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Lord Hopetoun became the first Governor-General and Edmund Barton the first Prime Minister. Both were sworn in at the ceremony inaugurating the Commonwealth of Australia.
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When Edmund Barton resigned to become a judge of the High Court, his friend and deputy Prime Minister Alfred Deakin succeeded him.
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Australia’s first federal Labor government led by JC Watson, achieved office when Labor members withdrew support for the Deakin government on an amendment to the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill.
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Leader of the Opposition from 1901, GH Reid became Australia’s fourth Prime Minister in three years.
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Alfred Deakin became Prime Minister for the second time, when the Reid government lost majority support in the House of Representatives.
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Andrew Fisher became Prime Minister after Labor withdrew its support from the minority Deakin government.
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Alfred Deakin became Prime Minister for the third time after negotiating the ‘fusion’ of members from the three non-Labor political groups in the House of Representatives.
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Andrew Fisher was sworn in as Prime Minister for the second time. On 1 July 1910 the fourth parliament was opened, the first time a Prime Minister had a majority in both Houses.
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Sworn in after a close election result, Prime Minister Joseph Cook held a majority of only one in the House of Representatives.
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Andrew Fisher was sworn in as Prime Minister for the third time. Labor was comfortably returned to government at Australia's first double dissolution election on 5 September.
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After the forced resignation of Andrew Fisher, Labor parliamentarians elected WM Hughes as Party leader.
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Prime Minister WM Hughes was again sworn in as Prime Minister. He had vowed to resign if the conscription referendum failed. It did, so he had resigned on 8 January. The Nationalists held a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, and Hughes was not replaced as party leader. The Governor-General thus swore Hughes in again.
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Stanley Melbourne Bruce was sworn in as Prime Minister after the Nationalist Party displaced WM Hughes as leader.
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James Scullin was sworn in as Prime Minister after the election of Australia’s third Labor government.
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Joseph Lyons was sworn in as Prime Minister. His new United Australia Party won government at the election on 19 December.
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Earle Page became the eleventh Prime Minister following the death of Joseph Lyons. His term lasted nineteen days.
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Robert Menzies was sworn in as Prime Minister, after he was elected leader of the United Australia Party.
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Arthur Fadden succeeded Robert Menzies as Prime Minister.
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John Curtin was sworn in as Prime Minister after the Fadden coalition government lost majority support in the House of Representatives.
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On the death of John Curtin, deputy Prime Minister Frank Forde was sworn in until the federal parliamentary Labor Party elected a new leader.
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New Prime Minister Ben Chifley was sworn in after being chosen the day before as the new leader of the Labor Party.
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Robert Menzies became Prime Minister for the second time, starting a 16-year term that set a record in Australian politics. The Liberal/Country Party coalition had been convincingly returned at the federal election on 10 December.
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After a record 16-year term, Sir Robert Menzies resigned and Harold Holt was sworn in.
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John McEwen was sworn in as Prime Minister two days after Harold Holt disappeared in the ocean off Portsea, Victoria.
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After the Liberal Party elected Senator John Gorton as the new Party leader, he was sworn in as Prime Minister.
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After displacing John Gorton as Liberal Party leader, William McMahon was sworn in as Prime Minister.
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Labor was elected to government for the first time in 23 years. Gough Whitlam and deputy Lance Barnard were sworn in to comprise the first ministry until a Cabinet was chosen.
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After the Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the Labor government, Malcolm Fraser became ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister pending a general election.
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A Labor government was sworn in and Bob Hawke became Prime Minister.
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In an exchange of Labor Party leadership, Paul Keating became prime minister, succeeding Bob Hawke, who left parliament on 20 February 1992 after 12 years representing the seat of Wills.
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The first Coalition government for 13 years was sworn in, with John Howard as Prime Minister.
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Ministers of the new Labor government led by Kevin Rudd, with Julia Gillard as Australia’s first female deputy Prime Minister, sworn in by the Governor-General.
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In a leadership challenge, Julia Gillard became Australia's 27th Prime Minister and the first woman to hold the office. She was elected unopposed by the Parliamentary Labor Party.
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In a leadership challenge, Kevin Rudd was elected Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party and became Prime Minister for the second time
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The new Coalition government was sworn in, with Tony Abbott as Prime Minister.
