This National Archives of Australia website contains a timeline of the significant political decisions made by Australian Prime Ministers.

Sir Robert Menzies, in full Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, (born Dec. 20, 1894, Jeparit, Victoria, Austl.—died May 15, 1978, Melbourne), statesman who, as prime minister of Australia (1939–41, 1949–66), strengthened military ties with the United States and fostered industrial growth and immigration from Europe.

The Menzies Research Centre is named after Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister. This Centre is committed to the debate and exploration of the ideas and policies espoused by Menzies. His commitment was to an 'intelligent, free, and liberal Australian democracy' that had as its essential features freedom of speech, religion association and the freedom of citizens to choose their own way of life subject to the rights of others, and which looked to the encouragement of individual initiative and enterprise as the dynamic force of progress.

Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) Menzies (1894-1978), prime minister and barrister, was born on 20 December 1894 at Jeparit, Victoria, fourth of five children of Australian-born parents James Menzies, storekeeper, and his wife Kate, née Sampson. The forebears were Scots on the paternal side and Cornish on the maternal. James, originally a skilled Ballarat coach-painter, had become Jeparit's general storekeeper and community leader, a lay preacher in the local Nonconformist church and prominent in activities ranging from organizing sport to presidency of the Dimboola Shire Council. In 1911-20 he held the seat of Lowan in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

The Defence Preparations Act 1951 was conceived as a solution to an ideological as much as the constitutional dilemma the Menzies government faced as a result of the inflationary crisis of 1950-51. Drawing on Cabinet Notebooks, we argue that the government used the Act to facilitate peacetime access to capital issues controls under the defence powers, but also to reassure its supporters and the public that turning to direct economic controls was not a vindication of the 'socialism' it promised on election to stand against. While the Act enabled the government to convince the High Court that imposing anti-inflationary controls was linked to defence preparations, it was also a way for it to maintain ideological coherence as it sought to breach a principal tenet of its political philosophy.

This article is a study of the Australian government's exchanges with the Chamberlain government over the ultimately unsuccessful attempt to negotiate a Grand Alliance between the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union during 1939. Robert Menzies and Stanley Bruce carefully weighed the arguments for and against before deciding to support the proposal for an Alliance. Yet there was considerable ambivalence about their support as evidenced by Bruce's panicky response to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In its own very small and distant way the Menzies government contributed to the inertia that marked the British Empire's failure to secure a Grand Alliance in 1939.

John Curtin, in full John Joseph Curtin, (born January 8, 1885, Creswick, Victoria, Australia—died July 5, 1945, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory), statesman, prime minister of Australia during most of World War II, and leader of the Australian Labor Party (1934–45).

Australia’s 14th Prime Minister is widely regarded as one of the greatest. John Curtin’s achievement rests on his leadership of the nation during much of World War II. Curtin’s rejection of the British strategy for Australian troops enabled the successful defence of New Guinea. And, in a remarkable move, he put US General Douglas MacArthur in charge of Australia’s defence forces. Although he had been a strong opponent of conscription during World War I, as leader during the 1939–45 conflict, Curtin made the decision to send conscripted troops to serve outside Australia.

John Curtin (1885-1945), prime minister and journalist, was born on 8 January 1885 at Creswick, Victoria, eldest of four children of Irish-born parents John Curtin (1854?-1919) and his wife Catherine (Kate) Agnes, née Bourke (1859?-1938). John senior worked as a warder at Pentridge Gaol, served as a soldier, was a policeman at Creswick (1881-90), then was employed in hotels, sometimes as manager, in Melbourne and at Dromana, Charlton, Macedon and elsewhere. The family eventually settled, in poverty, at Brunswick.

The article discusses the lives of Labor Prime Ministers John Curtin, Ben Chifley and Gough Whitlam of Australia. It states that John Curtin's deep humanity was the foundation of his basic decency in public life. It mentions that Chifley succeeded to the top post following the early death of Curtin. The death of the three leaders is discussed.