Mrs Prime Minister

1901

JANE BARTON

Jane (Jeanie) Mason Ross

11 June 1851 – 23 March 1938

Married 28 December 1877

Sir Edmund Barton –

Protectionist Party

Children: 4 sons, 2 daughters

Term as PM wife: 1 January 1901 – 24 September 1903 (2 years, 8 months, 24 days)

‘Strong both in physique and character, indefatigably and loyally devoted to her husband and family.’

1903

PATTIE DEAKIN

Elizabeth Martha Anne (Pattie) Browne

1 January 1863 – 30 December 1934

Married 3 April 1882

Alfred Deakin –

Protectionist Party

Children: 3 daughters

Terms as PM wife:

24 September 1903 – 27 April 1904

5 July 1905 – 13 November 1908

2 June 1909 – 29 April 1910

(Total: 4 years, 10 months, 11 days)

‘full of life and spirit…modest, capable…and absolutely mistress of herself.’ – Alfred Deakin

1904

ADA WATSON

Ada Jane Lowe

1859 – 19 April 1921

Dressmaker

Married 27 November 1889

John Christian Watson –

Australian Labor Party

Children: None

Term as PM Wife: 27 April 1904 – 17 August 1904 (3 months, 21 days)

‘[She was] a fine woman.’ – John Christian Watson

1904

FLORENCE REID

Florence (Flora) Ann Brumby (Bromby)

10 November 1869– 1 September 1950

Married 5 November 1891

George Houstoun Reid –

Free Trade Party

Children: 2 sons, 1 daughter

Term as PM wife: 18 August 1904 – 5 July 1905 (10 months, 18 days)

[She was] devoted, true and unselfish…’ – George Reid

1908

MARGARET FISHER

Margaret Jane Irvine

1868 – 15 June 1958

Married 31 December 1901

Andrew Fisher – Australian Labor Party

Children: 1 daughter, 5 sons

Terms as PM wife:

13 November 1908 – 2 June 1909

29 April 1910 – 24 June 1913

17 September 1914 – 27 October 1915

(Total: 4 years, 9montns, 18 Days)

‘An intelligent and clear-sighted woman…her tastes remained simple and her chief interest was her family’.

1913

MARY COOK

Mary Turner

c.1863 – 24 September 1950

Assistant Mistress/School Teacher

Married 8 August 1885

Joseph Cook –

Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 6 sons, 3 daughters

Term as PM wife:

24 June 1913 – 17 September 1914 (1 year, 2 months, 25 days)

‘What a real servant of the Commonwealth she is.’ Newspaper report, 1926

1915

MARY HUGHES

 

Mary Ethel Campbell

6 June 1874 – 2 April 1958

Community Worker - Nurse

Married 26 June 1911

William Morris Hughes –

Australian Labor Party; Nationalist Party from 1917

Children: 1 daughter

Term as PM wife:

27 October 1915 – 9 February 1923 (7 years, 3 months, 14 days)

‘Her self-sacrifice, fortitude and zeal won her the golden opinions among our soldiers.’ - Newspaper report, 1922

1923

ETHEL BRUCE

Ethel Dunlop Anderson

25 May 1879 – 16 March 1967

Married 12 July 1913

Stanley Melbourne Bruce –

Nationalist Party

Children: None

Term as PM wife:

9 February 1923 – 22 October 1929 (6 years, 8 months, 14 days)

‘As stylish and dignified a figure as [her husband] and fulfilled her official tasks with aplomb’

1929

SARAH SCULLIN

Sarah Maria McNamara

1882 – 31 May 1962

Dressmaker

Married 11 November 1907

James Henry Scullin –

Australian Labor Party

Children: None

Term as PM wife:

22 October 1929 – 6 January 1932 (2 years, 2 months, 16 days)

‘A lover of good music…she preferred a simple, quiet and relatively austere life.’ - The Herald, 1976

1932

ENID LYONS

Enid Muriel Burnell

July 1897 – 2 September 1981

Trainee school teacher, Politician

Married 28 April 1915

Joseph Aloysius Lyons –

United Australia Party

Children: Six daughters, six sons.

Term as PM wife: 6 January 1932 – 7 April 1939 (7 years, 3 months, 2 days)

‘…a dead-on-the-beam quickness of mind, warm appreciation of people……Dame Enid packs a tremendous punch.’ ­The Australian Women’s Weekly, 1951

1939

ETHEL PAGE

Ethel Esther Blunt

1875 – 26 May 1958

Nursing sister

Married 18 September 1906

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page –

Australian Country Party

Children: 1 daughter, 4 sons

Term as PM wife: 7 April 1939 – 26 April 1939 (20 days)

‘In every sphere she entered she proved and held her leadership.’ – Earle Page

1939

PATTIE MENZIES

Pattie Mae Leckie

2 March 1899 – 30 August 1995

Community Worker

Married 27 September 1920

Robert Gordon Menzies –

United Australia Party, Liberal Party – 2nd term

Children: 2 sons, 1 daughter

Term as PM wife:

26 April 1939 – 29 August 1941

19 December 1949 – 26 January 1966

(Total: 18 years, 5 months, 12 days)

‘She was naturally, intensely loyal, supportive and devoted to her husband and family.’

1941

ILMA FADDEN

Ilma Nita Thornber

c.1895 – 14 May 1987

Married 27 Dec 1916 (Mackay)

Arthur William Fadden –

Country Party

Children: 2 sons, 2 daughters

Term as PM wife:

29 Aug 1941 – 7 Oct 1941 (1 mth, 9 days)

‘A vigorous campaign helper…and an active war worker, but her main interest was country women and children’. – The Herald

1941

ELSIE CURTIN

Elsie Needham

4 Oct 1890 – 24 June 1975

Community Worker

Married 21 April 1917 Perth (27)

John Curtin –

Australian Labor Party

Children: 1 son, 1 daughter

Term as PM wife:

7 Oct 1941 – 5 Jul 1945 (3 yrs, 8 mths, 29 days)

‘She was a very evenly balanced person, always calm, jovial [and] ready for a laugh’. - Elsie Curtin (daughter)

1945

VERA FORDE

Veronica (Vera) O’Reilly

1894 – 1967 (73)

Married 5 Feb 1925

Francis Michael Forde –

Australian Labor Party

Children: 3 daughters, 1 son

Term as PM wife:

6 July 1945 – 13 July 1945 (8 days)

‘She was very politically active and committed to helping those around her.’ – Clare Attridge – daughter of Vera Forde.

1945

ELIZABETH CHIFLEY

Elizabeth Gibson McKenzie

1886 – 9 Sept 1962

Married 6 June 1914

Joseph Benedict Chifley –

Australian Labor Party

No children

Term as PM wife:

13 Jul 1945 – 19 Dec 1949 (4 yrs, 5 mths, 7 days)

‘Never the Prime Minister’s Lady, but simply the kind, unassuming woman who lives at 10 Busby Street, Bathurst’. - Newspaper report

1966

ZARA HOLT

Zara Kate Fell (nee Dickens) – later Bate

10 March 1909 – 14 June 1989

Businesswoman & Community Worker

Married 8 October 1946

Harold Edward Holt – Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 3 sons

Term as PM wife:

26 January 1966 – 19 December 1967 (1 year, 10 months, 23 days)

‘A happy, witty, warm and affectionate lady.’ – Andrew Peacock

1968

BETTINA GORTON

Bettina Brown

1915 – 2 October 1983

Married 15 February 1935

John Grey Gorton – Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 1 daughter, 2 sons

Term as PM wife:

10 January 1968 – 10 March 1971 (3 years, 2 months)

‘She was intelligent, friendly, gracious and highly respected.’ – Kangaroo Lake resident.

1971

SONIA McMAHON

Sonia Hopkins

1 August 1932 - 2 April 2010

Occupational Therapist

Married 11 Dec 1965

William McMahon – Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 2 daughters, 1 son

Term as PM wife:

10 March 1971 – 5 December 1972 (1 year, 8 months, 25 days)

‘Elegance and glamour were her political assets’. – The Herald 1970

1972

MARGARET WHITLAM

Margaret Elaine Dovey

19 November 1919

Social Worker & Writer

Married 22 April 1942

Edward Gough Whitlam – Australian Labor Party

Children: 3 sons, 1 daughter

Term as PM wife:

5 December 1972 – 11 November 1975 (2 years, 11 months, 7 days)

‘…a flair for publicity and a forceful, self-confident down-to-earth manner.’ – Newspaper report, 1974.

1975

TAMIE FRASER

Tamara Margaret Beggs

28 February 1936 -

Married 9 December 1956

John Malcolm Fraser – Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 2 sons, 2 daughters.

Term as PM wife:

11 November 1975 – 11 March 1983 (7 years, 4 months)

‘She is relaxed, poised, friendly and committed.’

1983

HAZEL HAWKE

Hazel Masterson

20 July 1929 -

Married 3 March 1956 (divorced 1995)

Robert James Lee Hawke – Australian Labor Party

Children: 2 daughters, 2 sons

Term as PM wife:

11 March 1983 – 20 December 1991 (8 years, 9 months, 10 days)

‘She has a loud, unaffected laugh and a broad Australian accent…she is a survivor.’ – The Australian, 1987

1991

ANNITA KEATING

Annita Johanna Maria van Iersel (Holland)

5 October 1948 –

Married 17 January 1975 (separated 1998)

Paul John Keating –

Australian Labor Party

Children: 1 son, 3 daughters

Term as PM wife:

20 December 1991 – 11 March 1996 (4 years, 2 months, 20 days)

‘…a really strong individual who’s got her own mind and does things her way.’ – Nancy Pilcher, 1996.

1996

JANETTE HOWARD

Janette Parker

11 August 1944 -

Teacher

Married 4 April 1971

John Winston Howard – Liberal Party of Australia

Children: 1 daughter, 2 sons

Term as PM wife: 11 March 1996 – 2 December 2007

‘She [has] a vivacious personality and is highly intelligent.’ – John Howard.