John Gorton
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The Right Honourable Sir John Gorton GCMG, AC, CH |
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19th Prime Minister of Australia Elections: 1969 |
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In office 10 January 1968 – 10 March 1971 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General |
Lord Casey Sir Paul Hasluck |
| Deputy |
John McEwen Doug Anthony |
| Preceded by | John McEwen |
| Succeeded by | William McMahon |
| Minister for Defence | |
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In office 19 March 1971 – 13 August 1971 |
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| Prime Minister | William McMahon |
| Preceded by | Malcolm Fraser |
| Succeeded by | David Fairbairn |
| Minister for Education and Science | |
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In office 16 February 1962 – 28 February 1968 |
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| Prime Minister |
Robert Menzies Harold Holt John McEwen Himself |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Fraser |
| Minister for Works | |
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In office 18 December 1963 – 28 February 1967 |
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| Prime Minister |
Robert Menzies Harold Holt |
| Preceded by | Gordon Freeth |
| Succeeded by | Bert Kelly |
| Minister for the Interior | |
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In office 18 December 1963 – 4 March 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Preceded by | Gordon Freeth |
| Succeeded by | Doug Anthony |
| Minister for the Navy | |
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In office 10 December 1958 – 18 December 1963 |
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| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies |
| Preceded by | Charles Davidson |
| Succeeded by | Jim Forbes |
| Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia | |
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In office 10 January 1968 – 10 March 1971 |
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| Deputy | William McMahon |
| Preceded by | Harold Holt |
| Succeeded by | William McMahon |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia | |
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In office 10 March 1971 – August 1972 |
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| Prime Minister | William McMahon |
| Preceded by | William McMahon |
| Succeeded by | Billy Snedden |
| Senator for Victoria | |
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In office 22 February 1950 – 1 February 1968 |
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| Succeeded by | Ivor Greenwood |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Higgins |
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In office 24 February 1968 – 11 November 1975 |
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| Preceded by | Harold Holt |
| Succeeded by | Roger Shipton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
9 September 1911 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 19 May 2002 (aged 90) Sydney, Australia |
| Resting place | Melbourne General Cemetery |
| Political party |
Country Party (before 1949) Liberal Party (1949-1975) Independent (after 1975) |
| Spouse(s) | Bettina Gorton |
| Children | 3 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Australia
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| Service/branch |
 Royal Australian Air Force
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| Years of service | 1940–1944 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Sir John Grey Gorton GCMG, AC, CH (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia and long serving minister in the governments of Sir Robert Menzies, Harold Holt, Sir John McEwen and Sir William McMahon.
Gorton became Prime Minister after being elected Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, following the disappearance of Harold Holt in December 1967 while swimming. Gorton assumed the prime ministership while still a member of the Australian Senate, the only Prime Minister to have done so. Due to the Westminster tradition of Prime Ministers being a member of the Australian House of Representatives, Gorton stood for and won Holt's now vacant and ultra-safe seat of Higgins at the subsequent by-election by an increased margin.
Gorton would go on to lead the Liberal-Country Coalition Government to their twelfth straight win at the 1969 Australian federal election. After long-term internal bickering and power shifting within the governing Liberal Party, Gorton resigned the party leadership and was succeeded by his former treasurer, William McMahon, in March 1971. Before entering politics, he was a skilled and respected pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force and was considered a "war hero" for his service during World War II.
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