Australian Prime Ministers Multiple Choice Quiz | 10 Questions

Answer: Sir Edmund Barton

Edmund Barton, a lawyer and one of the first graduates of the University of Sydney, played a key role in the campaign for Federation during the 1890's. He led the first federal government from 1901-1903, was knighted in 1902, and resigned to sit on the High Court in 1903.

Answer: 3rd

Alfred Deakin served three non-consecutive terms as PM: 1903-04 and 1905-08 as leader of the Protectionist party, and 1909-10 in a coalition with the Free Traders.

The coalminer Andrew Fisher led Labor governments in 1908-09, 1910-13 and 1914-15. His third term in office was overshadowed by the war in Europe and debate at home about conscription. He resigned in 1915, acting as high commissioner in London from 1916-21.

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was PM in the United Australia Party between 1939-41, and later in opposition formed the Liberal Party, whose government he led from 1949-66.

Answer: Christmas

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, a doctor before entering parliament, was caretaker Prime Minister in 1939 following the death of Joseph Lyons. His Country Party was the junior member in a coalition with Lyons' United Australia Party. He opposed Robert Menzies' election as the new UAP leader and refused to serve under Menzies' leadership.

As a result, he lost the leadership of his own party.

Answer: 3rd

Joseph Aloysius Lyons, a school teacher before entering politics, was PM from 1932 until his death of a heart attack in April 1939.

John Curtin (1941-1945) is regarded as one the country's greatest Prime Ministers. In part this reputation is due to his leadership during WWII, when he rejected British plans for Australian troops, resulting in the successful defense of the Australian mainland. He died on 5 July, 1945, after several months' ill health following a heart attack in 1944.

Harold Holt's death remains one of Australia's great mysteries. He became PM on Australia Day, 1966 and disappeared while swimming off the coast in December 1967. He was officially pronounced drowned at sea-although his body was never found, sparking conspiracy theories, including that he had been kidnapped by a Chinese submarine!

Answer: He resigned

Sir John Grey Gorton was a fighter pilot with the RAAF during WWII. He sustained serious facial injuries after a crash and was left permanently disfigured despite reconstructive surgery. He was elected as a Liberal Party Senator after the war and became Prime Minister following Harold Holt's death.

After just over three years in office, and increasingly plagued by scandals, a poor public image, and party in-fighting, Gorton called a meeting of the Liberal Party in which a motion of confidence in his leadership was voted on. With the vote tied, Gorton used his casting vote to resign rather than stay as leader of a divided party.

Answer: Francis Forde

Francis Forde, a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party, was Prime Minister from 6 to 13 July, 1945, following the death of John Curtin. He stood as a candidate for party leader but was defeated by Ben Chifley.

John McEwen, caretaker PM after the death of Harold Holt, held the office for less than 2 weeks. Earle Page was caretaker PM for almost 3 weeks in 1939. Arthur Fadden resigned after independent members of parliament refused to pass his budget, joking that he was like the Flood: he reigned for 40 days and 40 nights.

Answer: Robert Menzies

Menzies held office briefly during WWII - several months of which he spent in Britain. On his return he found that he no longer had the support of the country, or much of his party, and resigned. He almost left politics altogether, but instead spent his time in the wilderness forming a new opposition to the Labor Party. He became PM again in 1949 on the back of rising anti-communist sentiment, and ruled for an incredible 17 years before retiring in 1966.

John Howard held office for almost 12 years, from 1996 to 2007. Bob Hawke is Australia's longest serving Labor PM, and third longest overall (behind Menzies and Howard), with 8 1/2 years in office. He won 4 consecutive federal elections. Ben Chifley only served 4 years as PM, but I'm a fan, so I worked him into the list anyway :)

Answer: 25

11 from the Labor Party, 6 from the Liberal Party, 3 Country Party, 2 Free Trade Party, 2 Protectionists and 1 Nationalist - although it gets a bit difficult keeping count in the early years, with party-hopping and coalitions forming at the drop of a hat. Billy Hughes in particular seems to have covered the length and breadth of the political spectrum in his career. Overall, a little more than half of all PMs in the 20th century were from the conservative side of politics.

Answer: Ben Chifley

In the speech, given in 1949, Joseph Benedict (Ben) Chifley espoused his beliefs about the ideals of the Labor movement.

"I try to think of the Labour movement, not as putting an extra sixpence into somebody's pocket, or making somebody Prime Minister or Premier, but as a movement bringing something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people. We have a great objective - the light on the hill - which we aim to reach by working the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the Labor movement would not be worth fighting for."

Answer: Universal, free health insurance

The bill to institute Medicare was twice blocked by the conservative-dominated Senate, so Whitlam called an early election.

Other achievements of the Whitlam government include:
- abolition of the remains of the White Australia policy
- mandated equal opportunity employment for women in Federal agencies
- introduction of a payment to support single parents
- reduction of the voting age to 18
- introduction of language programs for non-English speaking migrants
- diplomatic recognition of China
- advocacy for land rights for Indigenous Australians
- increased funding to the arts
- introduction of Australia's own honours system

and more. There are libraries written about this brief period, so I won't attempt to do it justice here. *sigh*