Prime Minister of Australia - Wikipedia Prime Minister of Australia This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 26 March 2018. This article is about the office of the Prime Minister of Australia. For a list of Australian Prime Ministers, see List of Prime Ministers of Australia. Prime Minister of Australia Commonwealth Coat of Arms Incumbent Malcolm Turnbull since 15 September 2015 Government of Australia Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Style The Honourable ( formal ) Prime Minister ( spoken ) His / Her Excellency ( in international correspondence ) Member of Cabinet National Security Committee Federal Executive Council Reports to Parliament, Governor - General Residence The Lodge Kirribilli House Seat Canberra Appointer Governor - General of Australia by convention, based on appointee 's ability to command confidence in the House of Representatives Term length At the Governor - General 's pleasure contingent on the Prime Minister 's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament Inaugural holder Edmund Barton Formation 1 January 1901 Deputy Michael McCormack Salary $527,852 ( AUD ) Website pm.gov.au The Prime Minister of Australia ( sometimes informally abbreviated to PM ) is the head of government of Australia. The individual who holds the office is the most senior Minister of the Crown, the leader of the Cabinet and the chairperson of the National Security Committee. The Prime Minister also has the responsibility of administering the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The office is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia and exists only through longstanding political convention and tradition. The individual who holds the office is commissioned by the Governor - General of Australia and at the Governor - General 's pleasure subject to the Constitution of Australia. Almost always and according to convention, the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party or largest party in a coalition of parties in the House of Representatives and continues to be so as long as they command the confidence of this House. Some commentators argue that the Governor General may also dismiss a Prime Minister who is unable to pass the government 's supply bill through both houses of parliament, including the Australian Senate, where the government does n't normally command the majority, as happened in the 1975 constitutional crisis. Other commentators argue that the Governor General acted improperly in 1975 as Whitlam still retained the confidence of the House of Representatives, and there are no generally accepted conventions to guide the use of the Governor General 's reserve powers in this circumstance.. However, there is no constitutional requirement that the Prime Minister sit in the House of Representatives, or even be a member of the federal parliament ( subject to a constitutionally prescribed limit of three months ), though by convention this is always the case. The only case where a member of the Senate was appointed Prime Minister was John Gorton, who subsequently resigned his Senate position and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives ( Senator George Pearce was acting Prime Minister for seven months in 1916 while Billy Hughes was overseas ; and Senator Mathias Cormann acted for a few days in February 2018 while Malcolm Turnbull was overseas ). Malcolm Turnbull has held the office of Prime Minister since 15 September 2015. He received his commission after replacing Tony Abbott as the leader of the Liberal Party, the dominant party in the Coalition government, following the outcome of the September 2015 Liberal leadership ballot. Contents 1 Constitutional basis and appointment 2 Powers and role 3 Privileges of office 3.1 Salary 3.2 Allowances 3.3 After office 4 Acting and interim Prime Ministers 5 Former Prime Ministers 6 Ages 7 List and timeline 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links Constitutional basis and appointment Australia This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Australia Constitution Constitution of Australia Statute of Westminster Adoption Act Australia Act The Crown Monarch : Elizabeth II Governor - General : Sir Peter Cosgrove Executive Prime Minister : Malcolm Turnbull Deputy Prime Minister : Barnaby Joyce Federal Executive Council Ministry Current ( 71st ) Cabinet Legislature Parliament Senate President : Scott Ryan House of Representatives Speaker : Tony Smith Opposition Leader : Bill Shorten Shadow Ministry Judiciary High Court Lower Courts Laws of Australia Elections Federal electoral system Electoral divisions Political parties Recent elections Federal : 2016 2013 Federal by - elections Referendums States and territories Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Parliaments and Assemblies State courts State electoral systems Local government NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas NT Related topics Regions Foreign relations Defence Force Public holidays Republicanism Other countries Atlas Australia 's first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton at the central table in the House of Representatives in 1901. The Prime Minister of Australia is appointed by the Governor - General of Australia under Section 64 of the Australian Constitution, which empowers the Governor - General, as the official representative of the monarch, to appoint government ministers of state and requires them to be members of the House of Representatives or the Senate, or become members within three months of the appointment. The Prime Minister and Treasurer are traditionally members of the House, but the Constitution does not have such a requirement. Before being sworn in as a Minister of the Crown, a person must first be sworn in as a member of the Federal Executive Council if they are not already a member. Membership of the Federal Executive Council entitles the member to the style of The Honourable ( usually abbreviated to The Hon ) for life, barring exceptional circumstances. The senior members of the Executive Council constitute the Cabinet of Australia. The Prime Minister is, like other ministers, normally sworn in by the Governor - General and then presented with the commission ( Letters patent ) of office. When defeated in an election, or on resigning, the Prime Minister is said to `` hand in the commission '' and actually does so by returning it to the Governor - General. In the event of a Prime Minister dying in office, or becoming incapacitated, or for other reasons, the Governor - General can terminate the commission. Ministers hold office `` during the pleasure of the Governor - General '' ( s. 64 of the Constitution of Australia ), so theoretically, the Governor - General can dismiss a minister at any time, by notifying them in writing of the termination of their commission ; however, their power to do so except on the advice of the Prime Minister is heavily circumscribed by convention. Despite the importance of the office of Prime Minister, the Constitution does not mention the office by name. The conventions of the Westminster system were thought to be sufficiently entrenched in Australia by the authors of the Constitution that it was deemed unnecessary to detail them. The formal title of the portfolio has always been simply `` Prime Minister '', except for the period of the Fourth Deakin Ministry ( June 1909 to April 1910 ), when it was known as `` Prime Minister ( without portfolio ) ''. If a government can not get its appropriation ( budget ) legislation passed by the House of Representatives, or the House passes a vote of `` no confidence '' in the government, the Prime Minister is bound by convention to immediately advise the Governor - General to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a fresh election. Following a resignation in other circumstances, or the death of a Prime Minister, the governor - general will generally appoint as Prime Minister the person elected as leader by the governing party or, in the case of a coalition, the senior party in the coalition. There have been four notable exceptions to this : When Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister and leader of the United Australia Party ( UAP ), died suddenly in April 1939, the governor - general, Lord Gowrie, called on Sir Earle Page to become caretaker Prime Minister. Page was the leader of the smaller party in the governing coalition, the Country Party. He held the office for three weeks until the UAP elected a new leader, Robert Menzies. In August 1941 Menzies resigned as Prime Minister. The UAP was so bereft of leadership at this time that the Country Party leader Arthur Fadden was invited to become Prime Minister, although the Country Party was the smaller of the two coalition parties. The government depended on support from two independents, who two months later voted against Fadden 's budget and brought the government down, paving the way for John Curtin to be appointed as Labor Prime Minister. In July 1945 John Curtin died suddenly. His deputy, Frank Forde, was sworn in the next day as Prime Minister, although the Labor Party had not had an opportunity to meet and elect a new leader. Forde served for eight days until Ben Chifley was elected leader. Chifley was then sworn in, replacing Forde, who became Australia 's shortest - serving Prime Minister. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming on 17 December 1967 and was declared presumed dead on 19 December. The governor - general, Lord Casey, commissioned the Leader of the Country Party, John McEwen, to form a government until the Liberal Party elected a new leader. McEwen was Prime Minister for 23 days, until the election of ( then Senator ) John Gorton. Excluding the brief transition periods during changes of government or leadership elections, there have only been a handful of cases where someone other than the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives was Prime Minister : Federation occurred on 1 January 1901, but elections for the first parliament were not scheduled until late March. In the interim, an unelected caretaker government was necessary. In what is now known as the Hopetoun Blunder, the governor - general, Lord Hopetoun, invited Sir William Lyne, the premier of the most populous state, New South Wales, to form a government. Lyne was unable to do so and returned his commission in favour of Edmund Barton, who became the first Prime Minister and led the inaugural government into and beyond the election. During the second parliament, three parties ( Free Trade, Protectionist and Labor ) had roughly equal representation in the House of Representatives. The leaders of the three parties, Alfred Deakin, George Reid and Chris Watson each served as Prime Minister before losing a vote of confidence. As a result of the Labor Party 's split over conscription, Billy Hughes and his supporters were expelled from the Labor Party in November 1916. He subsequently continued on as prime minister at the head of the new National Labor Party, which had only 14 members out of a total of 75 in the House of Representatives. The Commonwealth Liberal Party -- despite still forming the Official Opposition -- provided confidence and supply until February 1917, when the two parties agree to merge and form the Nationalist Party. During the 1975 constitutional crisis, on 11 November 1975, the governor - general, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Labor Party 's Gough Whitlam as Prime Minister. Despite Labor holding a majority in the House of Representatives, Kerr appointed the Leader of the Opposition, Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister, conditional on the passage of the Whitlam government 's Supply bills through the Senate and the calling of an election for both houses of parliament. Fraser accepted these terms and immediately advised a double dissolution. An election was called for 13 December, which the Liberal Party won in its own right ( although the Liberals governed in a coalition with the Country Party ). Powers and role The first Prime Minister of Australia, Edmund Barton ( sitting second from left ), with his Cabinet, 1901. Most of the Prime Minister 's powers derive from being head of Government. In practice, the Federal Executive Council will act to ratify all decisions made by the cabinet and decisions of the cabinet will always require the support of the Prime Minister. The powers of the governor - general to grant Royal Assent to legislation, to dissolve and prorogue parliament, to call elections and to make appointments are exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is also the responsible minister for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is tasked with supporting the policy agendas of the Prime Minister and Cabinet through policy advice and the coordination of the implementation of key government programs, to manage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy and programs and to promote reconciliation, to provide leadership for the Australian Public Service alongside the Australian Public Service Commission, to oversee the honours and symbols of the Commonwealth, to provide support to ceremonies and official visits, to set whole of government service delivery policy, and to coordinate national security, cyber, counterterrorism, regulatory reform, cities, population, data, and women 's policy. The formal power to appoint the Governor - General lies with the Queen of Australia, but this appointment is done on the formal advice of the Prime Minister. By convention, this advice is provided by the Prime Minister alone, and thus the appointment is effectively the Prime Minister 's personal choice. The Prime Minister may also advise the monarch to dismiss the Governor - General, though it remains unclear how quickly the monarch would act on such advice in a constitutional crisis. This uncertainty, and the possibility of a `` race '' between the Governor - General and Prime Minister to sack the other, was a key question in the 1975 constitutional crisis. The power of the Prime Minister is subject to a number of limitations. Prime Ministers removed as leader of their party, or whose government loses a vote of no - confidence in the House of Representatives, are expected to advise an election of the lower house or resign the office. If they fail to do this they will be dismissed by the Governor - General. The Prime Minister 's party will normally have a majority in the House of Representatives and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Australian politics, so passage of the government 's legislation through the House of Representatives is mostly a formality. Attaining the support of the Senate can be more difficult as government usually lacks an absolute majority because the Senate 's representation is based on overall proportion of votes and often includes minor parties. Privileges of office Salary Prime Ministerial salary history Effective date Salary 2 June 1999 $289,270 6 September 2006 $309,270 1 July 2007 $330,356 1 October 2009 $340,704 1 August 2010 $354,671 1 July 2011 $366,366 1 December 2011 $440,000 15 March 2012 $481,000 1 July 2012 $495,430 1 July 2013 $507,338 1 January 2016 $517,504 1 July 2017 $527,852 On 1 July 2017, the Australian Government 's Remuneration Tribunal adjusted the Prime Ministerial salary, raising it to its current amount of $527,852. Allowances Prime Ministers Curtin, Fadden, Hughes, Menzies and Governor - General The Duke of Gloucester 2nd from left, in 1945. Whilst in office, the Prime Minister has two official residences. The primary official residence is The Lodge in Canberra. Most Prime Ministers have chosen The Lodge as their primary residence because of its security facilities and close proximity to Parliament House. There have been some exceptions, however. James Scullin preferred to live at the Hotel Canberra ( now the Hyatt Hotel ) and Ben Chifley lived in the Hotel Kurrajong. More recently, John Howard used the Sydney Prime Ministerial residence, Kirribilli House, as his primary accommodation. On her appointment on 24 June 2010, Julia Gillard said she would not be living in The Lodge until such time as she was returned to office by popular vote at the next general election. ( She became Prime Minister mid-term after replacing the incumbent, Kevin Rudd, who resigned in the face of an unwinnable party - room ballot. ) During his first term, Rudd had a staff at The Lodge consisting of a senior chef and an assistant chef, a child carer, one senior house attendant, and two junior house attendants. At Kirribilli House in Sydney, there is one full - time chef and one full - time house attendant. The official residences are fully staffed and catered for both the Prime Minister and their family. In addition, both have extensive security facilities. These residences are regularly used for official entertaining, such as receptions for Australian of the Year finalists. The Prime Minister receives a number of transport amenities for official business. The Royal Australian Air Force 's No. 34 Squadron transports the Prime Minister within Australia and overseas by specially converted Boeing Business Jets and smaller Challenger aircraft. The aircraft contain secure communications equipment as well as an office, conference room and sleeping compartments. The call - sign for the aircraft is `` Envoy ''. For ground travel, the Prime Minister is transported in an armoured BMW 7 Series model. It is referred to as `` C - 1 '', or Commonwealth One, because of its licence plate. It is escorted by police vehicles from state and federal authorities. After office Prime Ministers are usually granted certain privileges after leaving office, such as office accommodation, staff assistance, and a Life Gold Pass, which entitles the holder to travel within Australia for `` non-commercial '' purposes at government expense. Only one Prime Minister who had left the Federal Parliament ever returned. Stanley Bruce was defeated in his own seat in 1929 while Prime Minister, but was re-elected to parliament in 1931. Other Prime Ministers were elected to parliaments other than the Australian federal parliament : Sir George Reid was elected to the UK House of Commons ( after his term as High Commissioner to the UK ) ; and Frank Forde was re-elected to the Queensland Parliament ( after his term as High Commissioner to Canada, and a failed attempt to re-enter the Federal Parliament ). Privileges of office The Lodge Kirribilli House Prime Ministerial car Official aircraft Acting and interim Prime Ministers From time to time Prime Ministers are required to leave the country on government business and a deputy acts in their place during that time. In the days before jet aircraft, such absences could be for extended periods. For example, William Watt was acting prime Minister for 16 months, from April 1918 until August 1919, when Prime Minister Billy Hughes was away at the Paris Peace Conference, and Senator George Pearce was acting Prime Minister for more than seven months in 1916. An acting Prime Minister is also appointed when the prime minister takes leave. The Deputy Prime Minister most commonly becomes acting Prime Minister in those circumstances. Three Prime Ministers have died in office -- Joseph Lyons ( 1939 ), John Curtin ( 1945 ) and Harold Holt ( 1967 ) -- and Robert Menzies resigned as Prime Minister in 1941. In each of these cases the Deputy Prime Minister ( an unofficial office at the time ) became an interim Prime Minister, pending an election of a new leader of the government party. In none of these cases was the interim Prime Minister successful at the subsequent election. Former Prime Ministers As of March 2018, there are six living former Australian Prime Ministers. Bob Hawke In office : 1983 -- 1991 Age : 88 Paul Keating In office : 1991 -- 1996 Age : 74 John Howard In office : 1996 -- 2007 Age : 78 Kevin Rudd In office : 2007 -- 2010 ; 13 Age : 60 Julia Gillard In office : 2010 -- 2013 Age : 56 Tony Abbott, In office : 2013 -- 2015 Age : 60 The greatest number of living former Prime Ministers at any one time was eight. This has occurred twice : Between 7 October 1941 ( when John Curtin succeeded Arthur Fadden ) and 18 November 1941 ( when Chris Watson died ), the eight living former Prime Ministers were Bruce, Cook, Fadden, Hughes, Menzies, Page, Scullin and Watson. Between 13 July 1945 ( when Ben Chifley succeeded Frank Forde ) and 30 July 1947 ( when Sir Joseph Cook died ), the eight living former Prime Ministers were Bruce, Cook, Fadden, Forde, Hughes, Menzies, Page and Scullin. Of the other Prime Ministers, Ben Chifley died only one year and six months after leaving the Prime Ministership and Alfred Deakin lived another nine years and five months. All the others who have left office have lived at least another 10 years. Nine of them ( Bruce, Cook, Fadden, Forde, Fraser, Gorton, Hughes, Watson, and Whitlam ) lived more than 25 years after leaving the office, and all but one of them have survived longer than 30 years ( Hughes lived for 29 years and 8 months following service ). Bob Hawke, who is, as of 2017, still alive, has also lived 25 years beyond the end of his prime ministership. The longest - surviving was Gough Whitlam, who lived 38 years and 11 months after office, surpassing Stanley Bruce 's previous record of 37 years and 10 months after leaving the office. Ages Four Australian prime ministers -- Forde, Curtin, Menzies, and Hughes -- at a meeting of the Advisory War Council in 1940. The three youngest people when they first became Prime Minister were : Chris Watson -- 37 Stanley Bruce -- 39 Robert Menzies -- 44 The three oldest people when they first became Prime Minister were : John McEwen -- 67 William McMahon -- 63 Malcolm Turnbull -- 60 The three youngest people to last leave the office of Prime Minister were : Chris Watson -- 37 Arthur Fadden -- 46 years 5 months 22 days Stanley Bruce -- 46 years 6 months 7 days The three oldest people to last leave the office of Prime Minister were : Robert Menzies -- 71 John Howard -- 68 John McEwen -- 67 List and timeline Main article : List of Prime Ministers of Australia The longest - serving Prime Minister was Sir Robert Menzies, who served in office twice : from 26 April 1939 to 28 August 1941, and again from 19 December 1949 to 26 January 1966. In total Robert Menzies spent 18 years, 5 months and 12 days in office. He served under the United Australia Party and the Liberal Party respectively. The shortest - serving Prime Minister was Frank Forde, who was appointed to the position on 6 July 1945 after the death of John Curtin, and served until 13 July 1945 when Ben Chifley was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party. Parties Australian Labor Party Liberal Party of Australia Australian Country Party Nationalist Party of Australia United Australia Party Commonwealth Liberal Party National Labor Party Free Trade Party Protectionist Party No. Name ( birth -- death ) Portrait Party Term of office Electorate served Elections won Ministry Ref Sir Edmund Barton ( 1849 -- 1920 ) Protectionist 1 January 1901 24 September 1903 Hunter, NSW, 1901 -- 1903 ( resigned ) 1901 Barton Alfred Deakin ( 1856 -- 1919 ) Protectionist 24 September 1903 27 April 1904 Ballaarat, Vic, 1901 -- 1913 ( retired ) 1903 1st Deakin Chris Watson ( 1867 -- 1941 ) Labour 27 April 1904 18 August 1904 Bland, NSW, 1901 -- 1906 South Sydney, NSW, 1906 -- 1910 ( retired ) -- Watson George Reid ( 1845 -- 1918 ) Free Trade 18 August 1904 5 July 1905 East Sydney, NSW, 1901 -- 1909 ( resigned ) -- Reid ( 2 ) Alfred Deakin ( 1856 -- 1919 ) Protectionist 5 July 1905 13 November 1908 Ballaarat, Vic, 1901 -- 1913 ( retired ) -- 2nd Deakin 1906 3rd Deakin 5 Andrew Fisher ( 1862 -- 1928 ) Labour 13 November 1908 2 June 1909 Wide Bay, Qld, 1901 -- 1915 ( resigned ) -- 1st Fisher ( 2 ) Alfred Deakin ( 1856 -- 1919 ) Commonwealth Liberal 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 Ballaarat, Vic, 1901 -- 1913 ( retired ) -- 4th Deakin ( 5 ) Andrew Fisher ( 1862 -- 1928 ) Labor 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 Wide Bay, Qld, 1901 -- 1915 ( resigned ) 1910 2nd Fisher 6 Joseph Cook ( 1860 -- 1947 ) Commonwealth Liberal 24 June 1913 17 September 1914 Parramatta, NSW, 1901 -- 1921 ( resigned ) 1913 Cook ( 5 ) Andrew Fisher ( 1862 -- 1928 ) Labor 17 September 1914 27 October 1915 Wide Bay, Qld, 1901 -- 1915 ( resigned ) 1914 3rd Fisher Billy Hughes ( 1862 -- 1952 ) Labor 27 October 1915 14 November 1916 West Sydney, NSW, 1901 -- 1917 Bendigo, Vic, 1917 -- 1922 North Sydney, NSW, 1922 -- 1949 Bradfield, NSW, 1949 -- 1952 ( died ) -- 1st Hughes 7 National Labor 14 November 1916 17 February 1917 -- 2nd Hughes Nationalist 17 February 1917 9 February 1923 -- 3rd Hughes 1917 4th Hughes 1919 5th Hughes 8 Stanley Bruce ( 1883 -- 1967 ) Nationalist ( Coalition ) 9 February 1923 22 October 1929 Flinders, Vic, 1918 -- 1929 ( defeated ) ; 1931 -- 1933 ( resigned ) 1922 1st Bruce 1925 2nd Bruce 1928 3rd Bruce 9 James Scullin ( 1876 -- 1953 ) Labor 22 October 1929 6 January 1932 Corangamite, Vic, 1910 -- 1913 ( defeated ) Yarra, Vic, 1922 -- 1949 ( retired ) 1929 Scullin 10 Joseph Lyons ( 1879 -- 1939 ) United Australia ( Coalition ) 6 January 1932 7 April 1939 † Wilmot, Tas, 1929 -- 1939 ( died ) 1931 1st Lyons 1934 2nd Lyons -- 3rd Lyons 1937 4th Lyons 11 Sir Earle Page ( 1880 -- 1961 ) Country ( Coalition ) 7 April 1939 26 April 1939 Cowper, NSW 1919 -- 1961 ( defeated ) -- Page 12 Robert Menzies ( 1894 -- 1978 ) United Australia ( Coalition ) 26 April 1939 28 August 1941 Kooyong, Vic, 1934 -- 1966 ( resigned ) -- 1st Menzies 2nd Menzies 1940 3rd Menzies 13 Arthur Fadden ( 1894 -- 1973 ) Country ( Coalition ) 28 August 1941 7 October 1941 Darling Downs, Qld 1936 -- 1949 McPherson, Qld 1949 -- 1958 ( retired ) -- Fadden 14 John Curtin ( 1885 -- 1945 ) Labor 7 October 1941 5 July 1945 † Fremantle, WA, 1928 -- 1931 ( defeated ) ; 1934 -- 1945 ( died ) -- 1st Curtin 1943 2nd Curtin 15 Frank Forde ( 1890 -- 1983 ) Labor 6 July 1945 13 July 1945 Capricornia, Qld, 1922 -- 1946 ( defeated ) -- Forde 16 Ben Chifley ( 1885 -- 1951 ) Labor 13 July 1945 19 December 1949 Macquarie, NSW, 1928 -- 1931 ( defeated ) ; 1940 -- 1951 ( died ) -- 1st Chifley 1946 2nd Chifley ( 12 ) Sir Robert Menzies ( 1894 -- 1978 ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 19 December 1949 26 January 1966 Kooyong, Vic, 1934 -- 1966 ( resigned ) 1949 4th Menzies 1951 5th Menzies 1954 6th Menzies 1955 7th Menzies 1958 8th Menzies 1961 9th Menzies 1963 10th Menzies 17 Harold Holt ( 1908 -- 1967 ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 26 January 1966 19 December 1967 † Fawkner, Vic, 1935 -- 1949 Higgins, Vic, 1949 -- 1967 ( disappeared ) -- 1st Holt 1966 2nd Holt 18 John McEwen ( 1900 -- 1980 ) Country ( Coalition ) 19 December 1967 10 January 1968 Echuca, Vic, 1934 -- 1937 Indi, Vic, 1937 -- 1949 Murray, Vic, 1949 -- 1971 ( resigned ) -- McEwen 19 John Gorton ( 1911 -- 2002 ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 10 January 1968 10 March 1971 Senator 1950 -- 1968 ( resigned ) MP for Higgins, Vic, 1968 -- 1975 ( retired ) -- 1st Gorton 1969 2nd Gorton 20 William McMahon ( 1908 -- 1988 ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 10 March 1971 5 December 1972 Lowe, NSW, 1949 -- 1982 ( resigned ) -- McMahon 21 Gough Whitlam ( 1916 -- 2014 ) Labor 5 December 1972 11 November Werriwa, NSW, 1952 -- 1978 ( resigned ) 1972 1st Whitlam -- 2nd Whitlam 3rd Whitlam 22 Malcolm Fraser ( 1930 -- 2015 ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 11 November 11 March Wannon, Vic, 1955 -- 1983 ( resigned ) -- 1st Fraser 2nd Fraser 1977 3rd Fraser 1980 4th Fraser 23 Bob Hawke ( 1929 -- ) Labor 11 March 20 December 1991 Wills, Vic, 1980 -- 1992 ( resigned ) 1st Hawke 1984 2nd Hawke 3rd Hawke 1990 4th Hawke 24 Paul Keating ( 1944 -- ) Labor 20 December 1991 11 March Blaxland, NSW, 1969 -- 1996 ( resigned ) -- 1st Keating 1993 2nd Keating 25 John Howard ( 1939 -- ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 11 March 3 December 2007 Bennelong, NSW, 1974 -- 2007 ( defeated ) 1st Howard 1998 2nd Howard 2001 3rd Howard 4th Howard 26 Kevin Rudd ( 1957 -- ) Labor 3 December 2007 24 June Griffith, Qld, 1998 -- 2013 ( resigned ) 2007 1st Rudd 27 Julia Gillard ( 1961 -- ) Labor 24 June 27 June 2013 Lalor, Vic, 1998 -- 2013 ( retired ) -- 1st Gillard 2nd Gillard ( 26 ) Kevin Rudd ( 1957 -- ) Labor 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 Griffith, Qld, 1998 -- 2013 ( resigned ) -- 2nd Rudd 28 Tony Abbott ( 1957 -- ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 18 September 2013 15 September 2015 Warringah, NSW, since 1994 2013 Abbott 29 Malcolm Turnbull ( 1954 -- ) Liberal ( Coalition ) 15 September 2015 Incumbent Wentworth, NSW, since 2004 -- 1st Turnbull 2016 2nd Turnbull See also Deputy Prime Minister of Australia List of Prime Ministers of Australia List of Prime Ministers of Australia by time in office List of Prime Ministers of Australia ( graphical ) Historical rankings of Prime Ministers of Australia Prime Ministers Avenue in Horse Chestnut Avenue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens contains a collection of bronze busts of former Australian Prime Ministers. Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia Transportation of the Prime Minister of Australia List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition Prime Ministers of Queen Elizabeth II List of Commonwealth Heads of Government List of Privy Counsellors ( 1952 -- present ) Prime Minister 's XI Notes ^ Jump up to : The Electoral Division of Ballaarat was spelled with a double a until 1977. Jump up ^ Gorton was elected to the Senate at the general election of 10 December 1949, but his term did not commence until 22 February 1950. He was appointed Prime Minister on 10 January 1968 ; resigned from the Senate on 1 February ; and was elected to the House of Representatives at a by - election on 24 February. Jump up ^ Gorton retired from the House of Representatives at the double dissolution of 11 November 1975, and stood for an Australian Capital Territory Senate seat as an independent at the general election of 13 December 1975, but was unsuccessful. References Jump up ^ `` Heads of State, Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs '' ( PDF ). UN. United Nations Foreign and Protocol Service. Jump up ^ Australia 's Constitution : With Overview and Notes by the Australian Government Solicitor ( Pocket ed. ed. ). Canberra : Parliamentary Education Office and Australian Government Solicitor. 2010. p. v. ISBN 9781742293431. CS1 maint : Extra text ( link ) Jump up ^ `` 9 - Motions ''. House of Representatives Practice, 6th Ed -- HTML version. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2018. Jump up ^ Australia 's Constitution : With Overview and Notes by the Australian Government Solicitor ( Pocket ed. ed. ). Canberra : Parliamentary Education Office and Australian Government Solicitor. 2010. p. v. ISBN 9781742293431. CS1 maint : Extra text ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Pearce, Sir George Foster ( 1870 -- 1952 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2010. Jump up ^ Farr, Malcolm ( 20 February 2018 ). `` Senator Mathias Cormann named Acting PM as top ranks head out of the country ''. news.com.au. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as Australia 's 29th Prime Minister ''. ABC News. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` No. 14 - Ministers in the Senate ''. Senate Briefs. Parliament of Australia. December 2016. Jump up ^ `` ParlInfo -- Part 6 -- Historical information on the Australian Parliament : Ministries and Cabinets ''. aph.gov.au. Jump up ^ `` Administrative Arrangements Order '' ( PDF ). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2017. Jump up ^ Kerr, John. `` Statement from John Kerr ( dated 11 November 1975 ) explaining his decisions ''. WhitlamDismissal.com. Retrieved 11 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and MPs in line to get a 3 % pay rise ''. Jump up ^ Hudson, Phillip ( 25 August 2010 ). `` Politicians awarded secret pay rise ''. Herald Sun. Australia. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived 13 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Tony Abbott defends increase in MP salary, saying he 's working hard for every Australian ''. Herald Sun. 5 July 2012. Jump up ^ Peatling, Stephanie ( 14 June 2013 ). `` PM 's salary tops $500,000 ''. Sydney Morning Herald. Jump up ^ Mannheim, Markus ( 10 December 2015 ). `` Politicians, judges and top public servants to gain 2 % pay rise after wage freeze ''. Canberra Times. ^ Jump up to : `` Politicians under fire for pay increases while penalty rates cut, One Nation wants to reject rise ''. 23 June 2017. Jump up ^ Metherell, Mark ( 19 February 2008 ). `` Rudds ' staff extends to a child carer at the Lodge ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 June 2010. Jump up ^ CarAdvice.com.au ( 6 April 2009 ). `` 25 % of government car fleet foreign made ''. Car Advice. Retrieved 12 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Australian Dictionary of Biography -- William Alexander Watt ''. ADB ANU. Retrieved 21 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Australian Dictionary of Biography -- Sir George Foster Pearce ''. ADB ANU. Retrieved 21 October 2014. Jump up ^ Cox, Lisa. `` The ' special moment ' seven surviving Prime Ministers were photographed together ''. Jump up ^ `` After office ''. naa.gov.au. Jump up ^ `` Prime Minister of Australia ''. Australian Policy Online. ^ Jump up to : Nairn, Bede ( 1990 ). `` Watson, John Christian ( 1867 -- 1941 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : Radi, Heather ( 1979 ). `` Bruce, Stanley Melbourne ( Viscount Bruce ) ( 1883 -- 1967 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. ^ Jump up to : Martin, A.W. `` Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon ( Bob ) ( 1894 -- 1978 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 22. Jump up ^ `` McEwen, Sir John ( 1900 -- 1980 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Jump up ^ `` McMahon, Sir William ( Billy ) ( 1908 -- 1988 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. ^ Jump up to : Cribb, Margaret Bridson. `` Fadden, Sir Arthur William ( 1894 -- 1973 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 22. Jump up ^ Rutledge, Martha. `` Barton, Sir Edmund ( 1849 -- 1920 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Norris, R. ( 1981 ). `` Deakin, Alfred ( 1856 -- 1919 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ McMinn, W.G. `` Reid, Sir George Houstoun ( 1845 -- 1918 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Murphy, D.J. `` Fisher, Andrew ( 1862 -- 1928 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Crowley, F.K. `` Cook, Sir Joseph ( 1860 -- 1947 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Fitzhardinge, L.F. `` Hughes, William Morris ( Billy ) ( 1862 -- 1952 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Robertson, J.R. ( 1988 ). `` Scullin, James Henry ( 1876 -- 1953 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Hart, P.R. ( 1986 ). `` Lyons, Joseph Aloysius ( 1879 -- 1939 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Jump up ^ Bridge, Carl. `` Page, Sir Earle Christmas Grafton ( 1880 -- 1961 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra : Australian National University. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 21. Further reading Strangio, Paul ; t'Hart, Paul & Walter, James ( 2016 ). Settling the Office : The Australian Prime Ministership from Federation to Reconstruction. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522868722. Strangio, Paul ; t'Hart, Paul & Walter, James ( 2017 ). The Pivot of Power : Australian Prime Ministers and Political Leadership, 1949 - 2016. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522868746. External links Library resources about Prime Minister of Australia Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prime Minister of Australia. Official website of the Prime Minister of Australia Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Australia 's Prime Ministers -- National Archives of Australia reference site and research portal Biographies of Australia 's Prime Ministers / National Museum of Australia Classroom resources on Australian Prime Ministers Prime Ministers of Australia ( list ) Barton Deakin Watson Reid Deakin Fisher Deakin Fisher Cook Fisher Hughes Bruce Scullin Lyons Page Menzies Fadden Curtin Forde Chifley Menzies Holt McEwen Gorton McMahon Whitlam Fraser Hawke Keating Howard Rudd Gillard Rudd Abbott Turnbull Lists of Prime Ministers of Australia By order Order of service Service ( graphical ) Statehood Historical rankings Military service Time in office Age By professional life Political affiliation Spouses Prime Minister 's spouse Parliament of Australia Components Queen ( represented by the Governor - General ) Senate House of Representatives Parliamentary officers Senate President of the Senate Clerk Leader of the Government in the Senate Manager of Government Business Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Manager of Opposition Business Whips ( list ) House of Representatives Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Clerk Prime Minister Leader of the House Leader of the Opposition Manager of Opposition Business Whips ( list ) Members Served in both houses Represented multiple states 30 + years Father of the Parliament Senate Current ( previous ) Appointees Women Father of the Senate House of Representatives Current ( previous ) Women Father of the House Parliaments Chronology of Australian federal parliaments 44th 45th Parliament of Australia Procedure Speech from the throne Joint meetings Question time Matter of public importance Readings of bills Queen 's Consent Royal assent List of Acts of the Parliament of Australia Committees : Senate House of Reps Elections Last Next List Double dissolution Senate : Single transferable vote House of Representatives : Instant - runoff voting Two - party - preferred vote Divisions By - elections Caretaker government Court of Disputed Returns Locations Parliament House, Melbourne Old Parliament House Parliament House, Canberra Politics of Australia Commonwealth Monarch Governor - General Prime Minister Cabinet ( Shadow Cabinet ) Executive Council Ministry Foreign relations Parliament House of Representatives Senate Opposition Leader High Court Lower courts Constitution Statute of Westminster Australia Act Federal elections pre-1969 1969 1972 1977 1980 1984 1990 1993 1998 2001 2007 2013 2016 next by - elections State / Territory governments Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Parliaments and Assemblies NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT State / Territory elections Vic 2014 NSW 2015 ACT 2016 NT 2016 WA 2017 Qld 2017 Tas 2018 SA 2018 Vic 2018 NSW 2019 ACT 2020 NT 2020 WA 2021 Qld 2020 Tas 2022 SA 2022 Timeline of Elections Amalgamated Timeline Local government NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas NT Political parties Coalition ( Liberal, National, Liberal National, Country Liberal ) Conservatives Greens Hinch Katter Labor Lambie Liberal Democrat One Nation Xenophon Other parties Political terminology Bjelkemander Branch stacking Casual vacancies Caucus revolt Champagne socialist Contempt of Parliament Despatch box Donkey vote Dorothy Dixer Double dissolution Faceless men Group voting ticket Hardworking families How - to - vote card Independent politicians Kirribilli agreement Langer vote Leadership spill Mortgage belt Nationalism Parliamentary secretary Responsible government Stolen Generations Working family Worm Heads of state and government of Oceania Heads of state Sovereign states Australia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Associated states of New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Heads of government Sovereign states Australia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Associated states of New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Prime minister Prime Ministers by country Abkhazia Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Armenia Artsakh Aruba Australia Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Congo ( Kinshasa ) Cook Islands Croatia Cuba Curaçao Northern Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica East Timor Egypt Equatorial Guinea Estonia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France Ghana Georgia Greece Greenland Grenada Guinea Guyana Haiti Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya North Korea South Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malaysia Malta Mauritius Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Myanmar ( Burma ) Nagorno - 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Question: how long is the term of a prime minister in australia
Answer: At the Governor-General's pleasure