5 X 5: AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERS, PART 1

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5 Facts About 5 Australian Prime Ministers

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Edmund Barton (1849 – 1920)

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Barton was the first prime minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903, holding office as the leader of the Protectionist Party. He resigned to become a founding member of the High Court of Australia, where he served until his death in 1929.

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He was born in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, the eleventh of twelve children, three of whom died in childhood.

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Barton was appointed prime minister on 1 January 1901, the day on which the new federal constitution came into effect. He and various other dignitaries were driven through the streets of Sydney in a procession watched by thousands of onlookers, beginning in The Domain and ending at Centennial Park. A swearing-in ceremony for the new government was held at the purpose-built Federation Pavilion.

The Federation Pavilion at Centennial Park, Sydney, during the swearing-in ceremony on 1 January 1901.

The shell of the rotunda of the Federation Pavilion was moved by Concord Council to Cabarita Park in 1903 though it is now stripped of all its original ornamentation.

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Barton in judicial regalia

Barton resigned as prime minister to become one of the founding justices of the High Court of Australia. There were several factors at play in his decision to retire from politics. Some within his own party thought that he lacked the energy and commitment to continue as the leader of the government. Barton had also suffered from bouts of ill health, including a fainting spell in his office earlier in the year. He was advised by his doctor to quit active politics. Finally, he had a history of financial difficulties and appreciated the security that a lifetime appointment would bring.

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The Bulletin called him “Toby Tosspot” due to his interest ion having good wine and long dinners.

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Robert Menzies (1894 - 1978):

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Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was Australia’s 12th prime minister, in office from 1939 to 1941 as head of the United Australia Party and again from 1949 to 1966 as head of the Liberal Party. He is Australia's longest-serving prime minister, serving over 18 years in total.

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On 3 September 1939 Britain and France declared war on Germany due to its invasion of Poland on 1 September, leading to the start of World War II. Menzies responded immediately by also declaring Australia to be at war in support of Britain, and delivered a radio broadcast to the nation on that same day. It began:

“Fellow Australians. It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war.”

Menzies at the age of 44 found himself a wartime leader of a small nation of 7 million people.

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After losing the UAP leadership and 1943 election, Menzies concluded that the UAP was at the end of its useful life. Menzies called a conference of anti-Labor parties and, in 1944, these fourteen parties, with the UAP as the nucleus, merged as one new non-Labor party—the Liberal Party of Australia. In 1949 Menzies and the Liberal Party won government.

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Menzies officially resigned as leader of the Liberal Party on 26th January 1966 after serving 32 years in Parliament. His farewell press conference was the first political press conference telecast live in Australia. He left office at the age of 71 years, 1 month and 6 days, making him the oldest person ever to be prime minister.

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Robert Menzies was often referred to as ‘Pig Iron Bob’, deriving from a 1938 Lyons government decision to sell scrap iron, or ‘pig iron’, to Japan. At the time, Japan was seen as a potential military threat, and dockworkers refused to load the iron on grounds it could be made into weaponry and used to attack Australia. A lockout and strike dragged on for weeks, the description ‘Pig Iron Bob’ being levelled at Menzies for his role in the dispute as Attorney-General.

His second nickname, ‘Ming’, derives from the Scottish pronunciation of Menzies. Menzies was proud of his Scottish heritage, and preferred his surname to be pronounced in the traditional Scottish manner rather than as it is spelled. This gave rise to his nickname “Ming”, which was later expanded to “Ming the Merciless” after the comic strip character.

The Measure of the Years (1970) by Sir Robert Menzies is a series of essays on various topics by Menzies, Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister.

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