List of Prime Ministers of Australia by age

Living as of October 2018
Prime Minister Date of birth Prime Minister
Bob Hawke 9 December 1929 1983–1991
John Howard 26 July 1939 1996–2007
Paul Keating 18 January 1944 1991–1996
Malcolm Turnbull 24 October 1954 2015–2018
Kevin Rudd 21 September 1957 2007–2010, 2013
Tony Abbott 4 November 1957 2013–2015
Julia Gillard 29 September 1961 2010–2013
Scott Morrison 13 May 1968 2018–

This is a list of Prime Ministers of Australia by age, including when they were born, what age they were when they were appointed prime minister, what age were they when they left the office and the age at which they died, or their current age as of 12 October 2018 if they are still alive. The table can be sorted by each different category.

The date of appointment as prime minister is the date on which they were sworn in by the Governor-General for their first term. The day on which they departed office is the final day of their final term. This is either the day a new prime minister was appointed or their date of death if they died whilst in office.

Overview

The median age of a Prime Minister on the first day of their first term is 52 years, and 353 days which falls between Joseph Cook and Billy Hughes. The youngest person to assume the office was Chris Watson (age 37 years, 18 days). The oldest person to assume office was John McEwen (age 67 years, 265 days).

The oldest living former Prime Minister is Bob Hawke, born 9 December 1929 (age 88 years, 307 days). The youngest living former Prime Minister is Julia Gillard, born 29 September 1961, (age 57 years, 13 days). The youngest living Prime Minister is the incumbent Scott Morrison, born 13 May 1968, (age 50 years, 152 days).

The longest-lived Prime Minister was Gough Whitlam who died on 21 October 2014 at the age of 98. Frank Forde was the second longest-lived Prime Minister, at the age of 92 years, 194 days. Whitlam surpassed Forde's lifespan on 21 January 2009. The oldest living Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, will tie Whitlam if he lives to 21 March 2028. The shortest-lived Prime Minister was Harold Holt, at the age of 59 years, 134 days (See footnote below explaining his disappearance).

The Prime Minister with the longest retirement is Gough Whitlam. He left office on 11 November 1975, and died 38 years, and 344 days later on 21 October 2014. The prime minister with the shortest retirement is Ben Chifley, who died on 13 June 1951, 1 year and 176 days after leaving office on 19 December 1949.

# Prime Minister Born Took office Age Left office Age Died Length of retirement Lifespan
1 Edmund Barton 18 January 1849 1 January 1901 51 years, 348 days 24 September 1903 54 years, 249 days 7 January 1920 16 years, 105 days 70 years, 354 days
2 Alfred Deakin 3 August 1856 24 September 1903 47 years, 52 days 29 April 1910 53 years, 269 days 7 October 1919 9 years, 161 days 63 years, 65 days
3 Chris Watson 9 April 1867 27 April 1904 37 years, 18 days 18 August 1904 37 years, 131 days 18 November 1941 37 years, 92 days 74 years, 223 days
4 George Reid 25 February 1845 18 August 1904 59 years, 175 days 5 July 1905 60 years, 130 days 12 September 1918 13 years, 69 days 73 years, 199 days
5 Andrew Fisher 29 August 1862 13 November 1908 46 years, 76 days 27 October 1915 53 years, 59 days 22 October 1928 12 years, 361 days 66 years, 54 days
6 Joseph Cook 7 December 1860 24 June 1913 52 years, 199 days 17 September 1914 53 years, 284 days 30 July 1947 32 years, 316 days 86 years, 235 days
7 Billy Hughes 25 September 1862 28 October 1915 53 years, 33 days 9 February 1923 60 years, 137 days 28 October 1952 29 years, 262 days 90 years, 33 days
8 Stanley Bruce 15 April 1883 9 February 1923 39 years, 300 days 22 October 1929 46 years, 190 days 25 August 1967 37 years, 307 days 84 years, 132 days
9 James Scullin 18 September 1876 22 October 1929 53 years, 34 days 6 January 1932 55 years, 110 days 28 January 1953 21 years, 22 days 76 years, 132 days
10 Joseph Lyons 15 September 1879 6 January 1932 52 years, 113 days 7 April 1939[1] 59 years, 204 days 7 April 1939 N/A 59 years, 204 days
11 Earle Page 8 August 1880 7 April 1939 58 years, 242 days 26 April 1939 58 years, 261 days 20 December 1961 22 years, 238 days 81 years, 134 days
12 Robert Menzies 20 December 1894 26 April 1939 44 years, 127 days 26 January 1966 71 years, 37 days 15 May 1978 12 years, 109 days 83 years, 146 days
13 Arthur Fadden 13 April 1894 29 August 1941 47 years, 138 days 7 October 1941 47 years, 177 days 21 April 1973 31 years, 196 days 79 years, 8 days
14 John Curtin 8 January 1885 7 October 1941 56 years, 272 days 5 July 1945[1] 60 years, 178 days 5 July 1945 N/A 60 years, 178 days
15 Frank Forde 18 July 1890 6 July 1945 54 years, 353 days 13 July 1945 54 years, 360 days 28 January 1983 37 years, 199 days 92 years, 194 days
16 Ben Chifley 22 September 1885 13 July 1945 59 years, 294 days 19 December 1949 64 years, 88 days 13 June 1951 1 year, 176 days 65 years, 264 days
17 Harold Holt 5 August 1908 26 January 1966 57 years, 174 days 17 December 1967[2] 59 years, 134 days 17 December 1967[2] N/A 59 years, 134 days
18 John McEwen 29 March 1900 19 December 1967 67 years, 265 days 10 January 1968 67 years, 287 days 20 November 1980 12 years, 315 days 80 years, 236 days
19 John Gorton 9 September 1911 10 January 1968 56 years, 123 days 10 March 1971 59 years, 182 days 19 May 2002 31 years, 70 days 90 years, 252 days
20 William McMahon 23 February 1908 10 March 1971 63 years, 15 days 5 December 1972 64 years, 286 days 31 March 1988 15 years, 117 days 80 years, 37 days
21 Gough Whitlam 11 July 1916 5 December 1972 56 years, 147 days 11 November 1975 59 years, 123 days 21 October 2014 38 years, 344 days 98 years, 102 days
22 Malcolm Fraser 21 May 1930 11 November 1975 45 years, 174 days 11 March 1983 52 years, 294 days 20 March 2015 32 years, 9 days 84 years, 303 days
23 Bob Hawke 9 December 1929 11 March 1983 53 years, 92 days 20 December 1991 62 years, 11 days 26 years, 296 days 88 years, 307 days
24 Paul Keating 18 January 1944 20 December 1991 47 years, 336 days 11 March 1996 52 years, 53 days 22 years, 215 days 74 years, 267 days
25 John Howard 26 July 1939 11 March 1996 56 years, 229 days 3 December 2007 68 years, 130 days 10 years, 313 days 79 years, 78 days
26 Kevin Rudd 21 September 1957 3 December 2007 50 years, 73 days 18 September 2013 55 years, 362 days 5 years, 24 days 61 years, 21 days
27 Julia Gillard 29 September 1961 24 June 2010 48 years, 268 days 27 June 2013 51 years, 271 days 5 years, 107 days 57 years, 13 days
28 Tony Abbott 4 November 1957 18 September 2013 55 years, 318 days 15 September 2015 57 years, 315 days 3 years, 27 days 60 years, 342 days
29 Malcolm Turnbull 24 October 1954 15 September 2015 60 years, 326 days 24 August 2018 63 years, 304 days 49 days 63 years, 353 days
30 Scott Morrison 13 May 1968 24 August 2018 50 years, 103 days Incumbent Incumbent Incumbent 50 years, 152 days

Oldest living Prime Ministers of Australia

Not all prime ministers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 22 deceased prime ministers, 11 eventually became the oldest of their time, while 11 did not (including all 3 prime ministers who died in office, and 8 others). Joseph Cook became the oldest living prime minister when Edmund Barton died in 1920 and remained so until his death in 1947, for a record 27 years and 204 days. James Scullin became the oldest living prime minister after the death of Billy Hughes, but he survived Hughes by only 92 days.

On one occasion the oldest living prime minister lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a prime minister who was older. Edmund Barton lost this distinction when George Reid was appointed, but when Reid died in 1918, Barton regained it again until his own death in 1920 for a total period of 4 years and 347 days.

Gough Whitlam was the oldest to acquire this distinction at the age of 85 years, and 312 days. Malcolm Fraser, who was 84 years, and 303 days old when he died, on 20 March 2015 was the oldest and most recent prime minister to die without ever acquiring this distinction.

Prime Minister Became oldest living prime minister Ceased to be oldest living prime minister Age at start date Age at end date Duration (years, days)
Edmund Barton 1 January 1901 18 August 1904 51 years, 348 days 55 years, 213 days 3 years, 230 days
George Reid 18 August 1904 12 September 1918 59 years, 175 days 73 years, 199 days 14 years, 25 days
Edmund Barton 12 September 1918 7 January 1920 69 years, 237 days 70 years, 354 days 1 year, 117 days
Joseph Cook 7 January 1920 30 July 1947 59 years, 31 days 86 years, 235 days 27 years, 204 days
Billy Hughes 30 July 1947 28 October 1952 84 years, 308 days 90 years, 33 days 5 years, 90 days
James Scullin 28 October 1952 28 January 1953 76 years, 40 days 76 years, 132 days 92 days
Earle Page 28 January 1953 20 December 1961 72 years, 173 days 81 years, 134 days 8 years, 326 days
Stanley Bruce 20 December 1961 25 August 1967 78 years, 249 days 84 years, 132 days 5 years, 248 days
Frank Forde 25 August 1967 28 January 1983 77 years, 38 days 92 years, 194 days 15 years, 156 days
William McMahon 28 January 1983 31 March 1988 74 years, 339 days 80 years, 37 days 5 years, 63 days
John Gorton 31 March 1988 19 May 2002 76 years, 204 days 90 years, 252 days 14 years, 49 days
Gough Whitlam 19 May 2002 21 October 2014 85 years, 312 days 98 years, 102 days 12 years, 155 days
Bob Hawke 21 October 2014 Current oldest living prime minister 84 years, 316 days Current oldest living prime minister 3 years, 356 days
Prime Minister Became oldest living prime minister Ceased to be oldest living prime minister Age at start date Age at end date Duration (years, days)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Died in office on this date.
  2. 1 2 On 17 December 1967, Holt disappeared while swimming in the ocean. On 19 December, it was announced he was presumed dead.
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