Henry Gullett

Sir Henry Gullett
Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research
In office
14 March 1940 – 13 August 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded byHerbert Collett
Minister for Information
In office
12 September 1939 – 14 March 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded byRobert Menzies
Minister for External Affairs
In office
26 April 1939 – 14 March 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byBilly Hughes
Succeeded byJohn McEwen
Minister for Trade and Customs
In office
6 January 1932 – 14 January 1933
Prime MinisterJoseph Lyons
Preceded byFrank Forde
Succeeded byThomas White
In office
28 November 1928 – 22 October 1929
Prime MinisterStanley Bruce
Preceded byStanley Bruce
Succeeded byJames Fenton
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Henty
In office
14 November 1925 – 13 August 1940
Preceded byFrederick Francis
Succeeded byArthur Coles
Personal details
Born
Henry Somer Gullett

(1878-03-26)26 March 1878
Toolamba West, Victoria, Australia
Died13 August 1940(1940-08-13) (aged 62)
Canberra, Australia
Political partyLabor (c. 1918)
Liberal (1922)
Ind. Nationalist (1925–1928)
Nationalist (1928–1931)
UAP (from 1931)
Spouse
Penny Frater
(m. 1912)
RelationsJo Gullett (son)
Penne Hackforth-Jones (granddaughter)
Barbara Baynton (mother-in-law)
Henry Gullett (uncle)
Lucy Gullett (cousin)
OccupationJournalist

Sir Henry Somer Gullett KCMG CB (26 March 1878 – 13 August 1940) was an Australian journalist, military historian and politician. He was a war correspondent during World War I and co-authored the official history of Australia's involvement in the war. He later served in federal parliament from 1925 to 1940 and held senior ministerial office.

Gullett grew up in country Victoria. He left school at the age of 12 but began a career in journalism through family connections. During World War I he was attached to Australian units on the Western Front and the Sinai and Palestine campaign, and also did work for the War Records Section. He contributed a volume to the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. Gullett was elected to parliament in 1925 as an "independent Nationalist". He joined S. M. Bruce's government as Minister for Trade and Customs (1928–1929) and then became deputy opposition leader (1929–1931) after the government's defeat. Gullett held a series of senior portfolios in the United Australia Party (UAP) governments of the 1930s, serving as Minister for Trade and Customs (1931–1933), External Affairs (1939–1940), Information (1939–1940), and Scientific and Industrial Research (1940). He was killed in the 1940 Canberra air disaster, along with two cabinet colleagues and the head of the army.