Rt Hon Sir John Gorton
19th Prime Minister of Australia
In office 10 January 1968 – 10 March 1971
Preceded by	John McEwen
Succeeded by	William McMahon
Born	9 September 1911 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	19 May 2002
Political party	Liberal

Sir John Grey Gorton GCMG AC CH (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002), Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia. John Gorton This work is copyrighted. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Sir John McEwen (March 29, 1900 - November 20, 1980), Australian politician and 18th Prime Minister of Australia, was born at Chiltern, Victoria, where his father was a pharmacist. ... Sir William McMahon GCMG CH PC (23 February 1908 – 31 March 1988), Australian politician and 20th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, where his father was a lawyer. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, wearing on her left shoulder the Order of Australias Sovereign Badge. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ...

Biography

Gorton was born in Melbourne, the son of an orchardist, and was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School, Geelong Grammar School and at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he completed an MA. In 1935 he married Bettina Brown, an American. Five years later he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force, where he served as a fighter pilot. He survived two serious crashes, and in one he suffered horrific facial injuries, requiring extensive reconstructive surgery that left his face permanently disfigured. ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Sydney Church of England Grammar School (also known as the Shore School and SCEGS) is an Anglican school for boys in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... Geelong Church of England Grammar School is an Anglican co-educational boarding and day-boarding Public School. ... College name The Kings Hall and College of Brasenose aula regia et collegium aenei nasi Named after Bronze door knocker Established 1509 Sister College Gonville and Caius College Principal Prof. ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ...

Although Gorton had been a member of the Country Party before the war, in 1949 he was elected to the Senate for the Liberal Party. He served in various positions under Robert Menzies and Harold Holt, including Minister for the Navy, Minister for Education and Minister for Works, as well as Govenment Leader in the Senate. He was an energetic and capable minister, and began to be considered leadership material once he moderated his early extremely right-wing views. The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... Harold Edward Holt CH (5 August 1908–17 December 1967) was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia, now best remembered for the bizarre circumstances of his death and for his controversial role in maintaining and expanding Australias role in the Vietnam War. ...

When Harold Holt died in December 1967, it was widely assumed that his deputy, William McMahon, would take over as Liberal leader and Prime Minister. But before ballot could be held, Country Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen vetoed McMahon's candicacy by declaring that neither he nor any of his Country Party colleagues would serve under McMahon, dramatically adding that he would not give his reasons, but that McMahon knew what they were. Harold Edward Holt CH (5 August 1908–17 December 1967) was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia, now best remembered for the bizarre circumstances of his death and for his controversial role in maintaining and expanding Australias role in the Vietnam War. ... Sir William McMahon GCMG CH PC (23 February 1908 – 31 March 1988), Australian politician and 20th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, where his father was a lawyer. ... Sir John McEwen (March 29, 1900 - November 20, 1980), Australian politician and 18th Prime Minister of Australia, was born at Chiltern, Victoria, where his father was a pharmacist. ... There have been several groups known as the Country Party. ...

McEwen's shock declaration triggered a leadership crisis within the Liberal Party; even more significantly, it raised the threat of a possible breaking of the Coalition, which would spell electoral disaster for the Liberals -- they were only able to win and hold power with Country Party support, and it is an accepted maxim of Australian politics that the Liberal Party has never won sufficient seats in any federal election to be able to govern in its own right.

In the subsequent leadership struggle Gorton was championed by Army Minister Malcolm Fraser and Liberal Party Whip Dudley Irwin, and with their support he was able to defeat his main rival, External Affairs Minister Paul Hasluck, to become Liberal leader and Prime Minister. He became the first Senator in Australian parliamentary history to be Prime Minister, but in accordance with Westminister tradition, he resigned from the Senate and contested the House of Representatives by-election (necessitated by Holt's death) in the electorate of Higgins. This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck (1 April 1905 - 9 January 1993), Australian historian, public servant and politician, and 17th Governor-General of Australia, was born in Fremantle, Western Australia, into a family of Salvationists, whose values he retained throughout his career. ... The Houses of Parliament in London The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Division of Higgins is an organiation dedicated to the destruction and hatred of Jim Higgins. ...

Gorton was initially a very popular Prime Minister. He carved out a style quite distinct from those of his predecessors - the aloof Menzies and the affable, sporty Holt. Gorton liked to portray himself as a man of the people who enjoyed a beer and a gamble, with a bit of a "larrikin" streak about him. Unfortunately for him, this reputation later came back to haunt him. Larrikinism is the name given to the Australian folk tradition of irreverence, mockery of authority and disregard for rigid norms of propriety. ...

He also began to follow new policies, pursuing independent defence and foreign policies and distancing Australia from its traditional ties to Britain. But he continued to support Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, a position he had reluctantly inherited from Holt, which became increasingly unpopular after 1968. On domestic issues, he favoured centralist policies at the expense of the states, which alienated powerful Liberal state leaders like Sir Henry Bolte of Victoria and Sir Robert Askin of New South Wales. He also fostered an independent Australian film industry and increased government funding for the arts. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Sir Henry Edward Bolte (20 May 1908 - 4 January 1990), Australian politician, was the longest serving Premier of the state of Victoria. ... The Honourable Sir Robert William Askin, GCMG, (Born Sydney, April 4, 1907; Died September 9, 1981. ...

Gorton proved to be a surprisingly poor media performer and public speaker, and was portrayed by the media as a foolish and incompetent administrator. He was unlucky to come up against a new and formidable Labor Opposition Leader in Gough Whitlam. Also, he was subjected to media speculation about his drinking habits and his involvements with women. He generated great resentment within his party, and his opponents became increasingly critical of his reliance on an inner circle of advisers - most notably his private secretary Ainsley Gotto. At the 1969 elections, Gorton lost most of the massive majority in the House of Representatives he had inherited from Holt, reduced to 7 seats. Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... Ainsley Gotto, (born 1946), is an Australian entrepreneur. ...

After the election, Gorton was challenged for the Liberal leadership by David Fairbairn, but so long as McEwen's veto on McMahon remained in place, he was fairly safe. McEwen retired in January 1971, and his successor, Doug Anthony, told the Liberals that the veto no longer applied. With the Liberal Party falling further behind Labor in the polls, a challenge was launched in March with the resignation of Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser, who attacked Gorton on the floor of Parliament in his resignation speech, saying that Gorton was "not fit to hold the great office of Prime Minister." Doug Anthony The Right Honourable John Douglas Anthony, AC, CH (born 31 December 1929), Australian politician, was born in Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of...

Gorton called a Liberal Party meeting to settle the matter. A motion of confidence in his leadership was tied. He could have kept his position by using his casting vote but he chose to resign, and McMahon was then elected leader and thus Prime Minister. In a surprise move, Gorton contested and won the position of Deputy Leader, forcing McMahon to make him Defence Minister. This farcical situation ended within a few months when McMahon sacked him for disloyalty.

After Labor won the 1972 elections, Gorton served in the Shadow Ministry of Billy Snedden until after the 1974 elections, when he was dropped. When Fraser became Liberal leader in 1975, Gorton resigned from the party and sat as an independent. He denounced the dismissal of the Whitlam government by Sir John Kerr, and unsuccessfully stood for an ACT Senate seat at the 1975 elections as an independent. Rt Hon Billy Snedden Sir Billy Mackie Snedden (31 December 1926 _ 27 June 1987), Australian Liberal politician, was born in Perth, Western Australia, the son of a stonemason. ... The Rt Hon. ...

Gorton retired to Canberra, where he kept out of the political limelight, although he quietly rejoined the Liberal Party. His wife died in 1983, but he remarried in 1993. In his old age he was rehabilitated by the Liberals; his 90th birthday party was attended by Prime Minister John Howard, and the publication of a new biography restored his reputation. He died in his ninety-first year from pneumonia and respiratory failure in a Sydney hospital. For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... For other uses, see John Howard (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that CURB-65 be merged into this article or section. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4. ...

Honours

Gorton was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1968, a Companion of Honour in 1971, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1977 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1988. Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order (decoration). ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, wearing on her left shoulder the Order of Australias Sovereign Badge. ...

See also

• First Gorton Ministry
• Second Gorton Ministry

The First Gorton Ministry was the forty-fifth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 10th January 1968 to 12th November 1969. ... The Second Gorton Ministry was the forty-sixth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 12th November 1969 to 10th March 1971. ...

Further reading

• Alan Reid, The Gorton Experiment, Shakespeare Head Press, 1971 (highly critical)
• Ian Hancock, John Gorton: He Did It His Way, Hodder, 2002 (sympathetic)

External links

• John Gorton - Australia's Prime Ministers / National Archives of Australia

Prime Ministers of Australia
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

Leaders of the Liberal Party of Australia
Menzies | Holt | Gorton | McMahon | Snedden | Fraser | Peacock | Howard | Peacock | Hewson | Downer | Howard