Timeline of Australian Governments and Political Parties
This page sets out the timeline of Australian Prime Ministers and political parties which is useful in understanding who promoted particular changes to competition legislation over time.
Political party abbreviations
AG - Australian Greens
ALP - Australian Labor Party
CP - Country Party
CLP - Country Liberal Party
FT - Free Trade
LIB - Liberal Party of Australia
NATS - National Party of Australia (also NAT)
NCP - National Country Party
PROT - Protectionist Party
UAP - United Australia Party
* Coalition government
The current coalition government includes members of the LIB and NATS (conservative parties)
|
PRIME MINISTER |
DATES |
PARTY |
PARLIAMENT |
PARLIAMENT DATES |
|
Edmund Barton |
1.1.1901 - 24.9.1903 |
PROT |
1 |
1901 - November 1903 |
|
Alfred Deakin |
24.9.1903 - 27.4.1904 |
PROT |
2 |
Dec 1903 - Nov 1906 |
|
John Watson |
27.4.1904 - 17.8.1904 |
ALP |
||
|
George Reid |
18.8.1904 - 5.7.1905 |
FT* |
||
|
Alfred Deakin |
5.7.1905 - 13.11.1908 |
PROT* |
||
|
Alfred Deakin |
5.7.1905 - 13.11.1908 |
PROT* |
3 |
Dec 1906 - Feb 1910 |
|
Andrew Fisher |
13.11.1908 - 2.6.1909 |
ALP |
||
|
Alfred Deakin |
2.6.1909 - 29.4.1910 |
PROT |
||
|
Andrew Fisher |
29.4.1910 - 24.6.1913 |
ALP |
4 |
April 1910 - April 1913 |
|
Andrew Fisher |
29.4.1910 - 24.6.1913 |
ALP |
5 |
May 1913 - July 1914 |
|
Joseph Cook |
24.6.1913 - 17.9.1914 |
LIB |
||
|
Andrew Fisher |
17.9.1914 - 27.10.1915 |
ALP |
6 |
Sept 1914 - March 1917 |
|
William Hughes |
17.9.1914
- 27.10.1915 |
ALP/NAT LAB/NAT |
||
|
William Hughes |
17.2.1917 - 9.2.1923 |
NAT |
7 |
May 1917 - Nov 1919 |
|
William Hughes |
17.2.1917 - 9.2.1923 |
NAT |
8 |
Dec 1919 - Nov 1922 |
|
William Hughes |
17.2.1917 - 9.2.1923 |
NAT |
9 |
Dec 1922 - Oct 1925 |
|
Stanley Bruce |
9.2.1923 - 22.10.1929 |
NAT* |
||
|
Stanley Bruce |
9.2.1923 - 22.10.1929 |
NAT* |
10 |
Nov 1925 - Oct 1928 |
|
Stanley Bruce |
9.2.1923 - 22.10.1929 |
NAT* |
11 |
Nov 1928 - Sept 1929 |
|
James Scullin |
22.10.1929 - 6.1.1932 |
ALP |
12 |
Oct 1929 - Nov 1931 |
|
James Scullin |
22.10.1929 - 6.1.1932 |
ALP |
13 |
Dec 1931 - Aug 1934 |
|
Joseph Lyons |
6.1.1932 - 9.11.1934 |
UAP |
||
|
Joseph Lyons |
9.11.1934 - 7.4.1939 |
UAP* |
14 |
Sept 1934 - Sept 1937 |
|
Joseph Lyons |
9.11.1934 - 7.4.1939 |
UAP* |
15 |
Oct 1937 - Aug 1940 |
|
Earle Page |
7.4.1939 - 26.4.1939 |
CP* |
||
|
Robert Menzies |
26.4.1939
- 14.3.1940 |
UAP |
||
|
Robert Menzies |
14.3.1940 - 29.8.1941 |
UAP* |
16 |
Sept 1940 - July 1943 |
|
Arthur Fadden |
29.8.1941 - 7.10.1941 |
CP* |
||
|
John Curtin |
7.10.1941 - 5.7.1945 |
ALP |
||
|
John Curtin |
7.10.1941 - 5.7.1945 |
ALP |
17 |
Aug 1943 - Aug 1946 |
|
Francis Forde |
6.7.1945 - 13.7.1945 |
ALP |
||
|
Joseph Chifley |
13.7.1945 - 19.12.1949 |
ALP |
||
|
Joseph Chifley |
13.7.1945 - 19.12.1949 |
ALP |
18 |
Sept 1956 - Oct 1949 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
19 |
Dec 1949 - March 1951 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
20 |
April 1951 - April 1954 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
21 |
May 1954 - Nov 1955 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
22 |
Dec 1955 - Oct 1958 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
23 |
Nov 1958 - Nov 1961 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
24 |
Dec 1961 - Nov 1963 |
|
Robert Menzies |
19.12.1949 - 26.1.1966 |
LIB* |
25 |
Nov 1963 - Oct 1966 |
|
Harold Holt |
26.1.1966 - 19.12.1967 |
LIB* |
||
|
Harold Holt |
26.1.1966 - 19.12.1967 |
LIB* |
26 |
Nov 1966 - Sept 1969 |
|
John McEwen |
19.12.1967 - 10.1.1968 |
CP* |
||
|
John Gorton |
10.1.1968 - 10.3.1971 |
LIB* |
||
|
John Gorton |
10.1.1968 - 10.3.1971 |
LIB* |
27 |
Oct 1969 - Nov 1972 |
|
William McMahon |
10.3.1971 - 5.12.1972 |
LIB* |
||
|
E. Gough Whitlam |
5.12.1972 - 11.11.1975 |
ALP |
28 |
Dec 1972 - April 1974 |
|
E. Gough Whitlam |
5.12.1972 - 11.11.1975 |
ALP |
29 |
May 1974 - Nov 1975 |
|
J. Malcolm Fraser |
11.11.1975 - 11.3.1983 |
LIB* |
30 |
Dec 1975 - Nov 1977 |
|
J. Malcolm Fraser |
11.11.1975 - 11.3.1983 |
LIB* |
31 |
Dec 1977 - Sept 1980 |
|
J. Malcolm Fraser |
11.11.1975 - 11.3.1983 |
LIB* |
32 |
Oct 1980 - Feb 1983 |
|
Robert Hawke |
11.3.1983 - 20.12.1991 |
ALP |
33 |
March 1983 - Oct 1984 |
|
Robert Hawke |
11.3.1983 - 20.12.1991 |
ALP |
34 |
Dec 1984 - June 1987 |
|
Robert Hawke |
11.3.1983 - 20.12.1991 |
ALP |
35 |
July 1987 - Feb 1990 |
|
Robert Hawke |
11.3.1983 - 20.12.1991 |
ALP |
36 |
March 1990 - Feb 1993 |
|
Paul Keating |
20.12.1991 - 11.3.1996 |
ALP |
||
|
Paul Keating |
20.12.1991 - 11.3.1996 |
ALP |
37 |
March 1993 - Jan 1996 |
|
John Howard |
11.3.1996 - 3.12.2007 |
LIB* |
38 |
March 1996 - Aug 1998 |
|
John Howard |
11.3.1996 - 3.12.2007 |
LIB* |
39 |
Oct 1998 - Oct 2001 |
|
John Howard |
11.3.1996 - 3.12.2007 |
LIB* |
40 |
Nov 2001 - Aug 2004 |
|
John Howard |
11.3.1996 - 3.12.2007 |
LIB* |
41 |
Oct 2004 - Oct 2007 |
|
Kevin Rudd |
3.12.2007 - 24.6.2010 |
ALP |
42 |
Nov 2007 - July 2010 |
|
Julia Gillard |
24.6.2010 - 26.6.2013 |
ALP |
||
|
Julia Gillard |
24.6.2010 - 27.6.2013 |
ALP |
43 |
Aug 2010 - August 2013 |
|
Kevin Rudd |
27.6.2013 - 7.9.2013 |
ALP |
||
|
Tony Abbott |
18.9.2013 - 15.9.2015 |
LIB* |
44 |
Nov 2013 - May 2016 |
|
Malcolm Turnbull |
15.9. 2015 - 24.8.2018 |
LIB* |
||
|
Malcolm Turnbull |
15.9.2015 - 24.8.2018 |
LIB* |
45 |
July 2016 – 4 April 2019 |
|
Scott Morrison |
24.8.2018 - 23.5.2022 |
LIB* |
||
|
Scott Morrison |
24.8.2018 - |
LIB* |
46 |
July 2019 - April 2022 |
|
Anthony Albanese |
23.5.2022 - |
ALP |
47 |
TBC |