Menzies I government

The Menzies I government ruled Australia from April 26, 1939 to March 14, 1940. It was a coalition government of the United Australia Party and the Country Party .

The previous government was also a coalition of United Australia Party and County Party under Prime Minister Lyons , who died on April 7, 1939. Country Party's chairman Earle Page became Prime Minister of a caretaker government until the United Australia Party appointed its new chairman. When Robert Menzies , no friend of the Country Party, was the new chairman of the United Australia Party, Page tried to discredit him in a parliamentary speech. He accused Menzies, who did not volunteer during World War I, of cowardice and accused Menzies of having contributed to the early death of Lyons through disloyalty. The Australian public reacted indignantly to Page's allegations. Menzies formed a government with only ministers from the United Australia Party, which was tolerated by the Country Party, Page had to resign as Country Party chairman. On March 14, 1940, the Country Party entered government under its new chairman Archie Cameron .

List of ministers

Office	minister	Term of office
prime minister	Robert Menzies	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Treasury minister	Robert Menzies	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Attorney General	Billy Hughes	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Industry Minister	Billy Hughes	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister for Supply and Development	Richard Casey	April 26, 1939 - January 26, 1940
Minister for Supply and Development	Frederick Stewart	January 26, 1940 - March 14, 1940
Defense Minister	Geoffrey Street	April 26, 1939 - November 13, 1939
Army minister	Geoffrey Street	November 13, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister for the Coordination of Defense	Robert Menzies	November 13, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Foreign minister	Henry Somer Gullett	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Information minister	Henry Somer Gullett	September 12, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Economics Minister	George McLeay	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Interior minister	Harry Foll	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Postmaster General	Eric Harrison	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister for Repatriation	Eric Harrison	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister for Trade and Customs	John Lawson	April 26, 1939 - February 23, 1940
Minister for Trade and Customs	Robert Menzies	February 23, 1940 - March 14, 1940
Minister of Health	Frederick Stewart	January 26, 1940 - March 14, 1940
Minister of Social Affairs		January 26, 1940 - March 14, 1940
Naval Minister		November 13, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister for the Air Force	James Fairbairn	November 13, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister of Aviation		April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Vice President of the Executive Council		April 26, 1939 - January 26, 1940
Vice President of the Executive Council	Percy dispenser	January 26, 1940 - March 14, 1940

Minister without portfolio responsible for the external territories	John Perkins	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister without portfolio in charge of veterans accommodation	Herbert Collett	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister with no portfolio in support of the treasurer	Percy dispenser	April 26, 1939 - November 3, 1939
Minister with no portfolio in support of the Minister for Supply and Development	Harold Holt	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940
Minister with no portfolio in support of the Minister for Trade and Customs	Harold Holt	February 22, 1940 - March 14, 1940
Minister without a portfolio in support of the Minister of Economics	Philip McBride	April 26, 1939 - March 14, 1940

Web links

Parliamentary Handbook for the 45th Parliament. (PDF; 13.4 MB) Part 6: Historical information on the Australian Parliament - Ministries and Cabinets. Parliament of Australia, p. 529 f. , accessed on May 3, 2019 .

Individual evidence

↑ Carl Bridge: Page, Sir Earle Christmas (1880-1961) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 11. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1988, ISBN 0-522-84380-8 (English).
^ John Playford: Cameron, Archie Galbraith (1895-1956) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 13. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1994, ISBN 0-522-84512-6 (English).
^ AW Martin: Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 15. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 2000, ISBN 0-522-84843-5 (English).
^ Johannes H. Voigt : History of Australia. Alfred Kröner, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-520-48801-9 , pp. 241-244.

[Page-1] Carl Bridge: Page, Sir Earle Christmas (1880-1961) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 11. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1988, ISBN 0-522-84380-8 (English).

[Cameron-2] John Playford: Cameron, Archie Galbraith (1895-1956) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 13. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1994, ISBN 0-522-84512-6 (English).

[Menzies-3] AW Martin: Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894–1978) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 15. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 2000, ISBN 0-522-84843-5 (English).

[Voigt-4] Johannes H. Voigt : History of Australia. Alfred Kröner, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-520-48801-9 , pp. 241-244.