Australian Prime Ministers Centre

The Australian Prime Ministers Centre opened in June 2007 as the first stage in the Museum of Australian Democracy. It includes a library, an exhibition, facts about Australia’s prime ministers and a research program. The Centre supports research into the history, origins and traditions of Australian democracy, with a particular focus on Australian prime ministers.

The image above shows six prime ministers in the Advisory War Council in 1940. Five of the men surrounding Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies (1939-41, 1949-66) once also held the title of prime minister. They are (third from left) Francis Forde (1945); (fourth from left) John Curtin (1941-45); (fourth from right) William Morris Hughes (1915-23); (second from right) Arthur Fadden (1941); and (right) Harold Holt (1966-67). Old Parliament House Collection — The image above shows six prime ministers in the Advisory War Council in 1940. Five of the men surrounding Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies (1939-41, 1949-66) once also held the title of prime minister. They are (third from left) Francis Forde (1945); (fourth from left) John Curtin (1941-45); (fourth from right) William Morris Hughes (1915-23); (second from right) Arthur Fadden (1941); and (right) Harold Holt (1966-67). Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria

Aims and objectives

The Australian Prime Ministers Centre aims to raise awareness of Australia’s prime ministers and to provide a national focus for research and scholarship in the field of Australian prime ministerial history. It also works collaboratively with other institutions which hold original prime ministerial records to support and improve access to this material.

The main objectives of the Australian Prime Ministers Centre are to:

provide an access point for prime ministers’ official and personal papers held in other collecting institutions
encourage the deposit of personal papers in relevant collecting institutions
support access to material held by other collecting institutions
provide a focus for research and scholarship on Australian parliamentary history
raise awareness of the lives and achievements of former prime ministers.