Billy Hughes

The Right Honourable William Hughes CH QC
7th Prime Minister of Australia Elections: 1917, 1919, 1922
In office 27 October 1915 – 9 February 1923
Monarch	George V
Governor-General	Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson Lord Forster
Deputy	George Pearce 1915–1916 Sir Joseph Cook 1916–1921 Stanley Bruce 1921–1923
Preceded by	Andrew Fisher
Succeeded by	Stanley Bruce
Leader of the United Australia Party
In office 29 August 1941 – 23 September 1943
Preceded by	Robert Menzies
Succeeded by	Robert Menzies
Leader of the Australian Party
In office 1930–1931
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Joseph Lyons (as Leader of the United Australia Party)
Leader of the Nationalist Party
In office 17 February 1917 – 9 February 1923
Deputy	Sir Joseph Cook
Preceded by	Himself (as Leader of the National Labor Party)
Succeeded by	Stanley Bruce
Leader of the National Labor Party
In office 14 November 1916 – 17 February 1917
Deputy	George Pearce
Preceded by	Himself (as Leader of the Labor Party)
Succeeded by	Himself (as Leader of the Nationalist Party)
Leader of the Labor Party
In office 27 October 1915 – 14 November 1916
Deputy	George Pearce
Preceded by	Andrew Fisher
Succeeded by	Frank Tudor
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office 30 July 1914 – 27 October 1915
Leader	Andrew Fisher
Preceded by	Gregor McGregor
Succeeded by	George Pearce
Member of the Australian Parliament for Bradfield
In office 10 December 1949 – 28 October 1952
Preceded by	Seat Created
Succeeded by	Harry Turner
Member of the Australian Parliament for North Sydney
In office 16 December 1922 – 10 December 1949
Preceded by	Granville Ryrie
Succeeded by	William Jack
Member of the Australian Parliament for Bendigo
In office 5 May 1917 – 16 December 1922
Preceded by	Alfred Hampson
Succeeded by	Geoffry Hurry
Member of the Australian Parliament for West Sydney
In office 29 March 1901 – 5 May 1917
Preceded by	Seat Created
Succeeded by	Con Wallace
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Sydney-Lang
In office 17 July 1894 – 11 June 1901
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	John Power
Personal details
Born	25 September 1862 Pimlico, London, England
Died	28 October 1952(1952-10-28) (aged 90) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Labor (1894–1916) National Labor (1916–17) Nationalist (1917–30) Australian (1930–31) United Australia (1931–44) Liberal (1944–52)
Spouse(s)	Dame Mary Ethel Hughes (née Campbell)
Children	7
Religion	Baptist

William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, QC (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was a British-born Australian politician who was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia, from 1915 to 1923.

Born and raised in London, Hughes was the son of Welsh parents. At age 22, he immigrated to Australia and entered into politics. Over the course of his 51-year federal parliamentary career (and an additional seven years prior to that in a colonial parliament), Hughes changed parties five times: from Labor (1894–1916) to National Labor (1916–17) to Nationalist (1917–30) to Australian (1930–31) to United Australia (1931–44) to Liberal (1944–52). He was expelled from three parties, and represented four different electorates in two states.

Originally Prime Minister as leader of the Labor Party, his support of World War I conscription in Australia led him, along with 24 other pro-conscription members, to form National Labor. National Labor merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party to form the Nationalist Party. His prime ministership came to an end when the Nationalist party was forced to form a coalition with the Country Party, who refused to serve under Hughes. He was the longest-serving prime minister up to that point, and the fifth longest serving over all. He would later lead the United Australia Party to the 1943 election, though Arthur Fadden served as Coalition leader.

He died in 1952 at age 90, while still serving in Parliament. He is the longest-serving member of the Australian Parliament, and one of the most colourful and controversial figures in Australian political history.

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