First Among Equals by Kim; Derry Hogue; Wildman Read Free Book Online Page B

Curtin’s own health becoming a matter of major concern. In November 1944, Curtin survived a heart attack. He made his last public appearance at a parliamentary meeting in April 1945, convened to commemorate the death of Franklin Roosevelt. He then died in The Lodge just six weeks prior to the end of the war in the Pacific.

    FRANCIS MICHAEL FORDE
    THE COUNTRY’S SHORTEST-SERVING PRIME MINISTER
    TERM
    6 July 1945-13 July 1945
    E ven though he served as prime minister for only eight days, Francis Michael Forde is much more than a footnote in Australian political history. A federal parliamentarian for 24 years, Forde was a hardworking ‘masterly politician’ who was deeply loyal to the Labor Party.
    The second of six children, Forde was born in Mitchell in south-west Queensland on 18 July 1890. After attending primary school in Mitchell, he became a boarder at the Christian Brothers’ College in Toowoomba where he trained as a student teacher. Following a brief stint as a teacher he joined the postmaster general’s department as a telegraphist, before relocating to Rockhampton to train as an engineer.
    During World War I, Forde joined the Rockhampton branch of the Labor Party and campaigned against conscription. In 1917 he entered Queensland parliament as the member for Rockhampton. He remained a state parliamentarian until 1922 when he resigned to stand for the federal seat of Capricornia, which he won, becoming the youngest member of parliament. Three years later he married Veronica O’Reilly in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
    In 1929 when Scullin came to power he became assistant minister for trade and customs. When the Scullin government was defeated by the United Australia Party (UAP) in December 1931, as one ofthe few surviving Labor parliamentarians, Forde was elected deputy leader. In 1935 when Scullin stepped down, Forde contested the leadership. However, John Curtin won by one vote. Nevertheless, Forde’s loyalty as a deputy was rewarded when Labor returned to power in 1941; he became deputy prime minister, minister for the army, and a member of the war cabinet.
    With war now in the Pacific, Forde backed Curtin when he switched allegiances to the US and withdrew troops from the Middle East to help defend the Pacific. However, when it was proposed that the area south of the ‘Brisbane Line’ would only be defended if the Japanese invaded, with his seat of Capricornia north of this line, Forde fought for the defence of the whole country. During the war Forde twice served as acting prime minister and minister for defence.
    In April 1945 Forde travelled to San Francisco to represent Australia at the League of Nations Conference. By this time Curtin was gravely ill, dying three days after Forde’s return on 2 July. Forde was sworn in as Australia’s caretaker prime minister. He held the position for eight days until 13 July 1945, when he was replaced by Ben Chifley. Despite the disappointment, Forde continued on as deputy in Chifley’s government.
    When Forde lost his seat in the 1946 election, Chifley appointed him high commissioner to Canada,a position he held until 1953. Returning to Australia, Forde re-entered state politics in 1955, winning the seat of Flinders in the Queensland parliament in a byelection. However, he lost the seat two years later in 1957. Forde then retired to Brisbane. His only other foray into public life was when, on the request of Robert Menzies, he represented Australia at the state funeral of US General Douglas MacArthur on 11 April 1964. Forde died on 28 January 1983 at the age of 92.

    JOSEPH BENEDICT CHIFLEY
    A STABILISING FORCE
    TERM
    13 July 1945-19 December 1949
    C oming to power at the end of World War II, Joseph Benedict ‘Ben’ Chifley went on to become one of the country’s most influential prime ministers. The first leader to guide the Labor Party to its second successive federal victory, the former locomotive engine