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]
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 31st and 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 Hawke, on 16 May 2019.[12]
List of prime ministers
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.
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
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
changed party: Cook (pre-office), Watson (post-office), Hughes (in office and post-office), Lyons (pre-office)
^ a b cBallarat was spelt Ballaarat until the 1973 election.
^ a b cDied in office
^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]
^Serle, Geoffrey, "Curtin, John (1885–1945)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
^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
^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
^Hancock, I. R., "Holt, Harold Edward (1908–1967)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
^Lloyd, C. J., "McEwen, Sir John (1900–1980)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
^Williams, Evan (11 March 2020). "From the Archives, 1968: The day the PM became an MP". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
^"John Gorton | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^Leeser, Julian, "McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 1 September 2022
^"Gough Whitlam | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Malcolm Fraser | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Bob Hawke | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Paul Keating | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"John Howard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^ a b"Kevin Rudd | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Julia Gillard | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Tony Abbott | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Malcolm Turnbull | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Scott Morrison | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^"Anthony Albanese | MOAD". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 1 September 2022.