/year

Prime Minister of Australia

Head of Government of Australia

77 dated entries naming Prime Minister of Australia, drawn from 57 separate years between 1845 CE and 2022 CE. Nothing here is written by us: each line is the sentence a Wikipedia year article used, and the link beside it opens the exact revision.

Also written as Australian Prime Minister in the source articles; Wikipedia redirects those to the same subject, so their entries are on this page.

JSONWikipedia articleWikidata Q319145

19th century

  • 1845February 25 – Sir George Reid, 4th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1918)source
  • 1849January 18 – Sir Edmund Barton, 1st Prime Minister of Australia (died 1920)source
  • 1856August 3 – Alfred Deakin, 2nd Prime Minister of Australia (died 1919)source
  • 1862August 29 – Andrew Fisher, 5th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1928)source
  • 1862September 25 – Billy Hughes, 7th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1952)source
  • 1867April 9 – Chris Watson, 3rd Prime Minister of Australia (died 1941)source
  • 1879September 15 – Joseph Lyons, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, Premier of Tasmania (died 1939)source
  • 1880August 8 – Sir Earle Page, 11th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1961)source
  • 1883April 15 – Stanley Bruce, 8th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1967)source
  • 1885January 8 – John Curtin, 14th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1945)source
  • 1885September 22 – Ben Chifley, 16th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1951)source
  • 1894December 20 – Sir Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1978)source

20th century

  • 1901January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minister of Australia.source
  • 19011 January – The Constitution of Australia comes into force, as the federation of Australia is complete. John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun appoints Edmund Barton as the first Prime Minister following the Hopetoun blunder of 1900. Hopetoun had himself been commissioned as the first Governor-General of Australia by Queen Victoria in letters patent dated 29 October 1900 prior to the Constitution coming into force.source
  • 190418 August – Chris Watson resigns as the first Labor prime minister and is succeeded by George Reid of the Free Trade Party.source
  • 1905July 5 – Alfred Deakin takes office as the new Prime Minister of Australia.source
  • 19055 July – Alfred Deakin resumes office as Prime Minister of Australia after George Reid is unable to form a stable ministry.source
  • 1908August 5 – Harold Holt, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1967)source
  • 1911September 9 – Sir John Gorton, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (died 2002)source
  • 191324 June — Joseph Cook becomes the 6th prime minister.source
  • 1916July 11 – Gough Whitlam, 21st Prime Minister of Australia (died 2014)source
  • 1916November 13 – Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes is expelled from the Labor Party over his support for conscription.source
  • 1919October 7 – Alfred Deakin, 2nd Prime Minister of Australia (born 1856)source
  • 1920January 7 – Sir Edmund Barton, 1st prime minister of Australia (born 1849)source
  • 1923February 9 – Billy Hughes, having resigned as Prime Minister of Australia, after the Country Party refuses to govern in coalition with him as the leader of the Nationalist Party, is succeeded by Stanley Bruce. A Liberal–National Coalition will persist in the politics of Australia for at least 100 years.source
  • 1929October 12 – 1929 Australian federal election: The Labor Party, led by James Scullin, defeats the Nationalist/Country Coalition Government, led by Prime Minister Stanley Bruce. Scullin will be sworn in on October 22. Notably, this is the first occasion in Australian political history where a sitting prime minister loses his own seat (the second being John Howard in 2007).source
  • 1929December 9 – Bob Hawke, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (died 2019)source
  • 1931December 19 – The UAP/Country Coalition, led by Joseph Lyons, defeats the Australian Labor Government, led by Prime Minister James Scullin. Coming in the aftermath of two splits in the Labor Party, the election comes about due to the defeat of the Scullin government on the floor of the House of Representatives – to date, it is the last federal election where a one-term government was defeated. Lyons will be sworn in January 6th the following year, but not before disbanding the Coalition, after the UAP wins enough seats to form a government in its own right.source
  • 1934September 15 – 1934 Australian federal election: Joseph Lyons' UAP government is re-elected with a decreased majority, defeating the Labor Party, led by former Prime Minister James Scullin. Consequently, Lyons is forced to resume the Coalition with the Country Party, and include them in his government. Scullin steps down from the Labor leadership shortly after; he is replaced by future Prime Minister John Curtin.source
  • 1939April 7 – Joseph Lyons, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, dies in office from a heart attack at the age of 59. He is briefly replaced by his deputy Earle Page, who serves as the 11th Prime Minister, until a UAP leadership election is held to replace Lyons.source
  • 1939April 7 – Joseph Lyons, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, Premier of Tasmania (born 1879)source
  • 1939April 18 – Robert Menzies is elected leader of the United Australia Party, and consequently becomes the 12th Prime Minister of Australia, defeating former Prime Minister Billy Hughes. However, he will not be sworn in until April 26, because of the refusal of Earle Page and his Country Party to serve under him.source
  • 1939July 26 – John Howard, 25th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1941August 29 – Robert Menzies resigns as Prime Minister of Australia, after losing the support of his party. He will not return to the Prime Ministership until 1949. Arthur Fadden, leader of the Country Party, consequently becomes Prime Minister, while former Prime Minister Billy Hughes replaces Menzies as UAP leader.source
  • 1941October 7 – John Curtin becomes the 14th Prime Minister of Australia, following the defeat of Arthur Fadden's Country/UAP Coalition government, on the floor of the House of Representatives.source
  • 1943August 21 – 1943 Australian federal election: John Curtin's Labor government defeats the Country/UAP Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Arthur Fadden. Labor achieves its greatest ever electoral result, including winning every seat (except one) outside of the eastern states. Notably, this election marked the first time that a woman has been elected to both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Fadden will step down from the Opposition leadership, handing it over to Robert Menzies, who will go on to dissolve the UAP and form the Liberal Party shortly after.source
  • 1944January 18 – Paul Keating, 24th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1945July 12 – Ben Chifley is elected leader of the Labor Party, and consequently becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Australia, defeating Frank Forde as well as Norman Makin and H.V. Evatt. As a result, Forde becomes the shortest-serving prime minister in Australian history; nevertheless, he retains his post as deputy leader.source
  • 1949December 10 – 1949 Australian federal election: The Liberal/Country Coalition led by Robert Menzies defeats the Labor government, led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Menzies is sworn in on December 19, his second stint as prime minister; he will hold the office for over 16 years until his retirement in 1966 and Labor will not win office again until 1972, under Gough Whitlam.source
  • 1951April 28 – 1951 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies' Liberal/Country Coalition Government is re-elected with a decreased majority, defeating the Labor Party, led by former Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Chifley dies a little over a month after the election; he will be replaced by his deputy H. V. Evatt.source
  • 1951June 13 – Ben Chifley, Australian politician, 16th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1885)source
  • 1952October 28 – Billy Hughes, Australian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1862)source
  • 1953January 28 – James Scullin, 9th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1876)source
  • 1954October 24 – Malcolm Turnbull, 29th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1957September 21 – Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1957November 4 – Tony Abbott, 28th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1961September 29 – Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1961December 9 – 1961 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies' Liberal/Country Coalition Government is re-elected with a one-seat majority, narrowly defeating the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell. One of the closest election results in Australian history, such a result will not be replicated again until 2016. Notably, former Prime Minister Earle Page loses his seat, although he dies a few days later, never knowing the result.source
  • 1963March 2 – Anthony Albanese, 31st Prime Minister of Australiasource
  • 1963November 30 – 1963 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies' Liberal/Country Coalition Government is re-elected with an increased majority to an unprecedented eighth term in office, defeating the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell. (This would be the final lower house election won by Menzies, who would retire from office during the term as the longest-serving Prime Minister in Australian history; he would be replaced by Harold Holt.)source
  • 1964December 5 – Australian Senate election, 1964: The Liberal/Country Coalition Government led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies hold their status quo, while the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell lose one seat to the Democratic Labor Party, who hold the balance of power in the Senate alongside independent Reg Turnbull.source
  • 1966January 26 – 1966 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election: Harold Holt is elected leader of the Liberal Party of Australia unopposed when Sir Robert Menzies retires after an unprecedented 16 years in office; consequently Holt becomes Prime Minister of Australia six days later.source
  • 1966November 26 – 1966 Australian federal election: Harold Holt's Liberal/Country Coalition government is re-elected with a significantly increased majority, defeating the Labor Party led by Arthur Calwell. Calwell resigns as Labor leader shortly after; he will be replaced by his deputy and future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.source
  • 1967August 25 – Stanley Bruce, 8th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1883)source
  • 1967November 25 – 1967 Australian Senate election: The Liberal/Country Coalition government led by Prime Minister Harold Holt lost two seats, while the Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam failed to make any gains. The Democratic Labor Party won the two seats from the Liberals and gained the sole balance of power in the Senate.source
  • 1967December 17 – Harold Holt, 17th Prime Minister of Australia, disappears when swimming at Cheviot Beach, 60 km from Melbourne. He was briefly replaced as prime minister by John McEwen, until the Liberal Party elected Minister for Education and Science John Gorton as leader.source
  • 1968January 10 – John Gorton is sworn in as 19th Prime Minister of Australia, taking over from John McEwen after being elected leader of the Liberal Party the previous day, following the disappearance of Harold Holt. Gorton becomes the only Senator to become Prime Minister, though he immediately transfers to the House of Representatives through the 1968 Higgins by-election in Holt's vacant seat.source
  • 1969October 25 – 1969 Australian federal election: John Gorton's Liberal/Country Coalition government is narrowly re-elected with a sharply reduced majority, defeating a resurgent Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam. Prime Minister Gorton survived a leadership challenge by his deputy William McMahon as well as David Fairbairn in the immediate aftermath of the election.source
  • 1970November 21 – 1970 Australian Senate election: The Liberal/Country Coalition government led by Prime Minister John Gorton and the Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam each end up with 26 seats, both suffering a swing against them. The Democratic Labor Party wins an additional seat and holds the balance of power in the Senate. This is the last occasion on which a Senate election is held without an accompanying House of Representatives election.source
  • 1972December 2 – 1972 Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam defeats the Liberal/Country Coalition government led by Prime Minister William McMahon. Consequently, Whitlam becomes the first Labor Prime Minister of Australia since the defeat of Ben Chifley in 1949. Whitlam will be sworn in on December 5; his first action using executive power is to withdraw all Australian personnel from the Vietnam War. McMahon resigns from the Liberal leadership almost immediately; he will be replaced by outgoing Treasurer Billy Snedden.source
  • 1974May 18 – 1974 Australian federal election: Gough Whitlam's Labor government is re-elected with a reduced majority, defeating the Liberal/Country Coalition led by Billy Snedden. Whitlam consequently becomes the first Labor Prime Minister to be re-elected in his own right. The Democratic Labor Party meanwhile loses all five of their Senate seats, effectively wiping them out as a political force.source
  • 1975November 11 – Australian constitutional crisis of 1975: Governor-General of Australia Sir John Kerr controversially dismisses the Whitlam Labor government and commissions Malcolm Fraser of the Liberal/National Country Coalition as caretaker Prime Minister.source
  • 1977December 10 – 1977 Australian federal election: Malcolm Fraser's Liberal/National Country Coalition government is re-elected with a slightly reduced majority, defeating the Labor Party led by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Consequently, Whitlam resigns as ALP leader after holding the job for nearly 11 years; he is replaced by former treasurer Bill Hayden.source
  • 1978May 15 – Sir Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1894)source
  • 1983February 3 – Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Fraser is granted a double dissolution of both houses of parliament, for elections on March 5, 1983. As Fraser is being granted the dissolution, Bill Hayden resigns as leader of the Australian Labor Party, and in the subsequent leadership spill Bob Hawke is elected as Hayden's successor unopposed.source
  • 1983March 5 – Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Bob Hawke defeats the Liberal/National Coalition government led by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. Hawke is to be sworn in on March 11. As soon as the results become clear, Fraser resigns from the Liberal leadership; he is replaced by outgoing Minister for Industry and Commerce Andrew Peacock.source
  • 1988March 31 – Sir William McMahon, 80, Australian politician, Prime Minister of Australia, cancer.source
  • 1989March 20 – Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke weeps on national television as he admits marital infidelity.source
  • 1996March 2 – 1996 Australian federal election: The Liberal/National Coalition led by John Howard defeats the Labor government led by Prime Minister Paul Keating. Howard was sworn in on March 11.source

21st century

  • 2007November 24 – 2007 Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Kevin Rudd defeats the Liberal/National Coalition government led by Prime Minister John Howard. Rudd would be sworn in on December 3.source
  • 2013June 26 – Kevin Rudd defeats Julia Gillard in an Australian Labor Party leadership ballot and consequently becomes Prime Minister of Australia, three years after Gillard replaced Rudd.source
  • 2013September 7 – 2013 Australian federal election: The Liberal/National Coalition led by Tony Abbott defeats the Labor Government led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Abbott is sworn in on September 18.source
  • 2014October 21 – Gough Whitlam, 98, Australian politician, Prime Minister (1972–1975).source
  • 2015March 20 – Malcolm Fraser, 84, Australian politician, Prime Minister (1975–1983).source
  • 2015September 14 – Malcolm Turnbull defeats Tony Abbott in a Liberal Party leadership ballot. Turnbull becomes Prime Minister of Australia, being sworn in the following day.source
  • 2018August 24 – Scott Morrison succeeds Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister of Australia following a Liberal Party leadership ballot. Morrison is sworn in as Prime Minister later that evening.source
  • 2022May 21 – 2022 Australian federal election: The Labor party, led by Anthony Albanese, defeats the Liberal-National Coalition government led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Albanese is sworn in as Prime Minister two days later.source

Named in the same entries