Online Gem No. 13: Researching Australia’s prime ministers

‘Online Gem No. 13: Researching Australia’s prime ministers’, Honest History, 23 May 2017

The Australia’s Prime Ministers website, published and curated by the National Archives of Australia (NAA) provides useful information on every one of Australia’s 29 prime ministers, from Edmund Barton, the first prime minister who assumed office on 1 January 1901, to Malcolm Turnbull, who was sworn in on 15 September 2015. [1]  The website has a range of biographical information for each prime minister, including key elections, spouses or partners, and activities before, during and after holding office. All but one of the prime ministers have been men.

The National Archives website also provides a timeline, commencing with Edmund Barton and through to the present time, that lists commencement or appointment dates for each prime ministership.

As well, the NAA has published a series of research guides listing archival records for a selection of Australian prime ministers.  As at May 2017, seven of these guides have been published, with selected records from a variety of institutions.  Each of the research guides is available online as well as in print.

Our First Six: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by Susan Marsden and Roslyn Russell, 2002. This describes collections relating to prime ministers Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, John Christian Watson, George Houstoun Reid, Andrew Fisher and Joseph Cook.

Julia Gillard (Wikipedia)

MEDIA CALL: Gillard, Abbott to hold Q&A session at Rooty Hill RSL Wednesday, 11 August 2010 from 6.00pm Sydney, Australia, August 9, 2010 – Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will be holding a people’s forum at Rooty Hill RSL on Wednesday, 11 August 2010 from 6.00pm. The event will be facilitated by political editor David Speers and telecast live across Australia. The audience, which will include approximately 200 swinging voters from Western Sydney chosen by Galaxy Research, as well as media representatives, will have the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader questions related to their policies and in particular, how it affects the local community. Gillard, Abbott Q&A session details Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010 Time: 6.00pm (media can set up from 5.15pm) Where: Rooty Hill RSL Waratah Room 55 Sherbrooke Street, Rooty Hill NSW 2766 RSVP: chris@dashpr.com.au Schedule 6.00pm Prime Minister Julia Gillard address – Q&A 7.00pm Break for refreshments 7.30pm Opposition Leader Tony Abbott address – Q&A 8.30pm Close A limited number of seats are available for media representatives for this event. To attend this media call or for further information regarding the Gillard, Abbott Q&A session, please contact Christine Kardashian at Dash PR on 02 8084 0705 / 0416 005 703 or email chris@dashpr.com.au. ________________________________________ MEDIA RELEASE: Rooty Hill RSL to host Gillard, Abbott Q&A session Wednesday, 11 August 2010 from 6.00pm Sydney, Australia, August 9, 2010 – Rooty Hill RSL, Australia’s largest RSL club, will host the highly anticipated people’s forum with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. The event will be held on Wednesday, 11 August 2010 from 6.00pm, facilitated by political editor David Speers and telecast live across Australia. Why Rooty Hill RSL? Rooty Hill RSL

Stanley Melbourne Bruce: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by John Connor, 2003.

Joseph Lyons: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by Susan Marsden, 2002.

John Curtin: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by David Black and Lesley Wallace, 2004. Jointly published with the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, Perth.

Harold Holt: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by Pennie Pemberton, 2003.

Malcolm Fraser: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by Elizabeth Masters and Katie Wood, including biographies by Margaret Simons, 2012. Jointly published with the University of Melbourne Archives.

Gough Whitlam: Guide to Archives of Australia’s Prime Ministers, by Jenny Hocking with Clare Land, Natasha Campo and Sarah Tayton, 2016, plus images from the Gough Whitlam guide.

This is one of a series contributed by John Myrtle (myrtle@webone.com.au) derived in part from his database of material relating to the years from 1900 to the early 1970s.

Note

[1] Norman Abjorensen argues that Sir William Lyne makes 30 but not everyone agrees.

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