The Lodge , the official residence of the prime ministerTheprime minister ofAustralia is the leader of theAustralian Government and theCabinet of Australia , with the support of the majority of theHouse of Representatives .[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] Constitution of Australia ,[ 4] governor-general who under Section 64 of the constitution has the executive power to appoint ministers of state. The governor-general is appointed by themonarch of Australia based on the advice of the incumbent prime minister.[ 2] [ 5]
Federal elections must be held every three years, although prime ministers may call elections early.[ 6] Alfred Deakin on two occasions,George Reid andAndrew Fisher ), six resigned followingleadership spills (John Gorton ,Bob Hawke ,Kevin Rudd ,Julia Gillard ,Tony Abbott andMalcolm Turnbull ) and three died in office (Joseph Lyons ,John Curtin andHarold Holt , whodisappeared and is presumed to have died).[ 7]
Two prime ministers also lost their role in adouble dissolution election, a snap election where the entireSenate stands for re-election rather than the typical half to resolve deadlocks between the two houses. These wereJoseph Cook in 1914 andMalcolm Fraser in 1983. One prime minister,Gough Whitlam , was dismissed by the governor-general during aconstitutional crisis .[ 8]
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] Frank Forde , who was prime minister for seven days in 1945, was the shortest in Australian history.[ 10] [ 11] Anthony Albanese , who assumed office on 23 May 2022.[ 9] [ 12]
List of prime ministers [ edit ] 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.
List of prime ministers of Australia No. Portrait Name(Birth–Death) Election Term of office Political Ministry (Parliament) Monarch Ref. Took office Left office Tenure Reason for leaving office 1 Edmund Barton (1849–1920) MP forHunter, NSW 1901 1 January 1901 24 September 1903 Resignation Protectionist Barton (1st) Victoria [ a] r. 1837–1901 [ 13] Edward VII [ b] r. 1901–1910 2 Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) MP forBallaarat, Vic [ c] — 24 September 1903 27 April 1904 Resignation Deakin I [ 14] 1903 (2nd) 3 Chris Watson (1867–1941) MP forBland, NSW — 27 April 1904 18 August 1904 Resignation Labor Watson [ 15] 4 George Reid (1845–1918) MP forEast Sydney, NSW — 18 August 1904 5 July 1905 Resignation Free Trade Reid [ 16] (2) Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) MP forBallaarat, Vic [ c] — 5 July 1905 13 November 1908 Lost Parliamentary Confidence Protectionist Deakin II [ 14] 1906 (3rd) 5 Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) MP forWide Bay, Qld — 13 November 1908 2 June 1909 Resignation Labor Fisher I [ 17] (2) Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) MP forBallaarat, Vic [ c] — 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 Lost Election Liberal Deakin III [ 14] (5) Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) MP forWide Bay, Qld 1910 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 Lost Election Labor Fisher II (4th) [ 17] George V [ d] r. 1910–1936 6 Joseph Cook (1860–1947) MP forParramatta, NSW 1913 24 June 1913 17 September 1914 Lost Election Liberal Cook (5th) [ 18] (5) Andrew Fisher (1862–1928) MP forWide Bay, Qld 1914 17 September 1914 27 October 1915 Resignation Labor Fisher III (6th) [ 17] Billy Hughes (1862–1952) MP forWest Sydney, NSW (until 1917) MP forBendigo, Vic (1917–22) MP forNorth Sydney, NSW (from 1922) — 27 October 1915 9 February 1923 Resignation Hughes I [ 19] National Labor Hughes II 7 Nationalist Hughes III 1917 Hughes IV (7th) 1919 Hughes V (8th) 8 Stanley Bruce (1883–1967) MP forFlinders, Vic 1922 9 February 1923 22 October 1929 Lost Election Nationalist Coalition Bruce I (9th) [ 20] 1925 Bruce II (10th) 1928 Bruce III (11th) 9 James Scullin (1876–1953) MP forYarra, Vic 1929 22 October 1929 6 January 1932 Lost Election Labor Scullin (12th) [ 21] 10 Joseph Lyons (1879–1939) MP forWilmot, Tas 1931 6 January 1932 7 April 1939[ e] Died in Office United Australia Lyons I (13th) [ 22] 1934 Lyons II (14th) — United Australia Coalition Lyons III Edward VIII [ f] r. 1936 George VI [ g] r. 1936–1952 1937 Lyons IV (15th) 11 Earle Page (1880–1961) MP forCowper, NSW — 7 April 1939 26 April 1939 Caretaking Country Coalition Page [ 23] 12 Robert Menzies (1894–1978) MP forKooyong, Vic — 26 April 1939 29 August 1941 Resignation United Australia Menzies I [ 24] United Australia Coalition Menzies II 1940 Menzies III (16th) 13 Arthur Fadden (1894–1973) MP forDarling Downs, Qld — 29 August 1941 7 October 1941 Lost Parliamentary Confidence Country Coalition Fadden [ 25] 14 John Curtin (1885–1945) MP forFremantle, WA — 7 October 1941 5 July 1945[ e] Died in Office Labor Curtin I [ 26] 1943 Curtin II (17th) 15 Frank Forde (1890–1983) MP forCapricornia, Qld — 5 July 1945 13 July 1945 Caretaking Forde [ 27] 16 Ben Chifley (1885–1951) MP forMacquarie, NSW — 13 July 1945 19 December 1949 Lost Election Chifley I [ 28] 1946 Chifley II (18th) (12) Robert Menzies (1894–1978) MP forKooyong, Vic 1949 19 December 1949 26 January 1966 Retired Liberal Coalition Menzies IV (19th) [ 24] 1951 Menzies V (20th) Elizabeth II [ h] r. 1952–2022 1954 Menzies VI (21st) 1955 Menzies VII (22nd) 1958 Menzies VIII (23rd) 1961 Menzies IX (24th) 1963 Menzies X (25th) 17 Harold Holt (1908–1967) MP forHiggins, Vic — 26 January 1966 17 December 1967 [ e] Died in Office Holt I [ 29] 1966 Holt II (26th) 18 John McEwen (1900–1980) MP forMurray, Vic — 19 December 1967 10 January 1968 Caretaking Country Coalition McEwen [ 30] 19 John Gorton (1911–2002) MP forHiggins, Vic [ i] — 10 January 1968 10 March 1971 Resignation Liberal Coalition Gorton I [ 32] 1969 Gorton II (27th) 20 William McMahon (1908–1988) MP forLowe, NSW — 10 March 1971 5 December 1972 Lost Election McMahon [ 33] 21 Gough Whitlam (1916–2014) MP forWerriwa, NSW 1972 5 December 1972 11 November 1975 Dismissal Labor Whitlam I (28th) [ 34] — Whitlam II 1974 Whitlam III (29th) 22 Malcolm Fraser (1930–2015) MP forWannon, Vic — 11 November 1975 11 March 1983 Lost Election Liberal Coalition Fraser I [ 35] 1975 Fraser II (30th) 1977 Fraser III (31st) 1980 Fraser IV (32nd) 23 Bob Hawke (1929–2019) MP forWills, Vic 1983 11 March 1983 20 December 1991 Leadership Spill Labor Hawke I (33rd) [ 36] 1984 Hawke II (34th) 1987 Hawke III (35th) 1990 Hawke IV (36th) 24 Paul Keating (b. 1944) MP forBlaxland, NSW — 20 December 1991 11 March 1996 Lost Election Keating I [ 37] 1993 Keating II (37th) 25 John Howard (b. 1939) MP forBennelong, NSW 1996 11 March 1996 3 December 2007 Lost Election Liberal Coalition Howard I (38th) [ 38] 1998 Howard II (39th) 2001 Howard III (40th) 2004 Howard IV (41st) 26 Kevin Rudd (b. 1957) MP forGriffith, Qld 2007 3 December 2007 24 June 2010 Leadership Spill Labor Rudd I (42nd) [ 39] 27 Julia Gillard (b. 1961) MP forLalor, Vic — 24 June 2010 27 June 2013 Leadership Spill Gillard I [ 40] 2010 Gillard II (43rd) (26) Kevin Rudd (b. 1957) MP forGriffith, Qld — 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 Lost Election Rudd II [ 39] 28 Tony Abbott (b. 1957) MP forWarringah, NSW 2013 18 September 2013 15 September 2015 Leadership Spill Liberal Coalition Abbott (44th ) [ 41] 29 Malcolm Turnbull (b. 1954) MP forWentworth, NSW — 15 September 2015 24 August 2018 Leadership Spill Turnbull I [ 42] 2016 Turnbull II (45th ) 30 Scott Morrison (b. 1968) MP forCook, NSW — 24 August 2018 23 May 2022 Lost Election Morrison I [ 43] 2019 Morrison II (46th ) 31 Anthony Albanese (b. 1963) MP forGrayndler, NSW 2022 23 May 2022 Incumbent [ j] Incumbent Labor Albanese I (47th ) [ 44] 2025 Albanese II (48th ) Charles III [ k] r. 2022–present
Career-based timeline [ edit ] This timeline below 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]
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 changed party:Cook (pre-office),Watson (post-office),Hughes (in office and post-office),Lyons (pre-office) died in office:Lyons ,Curtin ,Holt died shortly after leaving office:Chifley left Parliament on leaving office:Barton ,Bruce ,Menzies ,Fraser ,Hawke ,Keating ,Howard ,Gillard ,Turnbull long career after being prime minister:Cook ,Hughes ,Scullin ,Page ,Fadden ,McMahon was prime minister after an interruption to their service in Parliament:Scullin ,Curtin ,Chifley lived for more than twenty years after leaving Parliament:Watson ,Cook ,Bruce ,Forde ,Gorton ,Whitlam ,Fraser ,Hawke ,Keating former prime minister still living:Keating ,Howard ,Rudd ,Gillard ,Abbott ,Turnbull ,Morrison ^ Represented byLord Hopetoun . ^ Represented byLord Hopetoun from 1901 to 1902,Lord Northcote from 1902 to 1904, andLord Dudley from 1904 to 1910. ^a b c Ballarat was spelt Ballaarat until the 1973 election. ^ Represented byLord Dudley from 1910 to 1911,Lord Denman from 1911 to 1914,Ronald Munro Ferguson from 1914 to 1920,Lord Forster from 1920 to 1925,Lord Stonehaven from 1925 to 1930, andIsaac Isaacs from 1930 to 1936. ^a b c Died in office ^ Represented byIsaac Isaacs in January 1936 and byLord Gowrie from January to December 1936. ^ Represented byLord Gowrie from 1936 to 1945,Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester from 1945 to 1947, andWilliam McKell from 1947 to 1952. ^ Represented byWilliam McKell from 1952 to 1953,Lord Slim from 1953 to 1960,Lord Dunrossil from 1960 to 1961,Lord De L'Isle from 1961 to 1965,Lord Casey from 1965 to 1969,Paul Hasluck from 1969 to 1974,John Kerr from 1974 to 1977,Zelman Cowen from 1977 to 1982,Ninian Stephen from 1982 to 1989,Bill Hayden from 1989 to 1996,William Deane from 1996 to 2001,Peter Hollingworth from 2001 to 2003,Michael Jeffery from 2003 to 2008,Quentin Bryce from 2008 to 2014,Peter Cosgrove from 2014 to 2019, andDavid Hurley from 2019 to 2022. ^ Gorton was a Senator until he resigned from the Senate on 1 February 1968; he was elected to the House of Representatives at theHiggins by-election on 24 February 1968.[ 31] ^ As of 15 February 2026 ^ Represented byDavid Hurley from 2022 to 2024, and bySam Mostyn since 2024. ^ "The Ministry" .Parliament of Australia . Retrieved31 August 2022 .^a b "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government" .Parliament of Australia . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Prime Minister" . Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved15 April 2016 .^ "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government" .Parliament of Australia . Retrieved31 August 2022 .^ "Governor-General - Parliamentary Education Office" .Parliamentary Education Office . Retrieved2 September 2022 .^ "Elections and voting in Australia" (PDF) .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 August 2022 .[permanent dead link ^ "Australia's PMs and how they left office" .SBS News . 24 August 2018. Retrieved31 August 2022 .^ "Infosheet 18 - Double dissolution" .Parliament of Australia . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^a b "Australia's Prime Ministers" .National Archives of Australia . Retrieved1 August 2022 .^ "Australia's five shortest prime ministerships (and how they ended)" .ABC News . 16 December 2018. Retrieved31 August 2022 .^ "Robert Menzies | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved31 August 2022 .^ "Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dies aged 89" .The Guardian . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ Rutledge, Martha (1979)."Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^a b c Norris, R. (1981)."Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Nairn, Bede (1990)."Watson, John Christian (1867–1941)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ McMinn, W. G. (1988)."Sir George Houstoun Reid (1845–1918)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^a b c Murphy, D. J. (1981)."Andrew Fisher (1862–1928)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Crowley, F. K. (1981)."Sir Joseph Cook (1860–1947)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Fitzhardinge, L. F. (1983)."William Morris (Billy) Hughes (1862–1952)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 .^ Radi, Heather (1979)."Bruce, Stanley Melbourne [Viscount Bruce] (1883–1967)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Robertson, J. R. (1988)."Scullin, James Henry (1876–1953)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Hart, P. R.; Lloyd, C. J. (1986)."Lyons, Joseph Aloysius (1879–1939)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^ Bridge, Carl."Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton (1880–1961)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 . ^a b Martin, A. W."Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved22 November 2008 . ^ Cribb, Margaret Bridson."Fadden, Sir Arthur William (1894–1973)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved22 November 2008 . ^ Serle, Geoffrey,"Curtin, John (1885–1945)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ Lloyd, Neil; Saunders, Malcolm,"Forde, Francis Michael (Frank) (1890–1983)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ Waterson, D. B.,"Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) (1885–1951)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ Hancock, I. R.,"Holt, Harold Edward (1908–1967)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ Lloyd, C. J.,"McEwen, Sir John (1900–1980)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ Williams, Evan (11 March 2020)."From the Archives, 1968: The day the PM became an MP" .The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved2 September 2022 . ^ "John Gorton | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ Leeser, Julian,"McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908–1988)" ,Australian Dictionary of Biography , Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved1 September 2022 ^ "Gough Whitlam | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Malcolm Fraser | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Bob Hawke | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Paul Keating | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "John Howard | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^a b "Kevin Rudd | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Julia Gillard | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Tony Abbott | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Malcolm Turnbull | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Scott Morrison | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ "Anthony Albanese | MOAD" .Museum of Australian Democracy . Retrieved1 September 2022 .^ Rutledge, Martha (1979)."Sir Edmund (Toby) Barton (1849–1920)" .Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University .ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7 ISSN 1833-7538 .OCLC 70677943 . Retrieved21 October 2008 .
Lists related to prime ministers of Australia
Premiership
Personal life
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