Some interesting facts:
- There have been 27 Prime Ministers and 43 elections up to 2012.
- The 27 Prime Ministers have served 32 separate terms of office.
- 10 Prime Ministers have been defeated at a general election: Deakin, Fisher, Cook, Bruce, Scullin, Chifley, McMahon, Fraser, Keating, Howard.
- There have been 21 changes of Prime Minister without an election. Reasons include
- vice-regal intervention: Whitlam
- voluntary departure: Barton, Fisher, Page, Forde, McEwen, Menzies
- party-room coups: Hughes, Menzies, Gorton, Hawke, Rudd
- death: Lyons, Curtin, Holt
- defeat in Parliament: Deakin (2), Watson, Reid, Fisher, Fadden
- There have been 7 Prime Ministers who never won an election: Watson, Reid, Page, Fadden, Forde, McEwen, McMahon.
- There have been 10 Opposition Leaders who contested elections but never became Prime Minister: Tudor, Charlton, Evatt, Calwell, Snedden, Hayden, Peacock, Hewson, Beazley & Latham.
| No. | Name | Party | Began | Left | Length | Method of Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Barton, Edmund |
Prot
|
01-01-01
|
24-09-03
|
2 years 8 months 24 days |
Appointed Justice of High Court |
|
2
|
Deakin, Alfred |
Prot
|
24-09-03
|
27-04-04
|
7 months 4 days |
Resigned Following House Amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration Bill |
|
3
|
Watson, John Christian |
ALP
|
27-04-04
|
17-08-04
|
3 months 21 days |
Resigned Following House Amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration Bill and Governor-General’s Refusal To Dissolve House |
|
4
|
Reid, George Houston |
FT
|
18-08-04
|
05-07-05
|
10 months 18 days |
Resigned Following House Amendment of Address-In-Reply and Governor-General’s Refusal to Dissolve House |
| Deakin, Alfred |
Prot
|
05-07-05
|
13-11-08
|
3 years 4 months 9 days |
Defeated on Floor of House | |
|
5
|
Fisher, Andrew |
ALP
|
13-11-08
|
02-06-09
|
6 months 21 days |
Resigned Following Defeat on Floor of House and Governor-General’s Refusal to Dissolve House |
| Deakin, Alfred |
Lib
|
02-06-09
|
29-04-10
|
10 months 28 days |
Defeated at General Election | |
| Fisher, Andrew |
ALP
|
29-04-10
|
24-06-13
|
3 years 1 month 26 days |
Defeated at General Election | |
|
6
|
Cook, Joseph |
Lib
|
24-06-13
|
17-09-14
|
1 year 2 months 25 days |
Defeated at General Election |
| Fisher, Andrew |
ALP
|
17-09-14
|
27-10-15
|
1 year 1 month 11 days |
Resigned, Appointed High Commissioner to London | |
|
7
|
Hughes, William Morris |
ALP
Nat |
27-10-15
|
09-02-23
|
7 years 3 months 14 days |
Deposed as Leader |
|
8
|
Bruce, Stanley Melbourne |
Nat
|
09-02-23
|
22-10-29
|
6 years 8 months 14 days |
Defeated and Lost seat at General Election |
|
9
|
Scullin, James Henry |
ALP
|
22-10-29
|
06-01-32
|
2 years 2 months 16 days |
Defeated at General Election Following Party Split |
|
10
|
Lyons, Joseph Aloysius |
UAP
|
06-01-32
|
07-04-39
|
7 years 3 months 2 days |
Died in Office |
|
11
|
Page, Earle Christmas Grafton |
CP
|
07-04-39
|
26-04-39
|
20 days | Relinquished position to new UAP Leader |
|
12
|
Menzies, Robert Gordon |
UAP
|
26-04-39
|
29-08-41
|
2 years 4 months 4 days |
Resigned |
|
13
|
Fadden, Arthur William |
CP
|
29-08-41
|
07-10-41
|
1 month 9 days |
Defeated on Floor of House |
|
14
|
Curtin, John |
ALP
|
07-10-41
|
05-07-45
|
3 years 8 months 29 days |
Died in Office |
|
15
|
Forde, Francis Michael |
ALP
|
06-07-45
|
13-07-45
|
8 days | Relinquished Position to New Leader |
|
16
|
Chifley, Joseph Benedict |
ALP
|
13-07-45
|
19-12-49
|
4 years 5 months 7 days |
Defeated at General Election |
| Menzies, Robert Gordon |
Lib
|
19-12-49
|
26-01-66
|
16 years 1 month 8 days |
Retired | |
|
17
|
Holt, Harold Edward |
Lib
|
26-01-66
|
19-12-67
|
1 year 10 months 23 days |
Missing, Presumed Drowned |
|
18
|
McEwen, John |
CP
|
19-12-67
|
10-01-68
|
23 days | Relinquished Position to New Liberal Leader |
|
19
|
Gorton, John Grey |
Lib
|
10-01-68
|
10-03-71
|
3 years 2 months |
Deposed as Leader |
|
20
|
McMahon, William |
Lib
|
10-03-71
|
05-12-72
|
1 year 8 months 25 days |
Defeated at General Election |
|
21
|
Whitlam, Edward Gough |
ALP
|
05-12-72
|
11-11-75
|
2 years 11 months 7 days |
Commission Terminated by Governor-General |
|
22
|
Fraser, John Malcolm |
Lib
|
11-11-75
|
11-03-83
|
7 years 4 months |
Defeated at General Election |
|
23
|
Hawke, Robert James Lee |
ALP
|
11-03-83
|
20-12-91
|
8 years 9 months 9 days |
Deposed as Leader |
|
24
|
Keating, Paul John |
ALP
|
20-12-91
|
11-03-96
|
4 years 2 months 20 days |
Defeated at General Election |
|
25
|
Howard, John Winston |
Lib
|
11-03-96
|
03-12-07
|
11 years 8 months 22 days |
Defeated and Lost Seat at General Election |
|
26
|
Rudd, Kevin Michael |
ALP
|
03-12-07
|
24-06-10
|
2 years 6 months 21 days |
Deposed as Leader |
|
27
|
Gillard, Julia Eileen |
ALP
|
24-06-10
|
-
|
- | - |
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