Frank Forde
Francis Michael Forde (18 July 1890 – 28 January 1983) was the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was Prime Minister for only a week after John Curtin died. He lost a leadership contest to Ben Chifley. He was prime minister for only eight days,[1] less than any other Prime Minister from Australia. He also lived longer than any other Prime Minister, until Gough Whitlam, who passed Forde's age on January 21, 2009. He died at 92 years old.
Rt Hon Frank Forde | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th Prime Minister of Australia | |
| In office 6 July 1945 – 13 July 1945 | |
| Preceded by | John Curtin |
| Succeeded by | Ben Chifley |
| Constituency | Capricornia (Queensland) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 July 1890 Mitchell, Queensland |
| Died | 28 January 1983 (aged 92) |
| Political party | Labor |
Forde was from the Australian Labor Party. He was the Minister for Trade and Customs in the Scullin government (1929–1931).[2] When Scullin retired in 1935, Forde tried to become the leader of the Labor Party, but he lost by one vote to John Curtin.[3] When Labor won the 1941 elections and Curtin became Prime Minister, Forde was made Minister for the Army.[4] On 5 July 1945 Curtin died; because he was Deputy Leader, Forde was then made Prime Minister until the Labor Party chose a new leader. At the leadership election on 13 July, Ben Chifley was voted leader, and Forde was made Deputy Leader again.[5]
Frank Forde Media
Frank Forde as a boy
Forde early in his political career
A young Frank Forde (left) with James Scullin.
Forde and John Curtin at a meeting of the Advisory War Council in 1940
Forde signing the United Nations Charter as Australia's lead delegate to the 1945 San Francisco Conference
Forde in April 1945, a few months before he became prime minister, conversing with H. V. Evatt (left) and Stanley Bruce
Frank Forde's headstone at Brisbane's Toowong Cemetery
Bust of fifteenth Prime Minister of Australia Frank Forde located in the Prime Minister's Avenue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens
References
- ↑ "Francis Forde". Prime Ministers of Australia. National Museum of Australia. Archived from the original on 2016-03-26.
- ↑ "Frank Forde, Scullin government 1929–31". Australia's Prime Ministers. National Archives of Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ↑ "Frank Forde, Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1932–41". Australia's Prime Ministers. National Archives of Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ↑ "Frank Forde, Curtin government 1941–45". Australia's Prime Ministers. National Archives of Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ↑ "Frank Forde, In office". Australia's Prime Ministers. National Archives of Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
| Prime Ministers of Australia | 
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|---|---|
| Barton | Deakin | Watson | Reid | Fisher | Cook | Hughes | Bruce | Scullin | Lyons | Page | Menzies | Fadden | Curtin | Forde | Chifley | Holt | McEwen | Gorton | McMahon | Whitlam | Fraser | Hawke | Keating | Howard | Rudd | Gillard | Abbott | |