In 1901 the British selfgoverning colonies in Australia - New South Wales,
Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia - were
united into a new federal selfgoverning colony, named Australia. (1)
In the course of the following years the new colony gradually evolved towards
a semi-independent state and in 1907 the style of colony - which now no longer
reflected the actual statute of the territory - was dropped and replaced by
that of Dominion.
Following the Imperial Conference of 1926 Australia became one of the equal
members of the British Empire and in 1931, with the Statute of Westminster,
it finally achieved full sovereignty, while remaining a member of the British
Commonwealth.
(1) As a result of an Australasian Inter-Colonial Conference held in 1883
by delegates of the six Australian colonies, Fiji and New Zealand a
a Federal Council of Australasia was established in 1885 to consider
common problems such as defence, non-British expansion in the region,
Chinese migration, etc.
As not all colonies participated, the Council never had much power and
actually was a mainly consultative body. It disappeared in 1899.
Members of the Federal Council of Australasia
1886 - 1899 : Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia
1886 - 1888 : Fiji
1889 - 1891 : South Australia
______________________________________________________________________________
HEADS OF STATE
Kings
1931 - 1952 The Kings of the United Kingdom (2)
(2) Although Australia was mentionned by name in the oath used at
the coronation of King George VI in 1936, no separate style was
used during the period 1931 - 1945.
Governors - General
1901 - 1903 John Adrian Louis Hope, Earl of
Hopetoun 1860 - 1908
1903 - 1904 Hallam Tennyson, Baron Tennyson
(*since 1902) 1852 - 1928
1904 - 1908 Henry Stafford Northcote, Baron
Northcote 1846 - 1911
1908 - 1911 William Humble Ward, Earl of Dudley 1867 - 1932
1911 - 1914 Thomas Denman, Baron Denman 1874 - 1954
1914 - 1920 Ronald Craufurd Munro-Ferguson 1860 - 1934
1920 - 1925 Henry William Forster, Baron Forster
of Lepe 1866 - 1936
1925 - 1931 John Lawrence Baird, Baron Stonehaven 1874 - 1941
1931 - 1936 Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs 1855 - 1948
1936 - 1945 BrigGen. Alexander Gore Arkwright
Hore-Ruthven, Baron Gowrie 1872 - 1955
1945 - 1947 Prince Henry William Frederick Albert,
Duke of Gloucester, son of King George V 1900 - 1974
___________________________________________________________________________
Prime Ministers
1901 - 1903 Sir (1902) Edmund Barton 1849 - 1920
1903 - 1904 Alfred Deakin 1856 - 1919
1904 John Christian Watson 1867 - 1941
1904 - 1905 George Houston Reid 1848 - 1918
1905 - 1908 Alfred Deakin (2x)
1908 - 1909 Andrew Fisher 1862 - 1928
1909 - 1910 Alfred Deakin (3x)
1910 - 1913 Andrew Fisher (2x)
1913 - 1914 Joseph Cook 1860 - 1947
1914 - 1915 Andrew Fisher (3x)
1915 - 1923 William Morris Hughes 1864 - 1952
1923 - 1929 Stanley Melbourne Bruce 1883 - 1967
1929 - 1932 James Henry Scullin 1876 - 1953
1932 - 1939 Joseph Aloysius Lyons 1879 - 1939
1939 Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page* 1880 - 1961
1939 - 1941 Robert Gordon Menzies 1894 - 1978
1941 Arthur William Fadden 1895 - 1973
1941 - 1945 John Curtin 1885 - 1945
1945 Francis Michael Forde 1890 - 1983
1945 - 1949 Joseph Benedict Chifley 1885 - 1951
Ministers of Foreign AffairsMinisters for External Affairs
1901 - 1903 Sir Edmund Barton s.a.
1903 - 1904 Alfred Deakin s.a.
1904 William Morris Hughes s.a.
1904 - 1905 George Houston Reid s.a.
1905 - 1908 Alfred Deakin (2x)
1908 - 1909 Egerton Lee Batchelor 1865 - 1911
1909 - 1910 Sir Littleton Ernest Groom 1867 - 1930
1910 - 1911 Egerton Lee Batchelor (2x)
1911 - 1913 Josiah Thomas 1863 - 1933
1913 - 1914 Patrick McMahon Glynn 1855 - 1931
1914 John Andrew Arthur
1914 - 1916 Hugh Mahon 1858 - 1931
1916 - 1917 Frederick William Bamford* 1849 - 1934
1917 - 1918 Patrick McMahon Glynn* (2x)
1918 - 1923 William Morris Hughes (2x)
1923 - 1929 Stanley Melbourne Bruce 1883 - 1967
1929 - 1932 James Henry Scullin s.a.
1932 - 1934 John Greig Latham 1877 - 1964
1934 - 1937 George Foster Pearce 1870 - 1952
1937 - 1939 William Morris Hughes (3x)
1939 - 1940 Henry Somer Gullett 1878 - 1940
1940 John McEwen 1900 - 1980
1940 - 1941 Frederick Harold Stewart 1884 - 1961
1941 - 1949 Herbert Vere Evatt 1894 - 1965
Ministers of DefenceMinisters of Defence
1901 Sir James Robert Dickson 1832 - 1901
1901 - 1903 Sir John Forrest 1847 - 1918
1903 James George Drake 1850 - 1941
1903 - 1904 Austin Chapman 1864 - 1926
1904 Anderson Andrew Dawson 1863 - 1910
1904 - 1905 James Whiteside McCay 1864 - 1930
1905 - 1907 Thomas Playford 1837 - 1915
1907 - 1908 Thomas Thomson Ewing 1870 - 1920
1908 - 1909 George Foster Pearce s.a.
1909 - 1910 Joseph Cook s.a.
1910 - 1913 George Foster Pearce (2x)
1913 - 1914 Edward Davis Millen 1861 - 1923
1914 - 1921 George Foster Pearce (3x)
1921 - 1923 Walter Massy-Greene 1874 - 1952
1923 - 1925 Eric Kendall Bowden 1871 - 1931
1925 - 1927 Sir Neville Reginald Howse 1864 - 1930
1927 - 1929 Sir Thomas William Glasgow 1876 - 1955
1939 - 1931 Albert Ernest Green 1869 - 1940
1931 John Joseph Daly 1891 - 1942
1931 - 1932 Joseph Benedict Chifley s.a.
1932 - 1934 Sir George Foster Pearce (4x)
1934 - 1937 Sir Robert Archdale Parkhill 1879 - 1947
1937 Joseph Aloysius Lyons s.a.
1937 - 1938 Harold Victor Campbell Thorby 1888 - 1973
1938 - 1939 Brig. Geoffrey Austin Street 1894 - 1940
1939 : Ministry of Defence replaced by Ministries of Defence Co-ordination,
of the Army, of the Air, of Munitions and a (re-established) Ministry
of the Navy
1942 : Ministry of Defence re-established to replace the Ministry of Defence
Co-ordination.
Ministers of Defence Co-ordination
1939 - 1941 Robert Gordon Menzies s.a.
1941 - 1942 John Curtin s.a.
Ministers of Defence
1943 - 1945 John Curtin s.a.
1945 - 1946 John Albert Beasley 1895 - 1949
Ministers for the Army
1939 - 1940 Brig. Geoffrey Austin Street s.a.
1940 Philip Albert Martin McBride 1892 - 1982
1940 - 1941 Percy Claude Spender 1897 - 1985
1941 - 1946 Francis Michael Forde s.a.
Ministers for the Navy
1915 - 1917 Jens August Jensen 1865 - 1936
1917 - 1920 Joseph Cook s.a.
1920 - 1921 William Henry Liard Smith 1869 - 1942
1921 - 1939 none
1939 - 1940 Sir Frederick Harold Stewart 1884 - 1961
1940 Archie Galbraith Cameron 1895 - 1956
1940 - 1941 William Morris Hughes s.a.
1941 - 1946 Norman John Oswald Makin 1889 - 1982
Ministers for Air
1939 - 1940 James Valentine Fairbairn 1897 - 1940
1940 Arthur William Fadden s.a.
1940 - 1941 John McEwen s.a.
1941 - 1949 Arthur Samuel Drakeford 1878 - 1957
Ministers for Munitions
1940 Robert Gordon Menzies s.a.
1940 - 1941 Philip Albert Martin McBride s.a.
1941 - 1946 Norman John Oswald Makin s.a.
Ministers of Home AffairsMinisters of Home Affairs
(also in charge of the Territories 1912 - 1932)
1901 - 1903 Sir William John Lyne 1844 - 1913
1903 - 1904 Sir John Forrest s.a.
1904 Egerton Lee Batchelor s.a.
1904 - 1905 Dugald Thomson 1848 - 1922
1905 - 1906 Sir Littleton Ernest Groom s.a.
1906 - 1907 Thomas Thomson Ewing s.a.
1907 - 1908 John Henry Keating 1872 - 1940
1908 - 1909 Hugh Mahon s.a.
1909 - 1910 George Warburton Fuller 1851 - 1940
1910 - 1913 King O'Malley 1858 - 1953
1913 - 1914 Joseph Cook s.a.
1914 - 1915 William Oliver Archibald 1852 - 1926
1915 - 1916 King O'Malley (2x)
1916 - 1917 Frederick William Bamford s.a.
1917 - 1920 Patrick McMahon Glynn s.a.
1920 - 1921 Alexander Poynton 1853 - 1935
1921 - 1926 George Foster Pearce s.a.
1926 - 1927 Sir Thomas William Glasgow s.a.
1927 - 1928 Charles William Clanan Marr 1880 - 1960
1928 Sir Neville Reginald Howse s.a.
1928 - 1929 Charles Lydiard Aubrey Abbott 1886 - 1975
1929 - 1932 Arthur Blakeley (last minister in
charge of Territories) 1886 - 1972
1932 Sir Robert Archidale Parkhill s.a.
Ministers of the Interior
(also in charge of the Internal Territories since 1938)
1932 Sir Robert Archidale Parkhill s.a.
1932 - 1934 John Arthur Perkins 1878 - 1954
1934 Eric John Harrison 1892 - 1974
1934 - 1937 Thomas Patterson 1882 - 1952
1937 - 1939 John McEwen s.a.
1939 - 1941 Hattil Spencer Foll 1890 - 1977
1941 - 1945 Joseph Silver Collings 1865 - 1955
1945 - 1946 Herbert Victor Johnson 1889 - 1962
Ministers for Home Security
(temporary Ministry for the duration of the War)
1940 - 1941 Joseph Palmer Abbott 1891 - 1965
1941 - 1946 Hubert Peter Lazzarini 1894 - 1952
Ministers of JusticeAttorneys General
1901 - 1903 Alfred Deakin s.a.
1903 - 1904 James George Drake s.a.
1904 Henry Bournes Higgins 1851 - 1929
1904 - 1905 Sir Josiah Henry Symon 1846 - 1934
1905 - 1906 Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs s.a.
1906 - 1908 Sir Littleton Ernest Groom s.a.
1908 - 1909 William Morris Hughes s.a.
1909 - 1910 Patrick McMahon Glynn s.a.
1910 - 1913 William Morris Hughes (2x)
1913 - 1914 William Hill Irvine 1858 - 1943
1914 - 1921 William Morris Hughes (3x)
1921 - 1925 Sir Littleton Ernest Groom (2x)
1925 - 1929 John Greig Latham 1877 - 1964
1929 - 1932 Frank Brennan 1873 - 1950
1932 - 1934 John Greig Latham (2x)
1934 - 1939 Robert Gordon Menzies s.a.
1939 - 1941 William Morris Hughes (4x)
1941 - 1949 Herbert Vere Evatt s.a.
Ministers of FinancesTreasurers
1901 - 1904 Sir George Turner 1851 - 1916
1904 John Christian Watson s.a.
1904 - 1905 Sir George Turner (2x)
1905 - 1907 Sir John Forrest s.a.
1907 - 1908 Sir William John Lyne s.a.
1908 - 1909 Andrew Fisher s.a.
1909 - 1910 Sir John Forrest (2x)
1910 - 1913 Andrew Fisher (2x)
1913 - 1914 Sir John Forrest (3x)
1914 - 1915 Andrew Fisher (3x)
1915 - 1916 William Guy Higgs
1916 ...
1916 - 1917 Alexander Poynton s.a.
1917 - 1918 Sir John Forrest (4x)
1918 - 1920 William Alexander Watt 1871 - 1946
1920 - 1921 Sir Joseph Cook s.a.
1921 - 1923 Stanley Melbourne Bruce 1883 - 1967
1923 - 1929 Earle Christmas Grafton Page s.a.
1929 - 1930 Edward Granville Theodore 1884 - 1950
1930 - 1931 James Henry Scullin s.a.
1931 - 1932 Edward Granville Theodore (2x)
1932 - 1935 Joseph Aloysius Lyons s.a.
1935 - 1939 Richard Gardiner Casey 1890 - 1976
1939 - 1940 Robert Gordon Menzies s.a.
1940 Percy Claude Spender s.a.
1940 - 1941 Arthur William Fadden s.a.
1941 - 1949 Joseph Benedict Chifley s.a.
HOMEINDEX
