List of All Prime Ministers Of Australia (1901-2026)
Australia's Prime Ministers lead the nation's government and federal cabinet. The current Prime Minister is Anthony Albanese, who assumed office in May 2022. Responsibilities include directing national policy, chairing the cabinet, and advising the Governor-General on key appointments.
Key Points
- Edmund Barton became Australia's first Prime Minister on January 1, 1901.
- 31 individuals have served as PM since 1901; Anthony Albanese is current (May 23, 2022).
- Robert Menzies served longest (18 years); Frank Forde served shortest (7 days in 1945).
Australia is a country and a continent at the same time. It occupies the location between the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres. Do you know what makes Australia special? It is the smallest continent in the world and the sixth-largest country in terms of land area. The country is bordered by Indonesia to the south. To the east, there is the Indian Ocean, while to the west, there is the Pacific Ocean. Besides that, to the northwest, there is New Zealand.
Australia is famous for its exotic fauna, for instance, kangaroos and koalas. There are also beautiful beaches and a huge desert named the "Outback". One more thing making Australia special is the combination of three different systems into one.
Australia is a democratic state where the people elect their representatives. The elected officials convene in the capital city of Canberra. In this regard, their primary responsibility is deliberating and crafting the laws that govern their nation. The leader of the country is called the Prime Minister. He is the most powerful figure in the state.
There are historical ties between Australia and the United Kingdom. It is worth noting that, as a result of the said ties, King Charles III is the King of Australia. But he resides far from his nation and has no say in politics whatsoever. He appoints the Governor-General, a representative of him living in Australia.
Lastly, Australia is made up of six states and two territories. Consequently, there is power sharing. The national government handles all national matters while state governments handle local matters. This article will examine the list of all the prime ministers of Australia since 1901 to date.
Full List Of Prime Ministers Of Australia (1901-2026)
The Prime Minister is the principal executive head of the government of Australia. For an individual to attain the post of the Prime Minister, he or she has to lead the majority political party in the House of Representatives. The office of the Prime Minister does not appear anywhere in the written constitution of Australia/
It is the Governor-General (representing the King), however, who formally appoints the Prime Minister to this office. Strangely, the Prime Minister is the person who selects the Governor-General on behalf of the King. Here’s the list of the Prime Ministers of Australia:
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Term Start | Term End | Tenure | Reason for Leaving Office |
| 1 | Edmund Barton(1849–1920) | 1 January 1901 | 24 September 1903 | 2 years, 266 days | Retired |
| 2 | Alfred Deakin(1856–1919) | 24 September 1903 | 27 April 1904 | 216 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| 3 | Chris Watson(1867–1941) | 27 April 1904 | 18 August 1904 | 113 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| 4 | George Reid(1845–1918) | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | 321 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| (2) | Alfred Deakin(1856–1919) | 5 July 1905 | 13 November 1908 | 3 years, 131 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| 5 | Andrew Fisher(1862–1928) | 13 November 1908 | 2 June 1909 | 201 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| (2) | Alfred Deakin(1856–1919) | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | 331 days | Lost election |
| (5) | Andrew Fisher(1862–1928) | 29 April 1910 | 24 June 1913 | 3 years, 56 days | Lost election |
| 6 | Joseph Cook(1860–1947) | 24 June 1913 | 17 September 1914 | 1 year, 85 days | Lost election |
| (5) | Andrew Fisher(1862–1928) | 17 September 1914 | 27 October 1915 | 1 year, 40 days | Retired |
| 7 | Billy Hughes(1862–1952) | 27 October 1915 | 9 February 1923 | 7 years, 105 days | Leadership change |
| 8 | Stanley Bruce(1883–1967) | 9 February 1923 | 22 October 1929 | 6 years, 255 days | Lost election |
| 9 | James Scullin(1876–1953) | 22 October 1929 | 6 January 1932 | 2 years, 76 days | Lost election |
| 10 | Joseph Lyons(1879–1939) | 6 January 1932 | 7 April 1939 | 7 years, 91 days | Died in office |
| 11 | Earle Page(1880–1961) | 7 April 1939 | 26 April 1939 | 19 days | Caretaking |
| 12 | Robert Menzies(1894–1978) | 26 April 1939 | 29 August 1941 | 2 years, 125 days | Leadership change |
| 13 | Arthur Fadden(1894–1973) | 29 August 1941 | 7 October 1941 | 39 days | Lost parliamentary confidence |
| 14 | John Curtin(1885–1945) | 7 October 1941 | 5 July 1945 | 3 years, 271 days | Died in office |
| 15 | Frank Forde(1890–1983) | 5 July 1945 | 13 July 1945 | 7 days | Caretaking |
| 16 | Ben Chifley(1885–1951) | 13 July 1945 | 19 December 1949 | 4 years, 159 days | Lost election |
| (12) | Robert Menzies(1894–1978) | 19 December 1949 | 26 January 1966 | 16 years, 38 days | Retired |
| 17 | Harold Holt(1908–1967) | 26 January 1966 | 17 December 1967 | 1 year, 327 days | Died in office |
| 18 | John McEwen(1900–1980) | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | 22 days | Caretaking |
| 19 | John Gorton(1911–2002) | 10 January 1968 | 10 March 1971 | 3 years, 59 days | Leadership spill |
| 20 | William McMahon(1908–1988) | 10 March 1971 | 5 December 1972 | 1 year, 270 days | Lost election |
| 21 | Gough Whitlam(1916–2014) | 5 December 1972 | 11 November 1975 | 2 years, 341 days | Dismissal |
| 22 | Malcolm Fraser(1930–2015) | 11 November 1975 | 11 March 1983 | 7 years, 120 days | Lost election |
| 23 | Bob Hawke(1929–2019) | 11 March 1983 | 20 December 1991 | 8 years, 284 days | Leadership spill |
| 24 | Paul Keating(b. 1944) | 20 December 1991 | 11 March 1996 | 4 years, 82 days | Lost election |
| 25 | John Howard(b. 1939) | 11 March 1996 | 3 December 2007 | 11 years, 267 days | Lost election |
| 26 | Kevin Rudd(b. 1957) | 3 December 2007 | 24 June 2010 | 2 years, 203 days | Leadership spill |
| 27 | Julia Gillard(b. 1961) | 24 June 2010 | 27 June 2013 | 3 years, 3 days | Leadership spill |
| (26) | Kevin Rudd(b. 1957) | 27 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | 83 days | Lost election |
| 28 | Tony Abbott(b. 1957) | 18 September 2013 | 15 September 2015 | 1 year, 362 days | Leadership spill |
| 29 | Malcolm Turnbull(b. 1954) | 15 September 2015 | 24 August 2018 | 2 years, 343 days | Leadership spill |
| 30 | Scott Morrison(b. 1968) | 24 August 2018 | 23 May 2022 | 3 years, 272 days | Lost election |
| 31 | Anthony Albanese(b. 1963) | 23 May 2022 | Incumbent | 4 years, 45 days | Incumbent |
How Long Can a Prime Minister Serve?
There is no specific limit on the number of terms that an Australian Prime Minister can serve. The Federal Government is elected every three years, but a Prime Minister has the discretion to call for an early election.
A Prime Minister will normally remain in power as long as their party continues winning elections. But they could get removed from their position prematurely when:
- Their own political party replaces them with another leader.
- The majority of Parliamentarians turn against them.
- They voluntarily resign from office or die in office.
Fun Facts and History
- Total Leaders: Since Australia became a federation in 1901, 31 people have served as Prime Minister (30 men and 1 woman).
- The Shortest Term: Frank Forde held the job for just seven days in 1945.
- The Longest Term: Robert Menzies served the longest, running the country for a total of 18 years over two different periods.
- The Current Leader: Anthony Albanese became the Prime Minister on May 23, 2022.
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