List of prime ministers of Australia

Thirty people have served as Prime Minister of Australia since the office was created in 1901.^[1]

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.

Since the office was established in 1901, 29 men and one woman have served as 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; the 30th and current prime minister is Scott Morrison (since 24 August 2018). There are currently six living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Bob Hawke, on 16 May 2019.

The prime ministership of Frank Forde, who was replaced 7 days after taking office in 1945, was the shortest in Australian history. Robert Menzies served the longest, over eighteen years.

Of those who have served as the nation's prime minister, two died in office (Joseph Lyons and John Curtin), one was dismissed (Gough Whitlam), one disappeared (Harold Holt), and six resigned following leadership spills (John Gorton, Bob Hawke, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, and Malcolm Turnbull).

List of officeholders[]

Political parties

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

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Electorate served	Ministry	Ref
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Electorate served	Ministry	Ref
1		Sir Edmund Barton (1849–1920)	1901	1 January 1901	24 September 1903	2 years, 266 days	Protectionist	Hunter, NSW, 1901–1903 (resigned)	Barton	^[2]
2		Alfred Deakin (1856–1919)	1903	24 September 1903	27 April 1904	216 days	Protectionist	Ballaarat, Vic,^[a] 1901–1913 (retired)	1st Deakin	^[3]
3		Chris Watson (1867–1941)	—	27 April 1904	18 August 1904	113 days	Labor	Bland, NSW, 1901–1906 South Sydney, NSW, 1906–1910 (retired)	Watson	^[4]
4		George Reid (1845–1918)	—	18 August 1904	5 July 1905	321 days	Free Trade	East Sydney, NSW, 1901–1909 (resigned)	Reid	^[5]
(2)		Alfred Deakin (1856–1919)	1906	5 July 1905	13 November 1908	3 years, 131 days	Protectionist	Ballaarat, Vic,^[a] 1901–1913 (retired)	2nd Deakin
5		Andrew Fisher (1862–1928)	—	13 November 1908	2 June 1909	201 days	Labor	Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned)	1st Fisher	^[6]
(2)		Alfred Deakin (1856–1919)	—	2 June 1909	29 April 1910	331 days	Fusion Liberal	Ballaarat, Vic,^[a] 1901–1913 (retired)	3rd Deakin
(5)		Andrew Fisher (1862–1928)	1910	29 April 1910	24 June 1913	3 years, 56 days	Labor	Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned)	2nd Fisher
6		Joseph Cook (1860–1947)	1913	24 June 1913	17 September 1914	1 year, 75 days	Fusion Liberal	Parramatta, NSW, 1901–1921 (resigned)	Cook	^[7]
(5)		Andrew Fisher (1862–1928)	1914	17 September 1914	27 October 1915	1 year, 40 days	Labor	Wide Bay, Qld, 1901–1915 (resigned)	3rd Fisher
		Billy Hughes (1862–1952)	—	27 October 1915	14 November 1916	7 years, 105 days	Labor	West Sydney, NSW, 1901–1917 Bendigo, Vic, 1917–1922 North Sydney, NSW, 1922–1949 Bradfield, NSW, 1949–1952 (died)	1st Hughes	^[8]
7			—	14 November 1916	17 February 1917		National Labor		2nd Hughes
			—	17 February 1917	9 February 1923		Nationalist		3rd Hughes
			1917						4th Hughes
			1919						5th Hughes
8		Stanley Bruce (1883–1967)	1922	9 February 1923	22 October 1929	6 years, 255 days	Nationalist (Coalition)	Flinders, Vic, 1918–1929 (defeated) ; 1931–1933 (resigned)	1st Bruce	^[9]
			1925						2nd Bruce
			1928						3rd Bruce
9		James Scullin (1876–1953)	1929	22 October 1929	6 January 1932	2 years, 76 days	Labor	Corangamite, Vic, 1910–1913 (defeated) Yarra, Vic, 1922–1949 (retired)	Scullin	^[10]
10		Joseph Lyons (1879–1939)	1931	6 January 1932	7 April 1939 †	7 years, 93 days	United Australia (Coalition post-1934)	Wilmot, Tas, 1929–1939 (died)	1st Lyons	^[11]
			1934						2nd Lyons
			—						3rd Lyons
			1937						4th Lyons
11		Sir Earle Page (1880–1961)	—	7 April 1939	26 April 1939	19 days	Country (Coalition)	Cowper, NSW 1919–1961 (defeated)	Page	^[12]
12		Robert Menzies (1894–1978)	—	26 April 1939	29 August 1941	2 years, 125 days	United Australia (Coalition post-1940)	Kooyong, Vic, 1934–1966 (resigned)	1st Menzies	^[13]
			—						2nd Menzies
			1940						3rd Menzies
13		Arthur Fadden (1894–1973)	—	29 August 1941	7 October 1941	39 days	Country (Coalition)	Darling Downs, Qld 1936–1949 McPherson, Qld 1949–1958 (retired)	Fadden	^[14]
14		John Curtin (1885–1945)	—	7 October 1941	5 July 1945 †	3 years, 271 days	Labor	Fremantle, WA, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1934–1945 (died)	1st Curtin
14		John Curtin (1885–1945)	1943	7 October 1941	5 July 1945 †	3 years, 271 days	Labor	Fremantle, WA, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1934–1945 (died)	2nd Curtin
15		Frank Forde (1890–1983)	—	6 July 1945	13 July 1945	7 days	Labor	Capricornia, Qld, 1922–1946 (defeated)	Forde
16		Ben Chifley (1885–1951)	—	13 July 1945	19 December 1949	4 years, 159 days	Labor	Macquarie, NSW, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1940–1951 (died)	1st Chifley
16		Ben Chifley (1885–1951)	1946	13 July 1945	19 December 1949	4 years, 159 days	Labor	Macquarie, NSW, 1928–1931 (defeated) ; 1940–1951 (died)	2nd Chifley
(12)		Sir Robert Menzies (1894–1978)	1949	19 December 1949	26 January 1966	16 years, 38 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Kooyong, Vic, 1934–1966 (resigned)	4th Menzies
			1951						5th Menzies
			1954						6th Menzies
			1955						7th Menzies
			1958						8th Menzies
			1961						9th Menzies
			1963						10th Menzies
17		Harold Holt (1908–1967)	—	26 January 1966	19 December 1967 †	1 year, 327 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Fawkner, Vic, 1935–1949 Higgins, Vic, 1949–1967 (died)	1st Holt
17		Harold Holt (1908–1967)	1966	26 January 1966	19 December 1967 †	1 year, 327 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Fawkner, Vic, 1935–1949 Higgins, Vic, 1949–1967 (died)	2nd Holt
18		John McEwen (1900–1980)	—	19 December 1967	10 January 1968	22 days	Country (Coalition)	Echuca, Vic, 1934–1937 Indi, Vic, 1937–1949 Murray, Vic, 1949–1971 (resigned)	McEwen
19		John Gorton (1911–2002)	—	10 January 1968	10 March 1971	3 years, 59 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Senator 1950–1968 (resigned)^[b] MP for Higgins, Vic, 1968–1975 (retired)^[c]	1st Gorton
19		John Gorton (1911–2002)	1969	10 January 1968	10 March 1971	3 years, 59 days	Liberal (Coalition)		2nd Gorton
20		William McMahon (1908–1988)	—	10 March 1971	5 December 1972	1 year, 260 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Lowe, NSW, 1949–1982 (resigned)	McMahon
21		Gough Whitlam (1916–2014)	1972	5 December 1972	11 November 1975	2 years, 341 days	Labor	Werriwa, NSW, 1952–1978 (resigned)	1st Whitlam
			—						2nd Whitlam
			1974						3rd Whitlam
22		Malcolm Fraser (1930–2015)	—	11 November 1975	11 March 1983	7 years, 120 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Wannon, Vic, 1955–1983 (resigned)	1st Fraser
			1975						2nd Fraser
			1977						3rd Fraser
			1980						4th Fraser
23		Bob Hawke (1929–2019)	1983	11 March 1983	20 December 1991	8 years, 284 days	Labor	Wills, Vic, 1980–1992 (resigned)	1st Hawke
			1984						2nd Hawke
			1987						3rd Hawke
			1990						4th Hawke
24		Paul Keating (b. 1944)	—	20 December 1991	11 March 1996	4 years, 91 days	Labor	Blaxland, NSW, 1969–1996 (resigned)	1st Keating
24		Paul Keating (b. 1944)	1993	20 December 1991	11 March 1996	4 years, 91 days	Labor	Blaxland, NSW, 1969–1996 (resigned)	2nd Keating
25		John Howard (b. 1939)	1996	11 March 1996	3 December 2007	11 years, 267 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Bennelong, NSW, 1974–2007 (defeated)	1st Howard
			1998						2nd Howard
			2001						3rd Howard
			2004						4th Howard
26		Kevin Rudd (b. 1957)	2007	3 December 2007	24 June 2010	2 years, 203 days	Labor	Griffith, Qld, 1998–2013 (resigned)	1st Rudd
27		Julia Gillard (b. 1961)	—	24 June 2010	27 June 2013	3 years, 3 days	Labor	Lalor, Vic, 1998–2013 (retired)	1st Gillard
27		Julia Gillard (b. 1961)	2010	24 June 2010	27 June 2013	3 years, 3 days	Labor	Lalor, Vic, 1998–2013 (retired)	2nd Gillard
(26)		Kevin Rudd (b. 1957)	—	27 June 2013	18 September 2013	83 days	Labor	Griffith, Qld, 1998–2013 (resigned)	2nd Rudd
28		Tony Abbott (b. 1957)	2013	18 September 2013	15 September 2015	1 year, 362 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Warringah, NSW, 1994–2019 (defeated)	Abbott
29		Malcolm Turnbull (b. 1954)	—	15 September 2015	24 August 2018	2 years, 343 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Wentworth, NSW, 2004–2018 (resigned)	1st Turnbull
29		Malcolm Turnbull (b. 1954)	2016	15 September 2015	24 August 2018	2 years, 343 days	Liberal (Coalition)	Wentworth, NSW, 2004–2018 (resigned)	2nd Turnbull
30		Scott Morrison (b. 1968)	—	24 August 2018	Incumbent	3 years, 167 days^[d]	Liberal (Coalition)	Cook, NSW, since 2007	1st Morrison
30		Scott Morrison (b. 1968)	2019	24 August 2018	Incumbent	3 years, 167 days^[d]	Liberal (Coalition)	Cook, NSW, since 2007	2nd Morrison

Timeline[]

Prime ministers of Australia (1901–today)

Notes[]

^ ^a ^b ^c The Electoral Division of Ballaarat was spelled with a double a until 1977.
^ Gorton was elected to the Senate at the general election of 10 December 1949, but his term did not commence until 22 February 1950. He was appointed Prime Minister on 10 January 1968; resigned from the Senate on 1 February; and was elected to the House of Representatives at a by-election on 24 February.
^ Gorton retired from the House of Representatives at the double dissolution of 11 November 1975, and stood for an Australian Capital Territory Senate seat as an independent at the general election of 13 December 1975, but was unsuccessful.
^ Scott Morrison's time in office as of 7 February 2022

References[]

^ "Prime Minister". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
^ Rutledge.
^ Norris 1981.
^ Nairn 1990.
^ McMinn.
^ Murphy.
^ Crowley.
^ Fitzhardinge.
^ Radi 1979.
^ Robertson 1988.
^ Hart 1986.
^ Bridge.
^ Martin.
^ Cribb.

Bibliography[]

Bridge, Carl. "Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Cribb, Margaret Bridson. "Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Crowley, F. K. "Cook, Sir Joseph (1860–1947)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
Fitzhardinge, L. F. "Hughes, William Morris (Billy) (1862–1952)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
Hart, P. R. (1986). "Lyons, Joseph Aloysius (1879–1939)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Martin, A. W. "Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 November 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
McMinn, W. G. "Reid, Sir George Houstoun (1845–1918)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
Murphy, D. J. "Fisher, Andrew (1862–1928)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
Nairn, Bede (1990). "Watson, John Christian (1867–1941)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Norris, R. (1981). "Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Radi, Heather (1979). "Bruce, Stanley Melbourne [Viscount Bruce] (1883–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Robertson, J. R. (1988). "Scullin, James Henry (1876–1953)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 October 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
Rutledge, Martha. "Barton, Sir Edmund (1849–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 21 October 2008.

External links[]

[Ballarat-3] The Electoral Division of Ballaarat was spelled with a double a until 1977.

[16] Gorton was elected to the Senate at the general election of 10 December 1949, but his term did not commence until 22 February 1950. He was appointed Prime Minister on 10 January 1968; resigned from the Senate on 1 February; and was elected to the House of Representatives at a by-election on 24 February.

[17] Gorton retired from the House of Representatives at the double dissolution of 11 November 1975, and stood for an Australian Capital Territory Senate seat as an independent at the general election of 13 December 1975, but was unsuccessful.

[18] Scott Morrison's time in office as of 7 February 2022

[1] "Prime Minister". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 15 April 2016.

[FOOTNOTERutledge-2] Rutledge.

[FOOTNOTENorris1981-4] Norris 1981.

[FOOTNOTENairn1990-5] Nairn 1990.

[FOOTNOTEMcMinn-6] McMinn.

[FOOTNOTEMurphy-7] Murphy.

[FOOTNOTECrowley-8] Crowley.

[FOOTNOTEFitzhardinge-9] Fitzhardinge.

[FOOTNOTERadi1979-10] Radi 1979.

[FOOTNOTERobertson1988-11] Robertson 1988.

[FOOTNOTEHart1986-12] Hart 1986.

[FOOTNOTEBridge-13] Bridge.

[FOOTNOTEMartin-14] Martin.

[FOOTNOTECribb-15] Cribb.

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v t Lists of prime ministers of Australia
Political life	Order of service graphical Birthplace Historical rankings Political affiliation Records Time in office
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