Rachel Evans
Australia has had 31 prime ministers, 24 of whom were born in the country. James Scullin, who served as the ninth prime minister of Australia from 1929 to 1932, was the country's first Catholic prime minister. He was also the first prime minister of Australia to have been born in the country and to have come from an Irish background. Scullin was a devout Roman Catholic, a teetotaller, and a non-smoker. He was succeeded by Joseph Lyons, who was also Catholic and served as prime minister from 1932 to 1939.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Prime Ministers in Australia | 2 |
| First Catholic Prime Minister | James Scullin |
| Year First Catholic Prime Minister Took Office | 1929 |
| Second Catholic Prime Minister | Joseph Lyons |
| Year Second Catholic Prime Minister Took Office | 1932 |
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What You'll Learn
James Scullin: Australia's first Catholic prime minister
James Henry Scullin, commonly known as Jim, was born on September 18, 1876, in Trawalla, Victoria. He was the son of working-class Irish immigrants, John and Ann Logan Scullin, and was the fifth of nine children. His father worked as a miner and later as a plate layer on the railways.
Scullin spent much of his early life as a laborer, taking on various manual jobs, including wood-chopping, mining, and farming. In his mid-twenties, he began running a grocer's shop in Ballarat, a job he held for the next ten years. During this time, he also became involved in local politics, joining the Political Labor Council (PLC) in 1903 and helping to found PLC branches across western Victoria. He was a campaigner and political organizer for the Australian Workers' Union, the union movement with which he remained closely associated throughout his career.
In 1906, Scullin was selected as the Labor candidate for the Division of Ballaarat against then-Prime Minister Alfred Deakin. Although he was not successful in this election, he continued to be active in politics and was elected president of the Victorian state branch of Labor in 1918. He became known as a socialist on the left wing of the party, advocating against conscription during World War I and expressing sentiments against imperial domination from London.
In 1922, Scullin won the seat of Yarra, and in 1928 he became the leader of the Labor Party. He led the party to victory in the 1929 federal election, becoming Australia's ninth prime minister and the first Catholic, Australian-born, and Labor prime minister. However, his time in office was challenging, marked by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression, as well as a split in the Labor Party. Scullin's government struggled to respond to the economic crisis and was unable to pass legislation to address the Depression due to a hostile Senate.
Despite the difficulties faced during his prime ministership, Scullin remained a leading figure in the Labor movement throughout his life. He retired from federal parliament in 1949 and passed away in his sleep on January 28, 1953, in Hawthorn, Melbourne. He was accorded a state funeral in St. Patrick's Cathedral and was buried in the Catholic section of Melbourne General Cemetery.
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Joseph Lyons: longest-serving Catholic prime minister
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, born on 15 September 1879 in Stanley, Tasmania, was the second Catholic prime minister in Australia's history, serving from 1932 until his death in 1939. He was the inaugural leader of the United Australia Party (UAP), which he co-founded and which held government from 1931 to 1941.
Lyons was the son of Irish immigrants, Michael Henry Lyons and Ellen Carroll, and was the first prime minister to have an Australian-born parent. He was a devout Catholic and attended a Catholic convent school in Ulverstone. He was also the only prime minister to come from Tasmania, and the only person in Australian history to have been prime minister, state premier, treasurer, and leader of the opposition in both federal parliament and a state parliament.
Lyons was a schoolteacher before entering politics, winning election to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1909. He was Treasurer of Tasmania from 1914 to 1916 and then replaced Earle as the leader of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1916. He was a staunch anti-conscriptionist, which was a common stance among Australians of Irish Catholic background. He also opposed capital punishment and refused to participate in wartime recruiting, although he respected volunteers.
Lyons became Premier of Tasmania in 1923, leading a minority ALP government until 1928. During his time as premier, he faced a constitutional crisis relating to the powers of the Tasmanian Legislative Council. After the Australian Labor Party split in 1931, Lyons left the party and became the inaugural leader of the United Australia Party. He was appointed Prime Minister in 1932, succeeding James Scullin, Australia's first Catholic prime minister.
Lyons was a genuinely popular prime minister, and his death in 1939 caused widespread grief. He was the second-longest-serving prime minister in Australia's history at the time of his death, after Hughes. He was survived by his wife, Enid, six daughters, and five sons.
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Prime ministers born in Australia
Australia has had 31 prime ministers since 1901. Of these, 20 were born in Australia. The first prime minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1849. He was one of the authors of the Australian Constitution and is also known for his strong support of the White Australia Policy. The longest-serving prime minister, Robert Menzies, was also born in Victoria, Australia, in 1894. Menzies is credited with founding the Liberal Party of Australia and served as prime minister for over 18 years.
Other Australian-born prime ministers include John Curtin, who led Australia during World War II and established a close alliance with the United States; Harold Holt, who served as prime minister from 1966 until his disappearance in 1967 while swimming at a beach that now bears his name; and Gough Whitlam, who is known for his significant reforms in areas such as education, health, welfare, and the environment.
More recently, Scott Morrison, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, was born in Waverley, Sydney. He was known for his conservative policies and strong religious beliefs. The current prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was also born in Sydney and is Australia's eighth Catholic prime minister. Albanese has described his Catholic upbringing as an influential force on his politics, particularly in shaping his views on social justice.
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Prime ministers born in the United Kingdom
Australia has had 31 prime ministers since the office was created in 1901. Of these, 24 were born in Australia, and seven were born in the United Kingdom.
James Scullin, who served as Australia's ninth prime minister from 1929 to 1932, was the country's first Catholic prime minister. He was also the first Irish-Australian prime minister. Scullin was a devout Roman Catholic, a non-drinker, and a non-smoker. He was a leading figure in the Labor movement throughout his lifetime and was active in local politics in Ballarat, Victoria.
Joseph Lyons, who succeeded Scullin, was also Catholic. He served as prime minister from 1932 to 1939 and remains Australia's longest-serving Catholic prime minister.
Other Australian prime ministers who were born in the United Kingdom include:
- Sir George Reid, who was elected to the UK House of Commons after his term as High Commissioner to the UK.
- Frank Forde, who was re-elected to the Queensland Parliament after serving as High Commissioner to Canada.
- Andrew Fisher, who also served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
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Prime ministers who held office without election mandates
Australia's first Catholic prime minister was James Scullin, who served from 1929 to 1932. He was a devout Roman Catholic, a non-drinker, and a non-smoker throughout his life. Scullin was also the first Irish-Australian to hold the office. He was succeeded by Joseph Lyons, who was prime minister from 1932 to 1939 and remains Australia's longest-serving Catholic prime minister.
Nearly all (24) Australian prime ministers have held office without election mandates. This is common due to the country's parliamentary and party systems, where the position often becomes vacant due to a spill or a leader's resignation or retirement.
One example of a prime minister who held office without an election mandate was Frank Forde, who served for seven days in 1945 after the death of John Curtin. Another instance occurred when the governor-general appointed the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser, as caretaker prime minister. This took place amidst industrial strife and heavy-handed government proposals, with Fraser accepting the role on the condition that an election be called for 13 December 1975. The Liberal Party won this election.
More recently, Julia Gillard became prime minister by replacing an incumbent during a parliamentary term. She stated that she would not live in the Lodge until she was returned to office by popular vote at the next general election.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been two Catholic prime ministers in Australia: James Scullin and Joseph Lyons.
James Scullin was Australia's first Catholic prime minister.
James Scullin was prime minister of Australia from 1929 to 1932.
James Scullin was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Joseph Lyons was Australia's longest-serving Catholic prime minister, holding office from 1932 to 1939.
