Page ministry

Page ministry

24th Ministry of Australia
photograph of Page
Earle Page
photograph of Hughes
Billy Hughes
Date formed7 April 1939
Date dissolved26 April 1939
People and organisations
MonarchGeorge VI
Governor-GeneralLord Gowrie
Prime MinisterSir Earle Page
No. of ministers13
Member partyCountryUnited Australia coalition
Status in legislatureMajority government
Opposition partyLabor
Opposition leaderJohn Curtin
History
Legislature term15th
PredecessorFourth Lyons ministry
SuccessorFirst Menzies ministry

The Page ministry (CountryUnited Australia Coalition) was the 24th ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 11th Prime Minister, Sir Earle Page. The Page ministry succeeded the Fourth Lyons ministry, which dissolved on 7 April 1939 following the death of former Prime Minister Joseph Lyons - the first of three occasions where a sitting Prime Minister died in office. Since Page was the head of the Country Party, it was a caretaker ministry until the senior partner in the Coalition, the United Australia Party, could elect a new leader. Former Attorney-General Robert Menzies was ultimately elected on 18 April 1939. However, due to the Country Party withdrawing from the Coalition after relations between Page and Menzies broke down, Menzies along with his ministry was not sworn in until 26 April 1939.[1]

John McEwen, who died in 1980, was the last surviving member of the Page ministry; McEwen was also the last surviving member of the Fourth Lyons ministry. Robert Menzies was the last surviving UAP minister.

  1. ^ "Ministries and Cabinets". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2010.