11 March 1996 3 December 2007 11 years, 267 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Howard I [38]
1998 (39th) Howard II
2001 (40th) Howard III
2004 (41st) Howard IV
26 Kevin Rudd
(b. 1957)
MP for Griffith, Qld 		2007 (42nd) 3 December 2007 24 June 2010 2 years, 203 days Labor Rudd I [39]
27 Julia Gillard
(b. 1961)
MP for Lalor, Vic 		— (42nd) 24 June 2010 27 June 2013 3 years, 3 days Labor Gillard I [40]
2010 (43rd) Gillard II
(26) Kevin Rudd
(b. 1957)
MP for Griffith, Qld 		— (43rd) 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 83 days Labor Rudd II [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]
29 Malcolm Turnbull
(b. 1954)
MP for Wentworth, NSW 		— (44th) 15 September 2015 24 August 2018 2 years, 343 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Turnbull I [42]
2016 (45th) Turnbull II
30 Scott Morrison
(b. 1968)
MP for Cook, NSW 		— (45th) 24 August 2018 23 May 2022 3 years, 272 days Liberal
(Coalition) 		Morrison I [43]
2019 (46th) Morrison II
31 Anthony Albanese
(b. 1963)
MP for Grayndler, NSW 		2022 (47th) 23 May 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 356 days[j] Labor Albanese I [44]
2025 (48th) Albanese II Charles III[k]
r. 2022–present

Timeline

[edit]
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

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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

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  • Each dark coloured bar denotes the time spent as prime minister
  • A light colour denotes time spent in Parliament before or after serving as prime minister
  • A grey colour bar denotes the time the prime minister spent outside Parliament, either before or after their political career

Notable moments

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Timeline

[edit]
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

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Notes

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  1. ^ Represented by Lord Hopetoun.
  2. ^ Represented by Lord Hopetoun from 1901 to 1902, Lord Northcote from 1902 to 1904, and Lord Dudley from 1904 to 1910.
  3. ^ a b c Ballarat was spelt Ballaarat until the 1973 election.
  4. ^ Represented by Lord Dudley from 1910 to 1911, Lord Denman from 1911 to 1914, Ronald Munro Ferguson from 1914 to 1920, Lord Forster from 1920 to 1925, Lord Stonehaven from 1925 to 1930, and Isaac Isaacs from 1930 to 1936.
  5. ^ a b c Died in office
  6. ^ Represented by Isaac Isaacs in January 1936 and by Lord Gowrie from January to December 1936.
  7. ^ Represented by Lord Gowrie from 1936 to 1945, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester from 1945 to 1947, and William McKell from 1947 to 1952.
  8. ^ Represented by William McKell from 1952 to 1953, Lord Slim from 1953 to 1960, Lord Dunrossil from 1960 to 1961, Lord De L'Isle from 1961 to 1965, Lord Casey from 1965 to 1969, Paul Hasluck from 1969 to 1974, John Kerr from 1974 to 1977, Zelman Cowen from 1977 to 1982, Ninian Stephen from 1982 to 1989, Bill Hayden from 1989 to 1996, William Deane from 1996 to 2001, Peter Hollingworth from 2001 to 2003, Michael Jeffery from 2003 to 2008, Quentin Bryce from 2008 to 2014, Peter Cosgrove from 2014 to 2019, and David Hurley from 2019 to 2022.
  9. ^ 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]
  10. ^ As of 14 May 2025
  11. ^ Represented by David Hurley from 2022 to 2024, and by Sam Mostyn since 2024.

References

[edit]
  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. ^ a b "Australia's Prime Ministers". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Australia's five shortest prime ministerships (and how they ended)". ABC News. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Robert Menzies | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dies aged 89". The Guardian. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. ^ Rutledge, Martha (1979). "Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  14. ^ a b c Norris, R. (1981). "Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  15. ^ Nairn, Bede (1990). "Watson, John Christian (1867–1941)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  16. ^ McMinn, W. G. (1988). "Sir George Houstoun Reid (1845–1918)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 11. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  17. ^ a b c Murphy, D. J. (1981). "Andrew Fisher (1862–1928)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 8. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  18. ^ Crowley, F. K. (1981). "Sir Joseph Cook (1860–1947)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 8. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  19. ^ Fitzhardinge, L. F. (1983). "William Morris (Billy) Hughes (1862–1952)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 9. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  20. ^ Radi, Heather (1979). "Bruce, Stanley Melbourne [Viscount Bruce] (1883–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  21. ^ Robertson, J. R. (1988). "Scullin, James Henry (1876–1953)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  22. ^ Hart, P. R.; Lloyd, C. J. (1986). "Lyons, Joseph Aloysius (1879–1939)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  23. ^ Bridge, Carl. "Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  24. ^ a b Martin, A. W. "Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  25. ^ Cribb, Margaret Bridson. "Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. 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 (1979). "Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 October 2008.


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