Government of Menzies VI

The Menzies VI government ruled Australia from January 11, 1956 to December 10, 1958. It was a coalition government of the Liberal Party (LP) and the Country Party (CP).

Prime Minister Robert Menzies used a split in the Labor Party in 1955 to hold early elections for both Houses of Parliament on December 10, 1955 . The coalition received a majority with 75 of 124 seats in the House of Representatives and half of the 60 Senate seats. In the following parliamentary election on November 22, 1958 , both the Liberal Party and the Country Party each won one seat in the House of Representatives and now had 77 of 124 seats. In the Senate, the coalition received 32 of the 60 seats. Menzies, who had been Prime Minister since 1949, continued to lead a coalition government of Liberal and Country Party.

The Menzies VI government was the first to distinguish between cabinet ministers and junior ministers.

List of ministers

cabinet
Office	minister	Political party	Term of office	image
prime minister	Robert Menzies	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Treasury minister	Arthur Fadden	CP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Vice President of the Executive Council	Eric Harrison	LP	January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
	Neil O'Sullivan	LP	October 24, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Arms Production	Eric Harrison	LP	January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
	Howard Beale	LP	October 24, 1956 - February 10, 1958
	Athol Townley	LP	February 10, 1958 - December 10, 1958
Army minister	Eric Harrison	LP	January 11, 1956 - February 28, 1956
Minister for Labor and Conscription	Harold Holt	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Immigration			January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
	Athol Townley	LP	October 24, 1956 - March 19, 1958
Minister of Commerce	John McEwen	CP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Foreign minister	Richard Casey	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Research Minister
Defense Minister	Philip McBride	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Naval Minister	Neil O'Sullivan	LP	January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
Attorney General	John Spicer	LP	January 11, 1956 - August 14, 1956
	Neil O'Sullivan	LP	August 15, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for National Development	Bill Spooner	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for the Air Force	Athol Townley	LP	January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
Minister for Aviation
	Shane Paltridge	LP	October 24, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Territories	Paul Hasluck	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister of Supply	Howard Beale	LP	January 11, 1956 - February 10, 1958
	Athol Townley	LP	February 11, 1958 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Primary Industry	William McMahon	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister of Social Affairs			January 11, 1956 - February 28, 1956
Minister for Shipping and Transport	Shane Paltridge	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Junior minister
Army minister	John Cramer	LP	February 28, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Immigration	Alick Downer	LP	March 20, 1958 - December 10, 1958
Naval Minister	Charles Davidson	CP	October 24, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for the Air Force	Frederick Osborne	LP	October 24, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Repatriation	Walter Cooper	CP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister of Social Affairs	Hugh Roberton	CP	February 28, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister of Health	Donald Alastair Cameron	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Postmaster General	Charles Davidson	CP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Minister for Customs and Excise Taxes	Frederick Osborne	LP	January 11, 1956 - October 24, 1956
	Denham Henty	LP	October 24, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Interior minister	Allen Fairhall	LP	January 11, 1956 - December 10, 1958
Building minister

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. 540 f. , accessed on May 11, 2019 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stephen Barber: Federal election results 1901–2016 — Reissue 2. (PDF; 2.9 MB) Parliament of Australia, pp. 9, 38, 140 , accessed on May 11, 2019 .  
2. ↑ Stephen Barber: Federal election results 1901–2016 — Reissue 2. (PDF; 2.9 MB) Parliament of Australia, pp. 9, 39, 140 , accessed on May 11, 2019 .  
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).
4. ^ Johannes H. Voigt : History of Australia. Alfred Kröner, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-520-48801-9 , pp. 262-264.