This is an accepted version of this page
135-462: Sir John McEwen (29 March 1900 – 20 November 1980) was an Australian politician and farmer who served as the 18th prime minister of Australia from 1967 to 1968, in a caretaker capacity following the disappearance of prime minister Harold Holt . He was the leader of the Country Party from 1958 to 1971, serving as the inaugural deputy prime minister of Australia from 1968 to 1971. McEwen
270-706: A stevedore at the Port of Melbourne , eventually saving enough money to return to Stanhope and establish his dairy farm. McEwen's new property was virtually undeveloped, with only a single existing building (a small shack) and no fences, irrigation, or paddocks. He and the other soldier-settlers in the Stanhope district suffered a number of hardships in the early 1920s, including droughts, rabbit plagues, and low milk prices. Many of them were forced off their properties, allowing those who survived to expand their holdings relatively cheaply. In 1926, McEwen sold his property and bought
405-611: A broad range of courses from business studies to music with a central area containing a cafeteria, library and student services. The Christensens Lane campus on the outskirts of Wangaratta is the home for the National Centre for Equine Education as well as providing courses in horticulture . In 2015 the Christensens Lane campus moved to a bigger site in Tone Road. And in 2016 Charles Sturt University also added
540-702: A cabinet proposal to enter into trade negotiations with Japan in July 1953, which was rejected although an accompanying recommendation to liberalise restrictions on Japanese imports was accepted. He eventually secured cabinet approval for trade talks with Japan in November 1954, on his third attempt. In February 1955, he also persuaded cabinet to agree to Japan's accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), although Australia and many other former Allied powers invoked an exception under Article 35 of
675-634: A campus there. The old Christensens Lane campus was then dismantled to make way for a new housing estate. The Hume Freeway (M31) bypasses the city to the south and east, while the C314 now forms the main road through it (as Murphy Street and Wangaratta Road). The city is located at the junction of several other major roads, the Great Alpine Road (B500), Wangaratta-Yarrawonga Road (C374), Wangaratta-Whitfield Road (C521) and Wangaratta-Kilfeera Road (C523). A city bus service runs every half an hour during
810-525: A children's home upon their mother's death in 1893. McEwen's grandmother ran a boardinghouse in Wangaratta . He grew up in what he described as "pretty frugal circumstances", and in 1912 his grandmother moved the family to Dandenong , on the outskirts of Melbourne. McEwen attended state schools in Wangaratta and Dandenong until the age of thirteen, when he began working for Rocke, Tompsitt & Co.,
945-487: A city on April 12, 1959 with a population of 12,000 people. New municipal offices were opened in 1980 which became the headquarters of the Rural City of Wangaratta after the amalgamation of municipalities in 1995. According to the 2021 census of Population, there were 29,808 people in Wangaratta. The geographical layout of the city is unusual in that the business district is located at the north-eastern extremity of
1080-497: A colony. Following a resignation in other circumstances or the death of a prime minister, the governor-general generally appoints the deputy prime minister as the new prime minister, until or if such time as the governing party or senior coalition party elects an alternative party leader. This has resulted in the party leaders from the Country Party (now named National Party ) being appointed as prime minister, despite being
1215-454: A dairy farm, but later bought a larger property and farmed beef cattle. After several previous unsuccessful candidacies, McEwen was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1934 federal election . He was first elevated to cabinet by Joseph Lyons in 1937. McEwen became deputy leader of the Country Party in 1943, under Arthur Fadden . He replaced Fadden as leader in 1958, and remained in
1350-707: A daughter, Amy, a few months earlier. She was the second of his father's three wives, and McEwen had three half-siblings – Gladys, Evelyn, and George. After their mother's death, McEwen and his sister were raised by their father, living in the rooms behind his chemist's shop. He died from meningitis in September 1907, when his son was seven. John and Amy were sent to live with their widowed grandmother, Nellie Porter (née Cook), while their younger half-brother went to live with his mother in Melbourne . They had never lived with their older half-sisters, who had been sent to live in
1485-538: A dispute between McEwen and Assistant Treasurer Les Bury ended with Bury being sacked from cabinet. His stature eventually grew to the point where he was considered a potential successor to Menzies as prime minister. An opinion poll in December 1963 showed that 19 percent of Coalition voters favoured McEwen as Menzies' successor, only two points behind the poll leader Holt. By December 1965, this number had risen to 27 percent, compared with Holt's 22 percent. McEwen's cause
SECTION 10
#17327797963461620-728: A drug manufacturer in central Melbourne. He initially worked as a switchboard operator , for which he was paid 15 shillings per week. McEwen began attending night school in Prahran , and in 1915 passed an examination for the Commonwealth Public Service and began working as a junior clerk at the office of the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor . His immediate superior there was Fred Whitlam , the father of another future prime minister, Gough Whitlam . With World War I ongoing, McEwen resolved to enter
1755-498: A full-time leader. McEwen retained all of Holt's ministers, and had them sworn in as the McEwen Ministry. Approaching 68, McEwen was the oldest person ever to be appointed Prime Minister of Australia, although not the oldest to serve; Menzies left office one month and six days after his 71st birthday. McEwen had been encouraged to remain prime minister on a more permanent basis but to do so would have required him to defect to
1890-401: A larger farm nearby, which he named Chilgala (a portmanteau of Chiltern and Tongala , the birthplaces of himself and his wife). He switched from dairy to beef cattle, and was able to expand his property by buying abandoned farms from the government. At its peak, Chilgala covered 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) and carried 1,800 head of cattle. McEwen had a reputation as one of the best farmers in
2025-410: A major agricultural and mining country. This basic attitude meant that I was bound to favour broadly protectionist policies aimed at developing our manufacturing sector." At the time of his resignation, he had served in parliament for 36 years and 5 months, including 34 years as either a minister (1937–1941 and 1949–1971) or opposition frontbencher (1941–1949). He was the last serving parliamentarian from
2160-468: A member for the duration of the war. On the council he advocated for "independent and first-hand reports of the New Guinea situation , and was critical of the northern air defence strategy". McEwen was elected deputy leader of the Country Party in September 1943, with the position having been vacant since Fadden's elevation to the leadership. He opposed suggestions that the Country Party should merge into
2295-429: A new agreement signed in 1963. The trade agreement with Japan "ushered in a new era of Australian trade which would make Japan immeasurably Australia's biggest trading partner". Its signing was regarded as a personal triumph for McEwen, who was its main advocate in the government and bore much of the political risk. According to Malcolm Fraser , Menzies only authorised McEwen to negotiate in his own name, not on behalf of
2430-695: A population of 29,808 per the 2021 Australian Census. The city is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers, which drain the northwestern slopes of the Victorian Alps . Wangaratta is the administrative centre and the most populous city in the Rural City of Wangaratta local government area . The original inhabitants of the area were the Pallanganmiddang , WayWurru , Waveroo . The first European explorers to pass through
2565-484: A public statement criticising the decision, which he feared would damage primary industry. Holt considered this a breach of cabinet solidarity , and made preparations for the Liberal Party to govern in its own right in case the Country Party withdrew from the government. The situation was eventually resolved In Holt's favour. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Portsea, Victoria , on 17 December 1967, and
2700-435: A referendum proposal in 1937 which was defeated by voters. McEwen's seat was abolished in a redistribution during his first term and he transferred to the seat of Indi at the 1937 election . He rose rapidly within the parliamentary Country Party and narrowly failed to win the deputy leadership after the 1937 election, losing to Harold Thorby by a single vote on the second ballot. He was subsequently appointed Minister for
2835-535: A result, the first bridge over the Ovens was completed in early 1855. A seven-member council incorporated the Borough of Wangaratta on 19 June 1863. The 1870s saw the settlement establish a number of key infrastructure and services including the first water supply. Wangaratta hospital was opened in 1871 and the fire brigade was established in 1872. The railway to Melbourne was opened on 28 October 1873. In 1884,
SECTION 20
#17327797963462970-399: A time, I would be walking about Parliament House with my feet bleeding and damaged." The pain became unbearable in later years, and he began refusing food in order to hasten his death; he died of self-imposed starvation on 20 November 1980, aged 80. McEwen was cremated, and his estate was sworn for probate at $ 2,180,479. Prime minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia
3105-623: A wheat industry stabilisation plan". In April 1935 he announced his support for a royal commission into the Australian banking system, which the government convened later in the year. In 1936, following the Privy Council 's ruling in James v Commonwealth , McEwen moved in parliament that the constitution be amended to allow for the federal government to legislate on the marketing of agricultural products. The government ultimately put forward
3240-687: A year including the Wangaratta Cup meeting in April. The Wangaratta Greyhound Racing Club, which held regular meetings at the same venue, has been discontinued. Avian Park is no longer used. Golfers play at the course of the Wangaratta Golf Club on Yarrawonga Road, or at the course of the Jubilee Golf Club at Wangandary nearby. A nine-hole course is at Boorhaman to the north of Wangaratta. Between 1953 and 1956,
3375-903: 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
3510-547: Is currently the Ambassador to the United States. The deputy prime minister becomes acting prime minister if the prime minister is unable to undertake the role for a short time, for example if they are ill, overseas or on leave (and if both are unavailable, then another senior minister takes on this role). The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 confers upon acting ministers "the same power and authority with respect to
3645-547: Is escorted by police vehicles from state and federal authorities. Politicians, including 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. In 2017, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the pass should be available only to former prime ministers, though he would not use it when he
3780-692: Is organised by the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association . Clubs include City Colts, Wangaratta-Magpies & Rovers United Bruck. Wangaratta City Football Club is a soccer club based at South Wangaratta Reserve. Founded in 1951, they compete in the Albury Wodonga Football Association . Wangaratta Knights play rugby league in NRL Victoria. Wangaratta has a horse racing club , the Wangaratta Turf Club, which schedules around eleven race meetings
3915-678: Is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia . The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the federal executive government . Under the principles of responsible government , the prime minister is both responsible to and a member of the Commonwealth Parliament . The current prime minister is Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party , who assumed
4050-615: The 1947 New Year Honours . In addition to these honours, all deceased former prime ministers of Australia currently have federal electorates named after them. The most newly created of these electorates is the Division of Hawke , named in honour of the recently deceased Bob Hawke in 2021. The longest-serving prime minister was 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
4185-466: The 1963 election , with his department now called the Department of Trade and Industry . McEwen enjoyed a "sound working relationship" with Holt, but without the same rapport he had had with Menzies. However, he had a poor relationship with William McMahon , Holt's replacement as Treasurer. They had philosophical differences over free trade and foreign investment, both of which McEwen opposed. McMahon
John McEwen - Misplaced Pages Continue
4320-660: The Article XV squadrons required by the scheme, and that Australian officers were being denied senior leadership opportunities in RAF commands. In August 1941 he despatched Richard Williams to London to establish RAAF Overseas Headquarters , with the aim of securing greater Australian input in decision-making. McEwen continued to serve on the Advisory War Council following the Fadden government's defeat, remaining as
4455-785: The Australian Federal Police College when in Canberra. 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 are a full-time chef and a 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
4590-1304: The Big V basketball league. They play their home games at the Wangaratta YMCA. The main annual event is the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz , which attracts renowned international acts and has been attended by thousands each year since 1990. Ales on the Ovens Craft Beer Festival is another main attraction for the town. Wangaratta has three secondary schools: Galen Catholic College (private), Cathedral College (private) and Wangaratta High School which has three campuses. Wangaratta has seven primary schools: Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Appin Park Primary School, Wangaratta West Primary School, Yarrunga Primary School, St. Bernand's Primary School, St. Patrick's Primary School, and Wangaratta (Chisolm Street) Primary School Wangaratta also has its own specialist school for people with disabilities, Wangaratta District Specialist School The Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE has two Wangaratta campuses. The Docker street campus offers
4725-653: The Canberra air disaster in August 1940. McEwen remained as air and civil aviation minister until the defeat of the Fadden government in October 1941, with Fadden having succeeded as prime minister upon Menzies' resignation in August 1941. As air minister, McEwen oversaw the continued expansion of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He secured war cabinet approval for volunteers to be recruited from
4860-721: The Citizen Military Forces and also authorised steps to expand RAAF auxiliaries , announcing the creation of the Australian Air Force Cadets and the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force in early 1941. According to an official RAAF history, he "made it clear that he did not favour the enlistment of women in the air force unless it was unavoidable, but unavoidable it became". He had a strained relationship with RAAF chief Charles Burnett , frequently clashing over expenditure matters. McEwen oversaw
4995-715: The Grand Cordon, Order of the Rising Sun in 1973. On 21 September 1921, he married Anne Mills McLeod , known as Annie; they had no children. In 1966, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). After a long illness Dame Anne McEwen died on 10 February 1967. At the time of becoming prime minister in December of that year, McEwen was a widower, being the first Australian prime minister unmarried during his term of office. (The next such case
5130-555: The Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral and its Cathedral Close, St. Patrick's Catholic Church and the eccentric art déco courthouse. Since the warmest month mean reaches 22 °C (72 °F), Wangaratta would have a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa in the Köppen climate classification ). Sleet falls occasionally, but settled snowfalls are a very rare occurrence. Rain falls as thunderstorms in
5265-468: The King of Australia , who holds the de jure power to make the appointment and is by convention bound to accept such advice. The prime minister can 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 dismiss
5400-615: The Menzies government , McEwen pursued what became known as "McEwenism" – a policy of high tariff protection for the manufacturing industry, so that industry would not challenge the continuing high tariffs on imported raw materials, which benefitted farmers but pushed up industry's costs. This policy was a part (some argue the foundation) of what became known as the " Australian settlement " which promoted high wages, industrial development, government intervention in industry (Australian governments traditionally owned banks and insurance companies and
5535-466: The NSW TrainLink XPT service twice-daily in both directions. Historically, Wangaratta was the busy junction of several railway branch lines including; the broad gauge 5' 3" Yackandandah railway line , a narrow gauge 2' 6" Whitfield railway line and the broad gauge 5' 3" Bright and Beechworth railway line , all of which have since closed. Another short 5' 3" gauge branch line ran west to
John McEwen - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-499: The New Deal for Aborigines , a landmark policy statement on Indigenous Australians which described its aim as "the raising of their status so as to entitle them by right and by qualification to the ordinary rights of citizenship and enable them and help them to share with us the opportunities that are available in their own native land". The policy specified cultural assimilation as the basis on which civil rights would be extended to
5805-608: The Privy Council of the United Kingdom was accepted by all prime ministers until 1983 (with the exception of Alfred Deakin, Chris Watson and Gough Whitlam), with Malcolm Fraser being the last prime ministerial appointee. Since its introduction in 1975, former prime ministers of Australia have been appointed to the Order of Australia and to its highest level – Companion: Whitlam (1978), Fraser (1988), Gorton (1988), Howard (2008), Gillard (2017), Rudd (2019), Abbott (2020), and Turnbull (2021). Keating refused appointment in
5940-417: The 1997 Australia Day Honours, saying that he had long believed honours should be reserved for those whose work in the community went unrecognised and that having been Prime Minister was sufficient public recognition. Bob Hawke was appointed a Companion in 1979, for service to trade unionism and industrial relations, before becoming prime minister in 1983. Menzies was appointed to the higher grade of Knight of
6075-477: The 2019 election and led his party to the 2022 election, but was defeated and lost his title as prime minister. Lists of the 31 people who have so far held the premiership: Wangaratta Wangaratta ( / ˌ w æ ŋ ɡ ə ˈ r æ t ə / WANG -gə- RAT -ə ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia , 236 km (147 mi) from Melbourne along the Hume Highway . The city had
6210-598: The Coalition frontbench without interruption since 1937. McEwen retired from politics in 1971. In his memoir, he recalls his career as being "long and very, very hard", and turned back to managing 1,800 head of cattle on his property in Goulburn Valley . In the same year, Clifton Pugh won the Archibald Prize for a portrait of McEwen. While he had softened in his "unequivocal support for protection" by
6345-655: The Country Party. Under the Coalition agreement, he thus became the de facto deputy prime minister , and was afforded a free choice of portfolio. Fadden had been Treasurer, but McEwen somewhat unexpectedly chose to continue on as trade minister. This allowed Harold Holt to become the first Liberal MP to serve as Treasurer; since then every Treasurer in a Coalition government has been a Liberal. McEwen nonetheless had considerable influence in cabinet. He and his party favoured interventionist economic policies and were opposed to foreign ownership of industrial assets, which placed him frequently at odds with his Liberal colleagues. In 1962,
6480-727: The Division of Indi, making history as the first independent candidate to succeed another independent, namely Cathy McGowan, in Federal Parliament. There is a considerable wine and gourmet food industry in the nearby Milawa and King Valley region. Other notable industries in the area include Australian Textile Mills formerly Bruck Textiles , Wilson Fabrics that now occupies the old IBM facility, Merriwa Industries and Australian Country Spinners . Previously multi-national IBM manufactured computers in Wangaratta. Australian rules football , cricket and Netball are
6615-651: The GATT treaty allowing them to continue to discriminate against Japan. After years of negotiations, McEwen and his Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobusuke signed the Japan–Australia Commerce Agreement in July 1957, with each country conferring most favoured nation status on the other and Australia providing a commitment to revoke its Article 35 exception. This eventually occurred in 1960 after McEwen secured Japanese concessions on imports of Australian beef. The final discriminatory trade provisions were removed in
6750-692: The Great Depression era, and hence the last parliamentary survivor of the Lyons government. By the time of his death, Malcolm Fraser 's government was abandoning McEwenite trade policies. McEwen was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 1969. He was knighted in 1971 after his retirement from politics, becoming a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG). The Japanese government conferred on him
6885-566: The Indigenous population. The policy was drafted by McEwen in conjunction with his adviser A. P. Elkin . Following Lyons' death in April 1939, Country Party leader Earle Page withdrew his party from the coalition with the UAP and McEwen's first stint as a minister came to an end. Page's decision – largely due to his personal disdain for the new UAP prime minister Robert Menzies – proved controversial within his own party and four Country MPs left
SECTION 50
#17327797963467020-508: The Interior in the third Lyons ministry , a coalition government between the Country Party and the United Australia Party (UAP) led by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons . His new portfolio was "spacious in its command of broad policy issues and diversity of administrative functions" and included "Commonwealth public works, railways, immigration, the Northern and Australian Capital territories, Aborigines, electoral administration, mining, and oil exploration". As interior minister, McEwen instituted
7155-421: The Liberals, an option he had never contemplated. It had long been presumed that McMahon, who was both Treasurer and deputy Liberal leader, would succeed Holt as Liberal leader and hence prime minister. However, McEwen sparked a leadership crisis when he announced that he and his Country Party colleagues would not serve under McMahon. McEwen is reported to have despised McMahon personally. More importantly, McEwen
7290-438: The Lodge until such time as she was returned to office by popular vote at the next general election , as she became prime minister by replacing an incumbent during a parliamentary term. Tony Abbott was never able to occupy the Lodge during his term (2013–15) because it was undergoing extensive renovations, which continued into the early part of his successor Malcolm Turnbull 's term. Instead, Abbott resided in dedicated rooms at
7425-438: The North Eastern Car Club ran motor racing meetings on the gravel and earth airstrip located on Wangarratta Common, south of the town centre. The circuit ran up and down the airstrip, with a loop at the western end. The North East Windsport Club regularly sail "Land Yachts" called Blokarts (Blo-karts) at their sailing site at the nearby town of Springhurst, Victoria , The city is home to the Northeast Bushrangers who play in
7560-446: The Order, which is no longer awarded, in 1976. John Howard was also appointed to the Order of Merit in 2012, whose appointments are within the personal gift of the monarch. Menzies' Knight of the Order of the Thistle awarding was also in the personal gift of Queen Elizabeth II in 1963. Although not strictly an honour, one former prime minister was raised to the peerage; Stanley Bruce was created 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne in
7695-410: The Ovens Valley district. In federal politics , Wangaratta is located in a single House of Representatives division—the Division of Indi . The Division of Indi was seen as a safe Liberal Party of Australia seat from 1977 until 2013, when the sitting member, Sophie Mirabella was defeated by independent candidate Cathy McGowan . Dr Helen Haines is currently the federal Member of Parliament for
7830-423: The Senate was the animating issue of the 1975 constitutional crisis . In that event, governor-general Sir John Kerr dismissed the Whitlam government following the Senate's deferral of the government's budget and demand that they would not pass supply until the government called an election. The constitutional propriety of the governor-general's action during that period remains subject to vigorous debate. Despite
7965-434: 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). As well as Reid and Forde, five other prime ministers went on to hold diplomatic posts. Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook and Stanley Bruce also served as High Commissioners to the United Kingdom, Gough Whitlam had served as Ambassador to UNESCO and Kevin Rudd
8100-417: 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 . The most recent prime minister to serve out a full government term in the office was Scott Morrison , who won
8235-488: The Victorian Country Party's central council mandated that its federal MPs and senators sign a pledge requiring strict party discipline and giving the central council a veto over the terms of any coalition government . The party's three MPs and two senators in Victoria refused to sign the pledge, receiving support from their parliamentary colleagues and the party's federal executive. Country MP William Hill decided to quit politics altogether in protest, with McEwen endorsed by
SECTION 60
#17327797963468370-442: The Victorian Country Party's pledge, after his election to parliament he "immediately associated himself with the federal party and incurred the hostility of his Victorian colleagues for urging that the breach be healed". In his first term he successfully lobbied the Lyons government to introduce a variable excise duty on flour, linking the duty paid by farmers to the international spot rate. He regarded this as "the first step towards
8505-435: The Victorian central council". McEwen's supporters subsequently formed an alternative organisation, the Liberal Country Party (LCP), to support his election campaigns. His parliamentary colleague Thomas Paterson resigned from the Victorian Country Party in solidarity, with he and McEwen re-elected with the support of the LCP at the 1940 election . The LCP eventually merged back into the Victorian Country Party in 1943. Upon
8640-411: The Victorian party as its replacement for Hill in the seat of Echuca . At the 1934 election he faced two "Independent Country" opponents supported by the federal party, with the party's federal leader Earle Page actively campaigning in their favour. McEwen nonetheless retained Echuca with the aid of favourable preference flows from Australian Labor Party (ALP) voters. Despite McEwen's acceptance of
8775-401: The Wangaratta area were Hume and Hovell (1824) who named the Oxley Plains immediately south of Wangaratta. Major Thomas Mitchell during his 1836 expedition made a favourable report of its potential as grazing pasture. The first squatter to arrive was Thomas Rattray in 1838 who built a hut (on the site of the Wangaratta RSL) founding a settlement known as "Ovens Crossing". The Post Office in
8910-442: The Year finalists. The prime minister receives a number of transport amenities for official business. A Royal Australian Air Force operated Airbus KC-30A , transports the prime minister overseas, with two Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes available for shorter flights. 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 number plate. It
9045-524: The absent Minister's statutory responsibilities". If the prime minister were to die, then the deputy prime minister would be appointed prime minister by the governor-general until the government votes for another member to be its leader. This happened when Harold Holt disappeared in 1967, when John McEwen was appointed prime minister. On the other two occasions that the prime minister has died in office, in 1939 and 1945 , Earle Page and Frank Forde , respectively, were appointed prime minister. In
9180-407: The acceleration of Australia's involvement in the Empire Air Training Scheme , which saw RAAF personnel receive training in Canada before being seconded to the Royal Air Force (RAF) for combat in the European theatre . In May 1941, McEwen announced that 1,000 RAAF ground staff would be seconded to the RAF. He faced criticisms that RAAF personnel in the UK were being assigned to RAF units rather than
9315-419: The age of 19 and was soon active in the Country Party , its political wing. He first stood for parliament at the 1932 Victorian state election , contesting the Legislative Assembly seat of Waranga . While unsuccessful, he more than doubled the Country Party's vote from the previous election. His campaigning efforts brought him to the attention of party leaders and he soon joined the state executive. In 1934,
9450-460: The area opened on 1 February 1843 as Ovens. The Ovens office, and the Kilmore office which opened the same day, were the fifth and sixth to open in the Port Phillip District and the first two inland offices. The name Wangaratta was given by colonial surveyor Thomas Wedge in 1848 after the "Wangaratta" cattle station, the name of which is believed to have been derived from an indigenous language and meaning "nesting place of cormorants" or "meeting of
9585-411: The ballot was tied and Arthur Fadden was chosen as a compromise. McEwen became his deputy. In October 1940, McEwen was appointed Minister for Air and Minister for Civil Aviation in a cabinet reshuffle that followed the 1940 federal election . Fadden had been acting in the portfolios for several months following the death of James Fairbairn , who had been one of three government ministers killed in
9720-462: The briefness of his service, McEwen was eligible for the Victorian government's soldier settlement scheme. He selected an 86-acre (35 ha) lot at Stanhope , on land that previously been a sheep station . As with many other soldier-settlers, McEwen initially did not have the money or the expertise needed to run a farm. He spent several months working as a farm labourer and later did the same as
9855-468: The clubs; Rovers membership being predominantly Catholic and Wangaratta being predominantly Protestant. The city hosted several games for the 2005 Australian Football International Cup event, with several countries competing in the sport of Australian rules football. The event was played at the City Oval and Showgrounds and set the attendance records for the tournament to date. Cricket in Wangaratta
9990-470: The confidence of the House of Representatives (the lower house). Since Federation , this has almost always been the leader of the majority party or coalition . In practice, this means the prime minister most often changes after an election results in a different party gaining control of the lower house or as a result of the majority party changing its leader internally between elections. The office of prime minister comes with various privileges, including
10125-473: The confidence of a majority of the lower house in order to govern, however the emergence of strong parties with members strongly punished for voting against party policy (also known as crossing the floor ) has meant that most prime ministers and governments have significant control over the passage of bills in this house. However, bills must also be passed by the Senate (the upper house) in order to become law and
10260-457: The confidence of the lower house. Individuals most commonly cease to become prime minister after losing an election by not obtaining a majority in the lower house (at which point they generally become leader of the opposition or resign) or through replacement by their parliamentary party colleagues. This later method has become increasingly common, with the office changing hands four times due to parliamentary spill and only twice due to an election in
10395-523: The day on weekdays and on Saturday mornings on a route covering Wangaratta's West End, the business district, Yarrunga and more recently, Yarrawonga Road. Rail transport services both passengers and freight. Wangaratta railway station is on the North East railway line , the main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne. It is served by the Albury V/Line rail service thrice-daily as well as
10530-561: The district, and came to be seen by the other soldier-settlers as a spokesman and leader. He represented them in meetings with government officials, and was secretary of the local Water Users' League, which protected the interests of irrigators. In 1923, he co-founded the Stanhope Dairy Co-operative, and was elected as the company's inaugural chairman. McEwen joined the Victorian Farmers' Union in 1919 at
10665-446: The early 20th century, overseas travel generally required long journeys by ship. As a result, some held the position of acting prime minister for significant periods of time, including William Watt (16 months, 1918–1919), George Pearce (7 months, 1916), Alfred Deakin (6 months, 1902), Joseph Cook (5 months, 1921), James Fenton (19 weeks, 1930–1931), John Forrest (4 months, 1907), and Arthur Fadden (4 months, 1941). Fadden
10800-601: The emergence of the strong party system in Australia in the 1920s, prime ministers have almost always been the parliamentary leader of the party (or leader of the senior party in a coalition of parties) that has a majority in the House of Representatives (which has been either the Labor Party or the Liberal Party since the 1940s). Responsible government has always required the prime minister and government to have
10935-406: The federal government and the states, is also chaired by the prime minister. While called a cabinet, the body is merely a discussion forum and the principles of secrecy and collective decision making do not apply. Since the 1940s, the prime minister has asserted their authority to select the governor-general alone, instead of this being a cabinet decision. The power is exercised through advice to
11070-442: The government rarely has a majority in this house, leading to some checks on the legislative powers of the government. The prime minister also controls the date of elections, through formal advice to the governor-general, with such elections usually occurring within a 6-month period prior to the maximum 3-year term of the House of Representatives expiring. National Cabinet , the primary inter-governmental decision-making forum between
11205-463: The government, and "if it had gone wrong Menzies could have disowned him up to the moment the government accepted the agreement". In 1973, the Japanese government awarded McEwen the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun , making him only the second Australian politician after Edmund Barton to receive the honour. In 1958, following Fadden's retirement, McEwen was elected unopposed as leader of
11340-538: 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 these. Indeed, prior to Federation in 1901 the terms "premier" and "prime minister" were used interchangeably for the head of government in
11475-421: The larger party will rely on confidence and supply from minor parties or independents. By convention, the prime minister must be a member of the lower house. 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 the member for Higgins in the House of Representatives. The prime minister is formally appointed to
11610-578: The leader of the Country Party, he became the de facto deputy prime minister. In December 1967, Harold Holt disappeared and was presumed dead while in office. As the de facto deputy prime minister, McEwen was commissioned as caretaker prime minister while the Liberal Party elected a new leader. He was 67 at the time, the oldest person to become prime minister and only the third from the Country Party. McEwen ceded power to John Gorton after 23 days in office in January 1968, and in recognition of his service
11745-465: The leader of the smaller party in coalition, following the resignation of UAP leader Robert Menzies. 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 or coalition in the House of Representatives was prime minister: Compared to other Westminster systems such as those of Canada 's federal and provincial governments,
11880-594: The leadership ballot. This opened the door for the successful campaign to promote the Minister for Education and Science , Senator John Gorton , to the Prime Ministership with the support of a group led by Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser . Gorton was elected as leader of the Liberal Party on 9 January 1968 , and succeeded McEwen as prime minister the following day. It was the second time the Country Party had effectively vetoed its senior partner's choice for
12015-524: The leadership; in 1923 Earle Page had demanded that the Nationalist Party , one of the forerunners of the Liberals, remove Billy Hughes as leader before he would even consider coalition talks. Gorton created the formal title deputy prime minister for McEwen, confirming his status as the second-ranking member of the government. Prior to then, the title had been used informally for whoever
12150-429: The main form of rainfall in late spring and summer is that from thunderstorms. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 45.8 °C (114.4 °F) on 3 January 1990 and again on 7 February 2009 to −7.2 °C (19.0 °F) on 14 June 2006. In local government , the Wangaratta region is covered by the Rural City of Wangaratta . The council was created in 1994 as an amalgamation of a number of other municipalities in
12285-560: The military when he turned 18. He joined the Australian Army Cadets and completed a Royal Australian Navy course in radiotelegraphy, hoping to qualify for the newly opened Royal Military College, Duntroon . He passed the entrance exam, but instead chose to enlist as a private in the Australian Imperial Force , in order to be posted overseas sooner. The war ended before his unit shipped out. Despite
12420-655: The most popular sports There are four Australian rules football clubs in Wangaratta. The Wangaratta Football Club , the Wangaratta Rovers Football Club, both competing in the Ovens and Murray Football League , and the North Wangaratta Football Club, which competes in the Ovens and King Football League . The close proximity of the Rovers and Wangaratta grounds reflects the historical sectarian split in membership of
12555-516: The new Liberal Party of Australia , created by Menzies as a replacement for the UAP, and remained defensive of the Country Party's independence throughout his political career. Remaining in opposition after the ALP won majority government at the 1943 and 1946 elections , McEwen was "closely involved with Fadden in rebuilding the Country Party, developing its policies, and preparing it for office in partnership with Menzies' rejuvenated Liberal Party". He
12690-460: The office on 23 May 2022. The role and duties of the prime minister are not described by the Australian constitution but rather defined by constitutional convention deriving from the Westminster system and responsible government . The prime minister is formally appointed by the governor-general , who is ordinarily constrained by convention to choose the parliamentarian able to command
12825-460: The other ministers that make up cabinet, they nevertheless wield primary influence in the body. They set the agenda and processes of cabinet meetings and has the final word where a collective decision cannot be reached. Ministers making up the cabinet are chosen by the prime minister and may be removed at any time. Additionally, the prime minister chooses the portfolio of each minister and a prime minister's resignation or dismissal leads by convention to
12960-433: The other, was a key question in the 1975 constitutional crisis . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] In ordinary circumstances, the leader of the party or coalition that has the confidence of the House of Representatives is entitled to become prime minister and form a government. Generally, a party or coalition will have a majority in the lower house in order to provide confidence, however in periods of minority government,
13095-432: The outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Page resigned as Country Party leader in order to facilitate the resumption of a coalition government with the UAP. McEwen contested the resulting leadership ballot against South Australian MP Archie Cameron , losing by seven votes to five. Prior to the ballot, the Country Party voted against allowing the four dissident MPs to rejoin the parliamentary party, although this decision
13230-478: The parliamentary party. McEwen's decision to accept a ministerial post after the 1937 election placed him into conflict with the central council of the Victorian Country Party, which had previously called on its federal MPs to withdraw from the federal coalition with the UAP. At the time, the central council was under the control of a left-wing faction and the party's state leader Albert Dunstan
13365-482: The period following the election defeat of John Howard in 2007 to the election of Anthony Albanese in 2022. A prime minister may also lose their position following a vote of no confidence in the government or due to a failure to pass supply through the lower house. In either event, the prime minister is required by convention to either resign or call an election. Whether a prime minister is required to resign or call an election following an inability to pass supply through
13500-433: The position until his retirement from politics in 1971. He served in parliament for 36 years in total, spending a record 25 years as a government minister. The Liberal-Country Coalition returned to power in 1949 , initially under Robert Menzies and then under Harold Holt . McEwen came to have a major influence on economic policy, particularly in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, and trade. As soon as McEwen became
13635-407: The railway was connected through to Sydney. The population at the turn of the century reached 2,500 and the centre had developed an imposing streetscape of hotels, commercial public and religious buildings. The Duke of Gloucester visited Wangaratta during his tour of Australia in 1934. Bruck textile mills was established in 1946, employing over a thousand workers. Wangaratta was proclaimed
13770-464: The railways and through policies designed to assist particular industries) and decentralisation. Beginning in the early 1950s, McEwen and his departmental secretary John Crawford played a key role in the normalisation and acceleration of the Australia–Japan trade relationship. Prior to World War II, Japan had been one of the largest destinations for Australian exports. The resumption of trade after
13905-474: The region with the council chambers located at the Government Centre in central Wangaratta. The city is represented by seven councillors elected once every four years by postal voting . The mayor is elected from these councillors by their colleagues for a one-year term. In September 2013 the council was sacked by the state government. Victorian Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said this
14040-636: The remainder awarded after leaving office. Reid ( GCB , 1916), Menzies ( AK , 1976) and Fadden (GCMG, 1958) were awarded a second knighthood after leaving office. Non-titular honours were also bestowed on former prime ministers, usually the Order of the Companions of Honour . This honour was awarded to Bruce (1927), Lyons (1936), Hughes (1941), Page (1942), Menzies (1951), Holt (1967), McEwen (1969), Gorton (1971), McMahon (1972), and Fraser (1977), mostly during office as prime minister. In almost all occasions these honours were only accepted by non-Labor/conservative prime ministers. However, appointment to
14175-456: The resignation of all other ministers. The precise authority of each individual prime minister within cabinet is uncertain, as their deliberations are secret, however in recent decades their power has increased substantially. The authority of the prime minister to make independent policy decisions apart from Cabinet is also present, which such decisions also colloquially called "captain's calls". The prime minister also has significant influence in
14310-534: The role by the governor-general under section 64 of the Australian Constitution, however their choice is limited in normal circumstances to the individual with the confidence of the lower house. However, the prime minister (and all other ministers) must be a parliamentarians or become one within three months to be a minister. There are no term limits for the prime minister, and they are generally entitled to continue in their role whilst they retain
14445-629: The setting of foreign policy, through their role as chair of the National Security Committee , a sub-committee of cabinet whose decisions do not need to be endorsed by the cabinet as a whole. The prime minister is also the responsible minister for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet , whose tasks include general policy development across the government, inter-governmental communications, honours and symbols policy and Indigenous government programmes. Since
14580-481: The shortest-serving was Frank Forde , who served one week. In common with other political systems based on the Westminster system , the prime minister both leads the executive government and wields significant power in Parliament . Cabinet , the primary decision-making body of the executive government, is chaired by the prime minister. While the prime minister has been described as the "first among equals" of
14715-416: The smaller party of their coalition. This occurred when Earle Page became caretaker prime minister following the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939, and when John McEwen became caretaker prime minister following the disappearance of Harold Holt in 1967. However, in 1941, Arthur Fadden became the leader of the Coalition and subsequently prime minister by the agreement of both coalition parties, despite being
14850-411: The summer, and in winter with cold fronts . Occasional severe heat waves are caused by hot, dry air from the central deserts of Australia moving over the area. Temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and slightly above occur 2–4 times a year on average; however, heatwaves are often succeeded by cold fronts , which cause a significant drop in the temperature. Wangaratta has cool nights and mornings in
14985-568: The summer, due in part to its south-western location exposing it to cold airmasses off the Southern Ocean . The city gets 105.1 clear days annually, which is akin to Sydney and Wollongong, however the distribution is wildly different; Wangaratta being much sunnier from December to March, but the inverse from May to September. Rainfall averages out to 613.6 millimetres (24.16 in) a year, most of which falls in winter with cold frontal showers; however these can occur at any time of year; and
15120-438: The time of his retirement he had given way to free-traders with regards to agriculture. However, he felt differently about manufacturing, as it was essential to National power : "My own view has always been that it would be ridiculous to think that Australia was safe in the long term unless we built up our population and built up our industries. So I have always wanted to make Australia a powerful industrialised country as well as
15255-510: The transition from an outgoing prime minister to an incoming prime minister has been brief in Australia since the 1970s. Prior to that, in accordance with longstanding Australian constitutional practice, convention held that an outgoing prime minister would stay on as a caretaker until the full election results were tallied. Starting with the 1972 Australian federal election on 2 December 1972, Gough Whitlam and his deputy were sworn in on 5 December 1972 to form an interim government for two weeks, as
15390-403: The urban area, with outlying suburbs extending only to the south and west. The reason for this arrangement is that the area beyond the rivers, to the north and east of the business district, was until the 1990s prone to flooding and so unsuitable for building. Levees were constructed in the 1990s to alleviate the flooding, however development in this area has been slow. Notable buildings include
15525-496: The use of two official residences: The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House in Sydney , as well as an office at Parliament House . Thirty-one people (thirty men and one woman) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Edmund Barton taking office on 1 January 1901 following federation of the British colonies in Australia . The longest-serving prime minister was Robert Menzies , who served over 18 years, and
15660-412: The vote was being finalised and the full ministry makeup was being determined. On 23 May 2022 Anthony Albanese became prime minister with an interim four person ministry, two days after his victory in the election . This rapid shift was done in order for the new PM to attend a Quad meeting scheduled shortly after the election. When the results of the election were more clearly known the entire ministry
15795-522: The war was politically sensitive, due both to lingering anti-Japanese sentiment – including from several of McEwen's parliamentary colleagues who had been prisoners-of-war – and concerns from Australian manufacturers over the cheaper cost of labour in Japan. McEwen came to see the resumption of trade with Japan as important for Australian producers, as Australia sought new markets outside the existing framework of Imperial Preference . McEwen first put forward
15930-475: The waters". The first land sales occurred shortly afterward and the population at the time was around 200. The first school was established by William Bindall on Chisholm Street with 17 students. Gold was found nearby at Beechworth in February 1852 and by the end of the year more than 8,000 prospectors rushed the fields of Ovens and Beechworth. Wangaratta became a major service centre to these goldfields. As
16065-508: Was Julia Gillard , prime minister 2010–13, who had a domestic partner although unwed.) On 26 July 1968, McEwen married Mary Eileen Byrne, his personal secretary for 15 years, at Wesley Church, Melbourne ; he was aged 68, she was 46. In retirement he distanced himself from politics, undertook some consulting work, and travelled to Japan and South Africa. He had no children by any of his marriages. McEwen had severe dermatitis for most of his adult life. He recounted that "for literally months at
16200-659: Was a prominent campaigner for the "No" vote in the Curtin government 's 1944 post-war reconstruction referendum . He was also a leading opponent of the Chifley government 's attempts to nationalise the private banking sector in 1947 and 1948. When the conservatives returned to office in 1949 under Robert Menzies after eight years in opposition, McEwen became Minister for Commerce and Agriculture , switching to Minister for Trade in 1956. Menzies nicknamed him "Black Jack", due to his dark eyebrows, grim nature, and occasional temper. In
16335-644: Was acting prime minister for a cumulative total of 676 days (over 22 months) between 1941 and 1958. Prime ministers have been granted numerous honours, typically after their period as prime minister has concluded, with a few exceptions. Nine former prime ministers were awarded knighthoods: Barton ( GCMG , 1902), Reid (GCMG, 1911), Cook (GCMG, 1918), Page (GCMG, 1938), Menzies ( KT , 1963), Fadden (KCMG, 1951), McEwen (GCMG, 1971), Gorton (GCMG, 1977), and McMahon (GCMG, 1977). Of those awarded, Barton and Menzies were knighted while still serving as prime minister, with Page awarded his before becoming prime minister, and
16470-404: Was also suspected to be undermining McEwen through his connections in the media. McEwen's most serious disagreement with Holt came in November 1967, when it was announced that Australia – which had converted to decimal currency the previous year – would not follow the recent devaluation of the pound sterling . This effectively marked Australia's withdrawal from the sterling area . McEwen issued
16605-482: Was appointed deputy prime minister, the first time that position had been formally created. He was Australia's third shortest serving prime minister, after Earle Page and Frank Forde . He remained as deputy prime minister until his retirement from politics in 1971. McEwen was born on 29 March 1900, at his parents' home in Chiltern, Victoria . He was the son of Amy Ellen (née Porter) and David James McEwen. His mother
16740-473: Was aware that McMahon was habitually breaching Cabinet confidentiality and regularly leaking information to favoured journalists and lobbyists, including Maxwell Newton , who had been hired as a "consultant" by Japanese trade interests. Even in the wake of their landslide victory in 1966, the Liberals were still four seats short of an outright majority. With only the Country Party as a realistic coalition partner, McEwen's opposition forced McMahon to withdraw from
16875-549: Was because " Council has failed to provide effective leadership and service for the community ". The council will be replaced by an administrator who will serve until the 2016 local government elections. In state politics , Wangaratta is located in the Legislative Assembly district of Ovens Valley currently held by the National Party of Australia . Tim McCurdy is the current Member of Parliament for
17010-506: Was bitterly opposed to McMahon on political grounds, because McMahon was allied with free trade advocates in the conservative parties and favoured sweeping tariff reforms, a position that was vehemently opposed by McEwen, his Country Party colleagues and their rural constituents. Another key factor in McEwen's antipathy towards McMahon was hinted at soon after the crisis by the veteran political journalist Alan Reid . According to Reid, McEwen
17145-524: Was born in Chiltern, Victoria . He was orphaned at the age of seven and raised by his grandmother, initially in Wangaratta and then in Dandenong . McEwen left school when he was 13 and joined the Australian Army at the age of 18, but the war ended before his unit was shipped out. He was nonetheless eligible for a soldier settlement scheme, and selected a property at Stanhope . He established
17280-801: Was born in Victoria, and had English and Irish ancestry. His father was of Ulster Scots origin, born in Mountnorris , County Armagh (in present-day Northern Ireland ). He worked as a chemist, and also served a term on the Chiltern Shire Council . The family surname was originally spelled " MacEwen ", but was altered upon David McEwen's arrival in Australia in 1889. In his memoirs, McEwen recounted that he had almost no memories of his parents. His mother died of lung disease in March 1902, just before his second birthday; she had given birth to
17415-426: Was championed by a number of media outlets, including The Sun and The Australian . Nonetheless, he had few supporters within the Liberal Party, and it was generally held that he would have to become a Liberal if he were to lead the Coalition, which he was unwilling to do. Holt replaced Menzies as prime minister in January 1966, with McEwen continuing on his previous position. His portfolio had been expanded after
17550-471: Was governing in Victoria with the support of the Labor Party. In December 1937, McEwen was formally expelled from the Victorian Country Party, while remaining a member of the federal parliamentary Country Party. In response, he issued a statement denying the legitimacy of his expulsion and stating it was instead because he had been "too powerful in opposing the ambitions of the radical element in control of
17685-465: Was no longer PM. 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
17820-419: Was officially presumed dead two days later. The Governor-General , Lord Casey , sent for McEwen and commissioned him as interim prime minister, on the understanding that his commission would continue only so long as it took for the Liberals to elect a new leader. McEwen contended that if Casey commissioned a Liberal as interim prime minister, it would give that person an undue advantage in the upcoming ballot for
17955-403: Was recognised as the second-ranking member of the government – the leader of the Country Party when the Coalition was in government, and Labor's deputy leader when Labor was in government. Even before being formally named Deputy Prime Minister, McEwen had exercised an effective veto over government policy since 1966 by virtue of being the most senior member of the government, having been a member of
18090-434: Was reversed a few months later. According to McEwen, the four MPs were his supporters and their presence would have meant he won the leadership ballot over Cameron. In 1939, McEwen was appointed Minister for External Affairs and (simultaneously) Minister for Air and Minister for Civil Aviation . In 1940, when Archie Cameron resigned as Country Party leader, McEwen contested the leadership ballot against Sir Earle Page :
18225-491: Was sworn in on 1 June 2022. As of 27 August 2023, Australia's prime minister is paid a total salary of A$ 586,950 . This is made up of the 'base salary' received by all members of parliament ( A$ 225,750 ) plus a 160 percent 'additional salary' for the role of prime minister. Increases in the base salary of MPs and senators are determined annually by the independent Remuneration Tribunal. The prime minister has two official residences. The primary official residence
#345654