Sir Robert Menzies

Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister, helped establish many of the social mores and institutions that continue to make Australia one of the most free and prosperous in the world. He was committed to building an 'intelligent, free, and liberal Australian democracy,' based on the principles of freedom of speech, religion, association and enterprise.

A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

1894

20th December: Robert Gordon Menzies was born in Jeparit in Victoria's Mallee district, the third son and fourth child of James and Kate Menzies.

1899

Starts state school in Jeparit and later Ballarat. Finishes in 1907.

1908

Topped State Scholarships Examinations and continued schooling on scholarships at Grenville College, Ballarat.

1910

Family moved to Melbourne where a scholarship took Robert to Wesley College, a Methodist private school

1913

Studied law at University of Melbourne where he was influenced by Prof. Sir (William) Harrison Moore, Dean of the Faculty of Law.

1916

Graduated with first class honours in law and won Bowen Essay Prize.

1918

Admitted to the Bar where he read with Owen Dixon, a future Justice and Chief Justice of the High Court.

1920

Was the sole counsel for the successful party in the landmark constitutional litigation: the Engineers' Case.

1920

Married Pattie Leckie, whose father, John Leckie, had sat in the House of Representatives for Indi and was subsequently elected to the Senate.

1928

Elected at a by-election to the Legislative Council or Upper House of the Victorian Parliament as a Nationalist member for the East Yarra Province.

1928

Appointed a junior Minister in Sir William McPherson's administration.

1929

Resigned from the McPherson Ministry in protest against a concession made to the Country Progressive Party, a breakaway from the Victorian Country Party.

1929

Appointed a King's Counsel. In the December election was elected as the Nationalist member for Nunawading in the Victorian Legislative Assembly or Lower House.

1931

Played a significant role in the formation of the United Australia Party, which was to absorb the Nationalist Party.

1931

Brought Joseph Aloysius Lyons, a one-time Labor Premier of Tasmania and a former Minister in the Scullin Labor Government, into the non-Labor fold.

1932

Appointed Attorney-General and Minister for Railways in a United Australia Party and United Country Party composite Ministry led by Sir Stanley Argyle.

1934

Contested and won the federal seat of Kooyong. UAP and the Country Party agreed on the conditions for forming a composite Ministry.

1934

Before he had even been sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives, Menzies was appointed and sworn in as Attorney-General and Minister for Industry.

1935

Member of the official party attending King George V's Silver Jubilee celebrations.

1935

Made his first appearance as an advocate before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

1936

Impressively but unsuccessfully presented the Commonwealth Government's case in the Privy Council appeal, James v. the Commonwealth.

1937

Appointed a member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. In an election that same year the Lyons-Page Government was comfortably returned to office.

1938

Visited England on trade negotiations and also visited Europe. This visit may have started or intensified a deteriorating relationship with Sir Earle Page.

1938

Menzies unsuccessfully proposed that Australia should adopt the Statute of Westminster of 1931.

1939

On 14th March Menzies resigned from the Lyons Ministry and from the Deputy Leadership of the United Australia Party on the issue of National Insurance.

1939

On 7th April Lyons died suddenly. Sir Earle Page commissioned as Prime Minister, understanding he would make way for the new leader of the UAP once elected.

1939

Menzies became Prime Minister; On 3rd September Menzies announced that Australia was at war with Nazi Germany after its invasion of Poland.

1940

On 21st September an election was held. Menzies just scraped home but thereafter relied on the support of two Independents to remain in office.

1941

January-May: Menzies made a visit to the Middle East, Britain, Canada and the USA, extending his time in Britain three times with the approval of the Cabinet.

1941

Trip extended due to fear that without his presence Winston Churchill, British PM, would be less than mindful of Australia's interests as a fellow belligerent.

1941/08/29

Menzies resigned the Prime Ministership in favour of Arthur Fadden, the leader of the Country Party. Menzies remained leader of the United Australia Party.

1941/10/03

Fadden's administration was defeated on its budget when the two Independents on whose support his government had relied crossed the floor.

1941/10/03

Assured by these Independents that they were prepared to support the Labor Party, the Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, commissioned John Curtin as Prime Minister.

1941/10/03

UAP refused to back Menzies as leader of the Opposition and opted instead for Fadden. Menzies resigned his party's leadership in disgust.

1942

Menzies through a network of commercial radio stations began a series of broadcasts, including one entitled "The Forgotten People". Series continued into 1944.

1943

The Opposition parties led respectively by Fadden and Hughes were defeated in a landslide in the election held on 21st August.

1943

Menzies reclaims leadership of what was left of the UAP. He's then able to successfully stake his claim to become Leader of the Opposition for the first time.

1944

Menzies successfully led the Opposition parties against the Fourteen Powers Referendum.

1944

Menzies was also to the forefront in calling conferences in Albury and Canberra to discuss the formation of a new non-Labor party.

1945

On the resumption of Parliament on 21st February, Menzies was able to announce that he and his parliamentary colleagues were now members of the "Liberal Party of Australia". This followed the recent formation of the Party in Oct-Dec 1944.

1945

On 5th July, John Curtin died. On his election as party leader, J. B. (Ben) Chifley was commissioned as Prime Minister.

1946

Late in September an election was held in which Chifley led his government to victory. Menzies' piecemeal gains in the House brought little comfort.

1947

Cabinet resolved to nationalise the private trading banks. Menzies mounted a major attack on the legislation and the Government’s nationalisation policies.

1947

Although the legislation breezed through the Parliament it was ultimately defeated when the High Court and later the Privy Council pronounced it invalid.

1948

Menzies visited Britain and Europe. On the strength of his observations there, he reversed his previous opposition to the idea of banning the Communist Party.

1949/12/10

Menzies leads opposition in convincingly defeating the Chifley government. House of Representatives majority was substantial. Senate majority was not achieved.

1950

Communist Party Dissolution Bill was introduced and eventually passed. While visiting the USA, Menzies was invested as a Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit.

1950

Menzies commits Australian troops to be part of the United Nations force in the Korean War.

1951

An election for both Houses was called for 28th April, the second double dissolution of the Commonwealth Parliament - the first had been called in 1914.

1951

Menzies was returned with a slight reduction in his majority in the House of Representatives but with a comfortable working majority in the Senate.

1951

Chifley died shortly afterwards and was succeeded as Labor leader by Dr. H. V. Evatt.

1951

Referendum proposals to overturn the High Court's invalidation of Communist Party Dissolution Act were defeated. Seen as a significant triumph for Dr Evatt.

1951

Menzies was gazetted a Member of the Order of Companions of Honour (CH).

1953

An election for half the Senate enabled the Government barely to retain a working majority in the Upper House.

1954

In April, after the defection of MVD Officer Vladimir Petrov, Menzies established a Royal Commission on Espionage to examine extent of espionage in Australia.

1954

Election on 29th May for the House of Representatives alone confounded the expectations of many by resulting in the Menzies Government's narrow return to office

1955

A catastrophic split in the Labor Party precipitated by the erratic conduct of Dr. Evatt ensured the comfortable return of the Menzies Government.

1955

Menzies committed troops to the Malayan emergency.

1956

Menzies appoints Sir Keith Murray to inquire into the state of Australia’s Universities, bringing about the most significant change to universities ever.

1956

Established the Australian Universities Commission. Provided funds for better research and teaching facilities, higher salaries and Commonwealth Scholarships.

1956

Menzies led an international delegation to persuade President Gamel Abdel Nasser not to nationalise the Suez Canal.

1957

Established the National Capital Development Commission to consolidate the development of Canberra as the National Capital.

1957

Menzies begins moving Government Departments from Melbourne to the Capital.

1958

The Menzies Government was comfortably returned to office with majorities in both Houses.

1960

Menzies commits funds to the construction of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. The lake was part of Walter Burley Griffin’s original vision for the city.

1961

Arthur Calwell almost led Labor to victory in an election in December. Menzies continued in office with a working House of Representatives majority of one.

1963

Menzies was created a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (KT).

1963

At the end of the year Sir Robert Menzies restored his party's fortunes with a comfortable election victory in an election for the House of Representatives.

1964

At the end of the year Menzies successfully led the Government in an election for half the Senate. This proved to be his last campaign.

1965

Menzies committed the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment to South Vietnam.

1965

Australian military advisors had been in Vietnam at the request of the South Vietnamese Government since 1962.

1966

On 26 January, Menzies retired as Prime Minister of Australia and as Parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party.

1966

In July Menzies was installed as Sir Winston Churchill's successor as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

1977

Menzies was invested as a Knight in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AK).

1978

Menzies died at his home in Haverbrack Avenue in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern on 15th May.

1978

Menzies was given a State funeral. This was attended by many dignitaries from all over Australia and from overseas.