Australia's Prime Ministers

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Australia's national Floral Emblem: the Wattle © Commonwealth of Australia

Australia's Prime Ministers

The office of Prime Minister of Australia operates by custom and convention similar to the British role from which it is derived. There is no reference to the office in the Australian Constitution, which, under Section 61, provides that, '... the executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative.'

Practically, however, the Prime Minister and Cabinet wield the real executive power.

Under Section 64 of the Constitution ministers, including the Prime Minister, are appointed by the Governor-General. Ministers must also be members of parliament (either in the Federal Senate or House of Representatives) or become such within three months of appointment. By current convention, the Prime Minister must be a member of the House of Representatives.

Prime Ministers of Australia

Name	Party	Term
Edmund Barton, QC, PC, GCMG, Order of Rising Sun (Japan) First Class (1905)	Protectionist Party	1 January 1901 – 24 September 1903
Alfred Deakin	Protectionist Party	24 September 1903 - 27 April 1904
Chris Watson	Labor Party	27 April 1904-18 August 1904
George Reid	Free Trade Party	18 August 1904 - 5 July 1905
Alfred Deakin	Protectionist Party	5 July 1905 - 13 November 1908
Andrew Fisher	Labor Party	13 November 1908 - 2 June 1909
Alfred Deakin	Commonwealth Liberal Party	2 June 1909 - 29 April 1910
Andrew Fisher	Labor Party	29 April 1910 - 24 June 1913
Joseph Cook	Commonwealth Liberal Party	24 June 1913 - 17 September 1914
Andrew Fisher	Labor Party	17 September 1914 - 27 October 1915
Billy Hughes	Labor; National Labor; Nationalist	27 October 1915 - 9 February 1923
Stanley Bruce	Nationalist Party (Coalition)	9 February 1923 - 22 October 1929
James Scullin	Labor Party	22 October 1929 - 6 January 1932
Joseph Lyons	United Australia Party (Coalition post 1934)	6 January 1932 - 7 April 1939
Sir Earle Page	Country Party (Coalition)	7 April 1939 - 26 April 1939
Robert Menzies	United Australia Party (Coalition post 1940)	26 April 1939 - 29 August 1941
Arthur Fadden	Country Party (Coalition)	29 August 1941 - 7 October 1941
John Curtin	Labor Party	7 October 1941 - 5 July 1945
Frank Forde	Labor Party	6 July 1945 - 13 July 1945
Ben Chifley	Labor Party	13 July 1945 - 19 December 1949
Sir Robert Menzies	Liberal Party (Coalition)	19 December 1949 - 26 January 1966
Harold Holt	Liberal Party (Coalition)	26 January 1966 - 19 December 1957
John McEwen	Country Party (Coalition)	19 December 1967 - 10 January 1968
John Gorton	Liberal (Coalition)	10 January 1968 - 10 March 1971
William McMahon	Liberal Party (Coalition)	10 March 1971 - 5 December 1972
Gough Whitlam	Labor Party	5 December 1972 - 11 November 1975
Malcolm Fraser	Liberal Party (Coalition)	11 November 1975 - 11 March 1983
Bob Hawke	Labor Party	11 March 1983 - 20 December 1991
Paul Keating	Labor Party	20 December 1991 - 11 March 1996
John Howard	Liberal Party (Coalition)	11 March 1996 - 3 December 2007
Kevin Rudd	Labor Party	3 December 2007 - 24 June 2010
Julia Gillard	Labor Party	24 Jun 2010 - 27 June 2013
Kevin Rudd	Labor Party	27 June 2013 - 18 September 2013
Tony Abbott	Liberal Party (Coalition)	18 September 2013 - 15 September 2015
Malcolm Turnbull	Liberal Party (Coalition)	15 September 2015 - 24 August 2018
Scott Morrison	Liberal Party (Coalition)	24 August 2018 - Incumbent

Sources

• Parliament of Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
• Commonwealth of Australia, Parliamentary Education Office
• National Archives of Australia, Australia's Prime Ministers