Spouse or partner of the prime minister of Australia

Last updated

Partner of the Prime Minister of Australia
Jodie Haydon 2023.jpg
Incumbent
Jodie Haydon
since 23 May 2022
Residence The Lodge (primary)
Kirribilli House (secondary)
Inaugural holder Jane Barton
Formation1 January 1901

The spouse of the prime minister of Australia or partner of the prime minister of Australia is the host of The Lodge and Kirribilli House, usually the wife, husband or partner of the prime minister of Australia, concurrent with the tenure of the prime minister. Although there is no officially defined responsibilities for the role, the incumbent is generally a high-profile individual who is involved in the political and social life of Australia, assisting the prime minister with carrying out ceremonial duties as well as performing various other functions.

Contents

With a few exceptions, the prime minister's spouse has been a public figure and the subject of media and societal interest. Most have used the position to promote charitable causes. By convention, the spouse of the prime minister serves as the host of The Lodge, the primary official residence of the prime minister, and Kirribilli House, the secondary residence. The incumbent also assists the prime minister in welcoming foreign dignitaries to Parliament House, on official state visits overseas and at various other locations during ceremonial events. However, the position itself is unpaid and there are no official responsibilities, duties or obligations.

Spouses often assist the prime minister at campaign events. However, only two prime ministers' spouses have held public office in their own right – Enid Lyons became the first woman elected to the House of Representatives several years after her husband's death in office, while Lucy Turnbull was Lord Mayor of Sydney over a decade before her husband became prime minister. Ethel Page held senior offices in the organisational wing of the Country Party.

The current prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is the first divorcee to be appointed. [1] He and his partner, Jodie Haydon, [2] [3] [4] who lives in her own home in Sydney, [5] [6] became engaged on Valentine's Day, 2024. [7]

All prime ministers except John McEwen, Julia Gillard and Albanese were married for the duration of their term in office. McEwen was a widower during his short term; Gillard was in a domestic partnership with Tim Mathieson.

Until the 1960s, it was uncommon for the spouse of a prime minister to have their own career. Zara Holt, a fashion designer, was the first to continue her career during her husband's term in office, and reputedly earned more money than him. Other businesswomen to hold the position have included Thérèse Rein, who ran an employment services company, and Margie Abbott, who ran a childcare centre. Bettina Gorton was an academic who lectured part-time at the Australian National University.

Role

Dame Mary Hughes and Dame Enid Lyons (pictured together in 1955) are among the longest-serving prime ministers' wives, both holding the position for more than seven years Mary Hughes and Enid Lyons.jpg
Dame Mary Hughes and Dame Enid Lyons (pictured together in 1955) are among the longest-serving prime ministers' wives, both holding the position for more than seven years

The prime minister's spouse has no official duties. Some earlier spouses stayed mainly at home and took little part in public life. [8] Although a prime minister's spouse may be unofficially referred to as Australia's "first lady" or "first bloke", [lower-alpha 1] a spouse does not receive a staff or official budget. [12]

However, most recent prime ministers' spouses have been involved in charities or community organisations, working to raise public awareness, funds, and support for a range of causes. They generally assist their partners in political campaigns and participate in official duties that come with the position, such as hosting foreign dignitaries and, in particular, entertaining the spouses of dignitaries; accompanying the prime ministers on national and international trips; attending conferences and functions; and speaking in public, particularly in the prime minister's constituency. [13] They have attended the opening of Parliament; hosted visitors at The Lodge and Kirribilli House; visited Buckingham Palace, the White House, or the Japanese Imperial Palace; and been present at royal coronations and conferences. [13]

Others were initially preoccupied with rearing children, most notably Dame Enid Lyons (1932–39), who had 12 children (one died in infancy). In 1943, four years after her husband's death in office, she was the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. She was a junior minister in the Menzies government from 1949 to 1951.

Official recognition

Some prime ministers' spouses have received official recognition for their services to the community:

Tamie Fraser was the first spouse of a prime minister to be provided with an official secretary for dealing with her correspondence. [16]

List of spouses or partners

No.PortraitSpouseTenureLength of tenurePrime Minister
1 Jane Barton 1902 crop.jpg Jane Barton
11 June 1851 – 23 March 1938
(aged 86)
1 January 1901

24 September 1903
2 years, 8 months and 23 days Barton
m. 1877
2 Pattie Deakin.jpg Pattie Deakin
1 January 1863 – 30 December 1934
(aged 71)
24 September 1903

27 April 1904
7 months and 3 days Deakin
m. 1882
3 No image.svg Ada Watson
4 February 1855 – 19 July 1921
(aged 66)
27 April 1904

18 August 1904
3 months and 22 days Watson
m. 1889
4 Dame Flora Reid circa 1910.jpg Flora Reid
10 November 1876 – 1 September 1950
(aged 82)
18 August 1904

5 July 1905
10 months and 17 days Reid
m. 1891
(2) Pattie Deakin.jpg Pattie Deakin
1 January 1863 – 30 December 1934
(aged 71)
5 July 1905

13 November 1908
3 years, 4 months and 8 days Deakin
m. 1882
5 Margaret Fisher.jpg Margaret Fisher
4 July 1874 – 15 June 1958
(aged 83)
13 November 1908

2 June 1909
6 months and 20 days Fisher
m. 1901
(2) Pattie Deakin.jpg Pattie Deakin
1 January 1863 – 30 December 1934
(aged 71)
2 June 1909

29 April 1910
10 months and 27 days Deakin
m. 1882
(5) Margaret Fisher.jpg Margaret Fisher
4 July 1874 – 15 June 1958
(aged 83)
29 April 1910

24 June 1913
3 years, 1 month and 26 days Fisher
m. 1901
6 Dame Mary Cook 01.jpg Mary Cook
1863 – 24 September 1950
(aged 86–87)
24 June 1913

17 September 1914
1 year, 2 months and 24 days Cook
m. 1885
(5) Margaret Fisher.jpg Margaret Fisher
4 July 1874 – 15 June 1958
(aged 83)
17 September 1914

27 October 1915
1 year, 1 month and 10 days Fisher
m. 1901
7 Mary Hughes 1923.jpg Mary Hughes
6 June 1874 – 2 April 1958
(aged 83)
27 October 1915

9 February 1923
7 years, 3 months and 13 days Hughes
m. 1911
8 Ethel Bruce.jpg Ethel Bruce
25 May 1879 – 16 March 1967
(aged 88)
9 February 1923

22 March 1929
6 years, 1 month and 13 days Bruce
m. 1913
9 Sarah Scullin.jpg Sarah Scullin
21 April 1880 – 31 May 1962
(aged 82)
22 March 1929

6 January 1932
2 years, 9 months and 15 days Scullin
m. 1907
10 Enid Lyons 1950.jpg Enid Lyons
GBE
19 July 1897 – 2 September 1981
(aged 84)
6 January 1932

7 April 1939
7 years, 3 months and 1 day Lyons
m. 1915
11 Ethel Page.jpg Ethel Page
20 September 1875 – 26 May 1958
(aged 82)
7 April 1939

26 April 1939
19 days Page
m. 1906
12 Pattie Menzies 1963.jpg Pattie Menzies
2 March 1899 – 30 August 1995
(aged 96)
26 April 1939

29 August 1941
2 years, 4 months and 3 days Menzies
m. 1920
13 Ilma Fadden.jpg Ilma Fadden
2 April 1895 [17] – 14 May 1987
(aged 92)
29 August 1941

7 October 1941
1 month and 8 days Fadden
m. 1916
14 Elsie Curtin 1937.jpg Elsie Curtin
4 October 1890 – 24 June 1975
(aged 84)
7 October 1941

5 July 1945
3 years, 8 months and 28 days Curtin
m. 1921
15 Vera Forde, wife of Frank Forde, 1942.jpg Vera Forde [18]
31 December 1894 – 9 November 1967
(aged 72)
5 July 1945

13 July 1945
8 days Forde
m. 1925
16 Lizzie Chifley.jpg Elizabeth Chifley
1 August 1886 – 9 September 1962
(aged 76)
13 July 1945

19 December 1949
4 years, 5 months and 6 days Chifley
m. 1914
(12) Pattie Menzies 1963.jpg Pattie Menzies
GBE
2 March 1899 – 30 August 1995
(aged 96)
19 December 1949

26 January 1966
16 years, 1 month and 7 days Menzies
m. 1920
17 Zara Holt 1965 (cropped).jpg Zara Holt
10 March 1909 – 14 June 1989
(aged 80)
26 January 1966

17 December 1967
1 year, 10 months and 21 days Holt
m. 1946
None17 December 1967

10 January 1968
24 days McEwen
Widower
18 Bettina Gorton 1970.jpg Bettina Gorton
23 June 1915 – 2 October 1983
(aged 68)
10 January 1968

10 March 1971
3 years and 2 months Gorton
m. 1935
19 Sonia McMahon 31709681 (cropped).jpg Sonia McMahon
1 August 1932 – 2 April 2010
(aged 77)
10 March 1971

5 December 1972
1 year, 8 months and 25 days McMahon
m. 1965
20 Margaret Whitlam 1972 (cropped).jpg Margaret Whitlam
AO
19 November 1919 – 17 March 2012
(aged 92)
5 December 1972

11 November 1975
2 years, 11 months and 6 days Whitlam
m. 1942
21 Tamie Fraser 1968.jpg Tamie Fraser
28 February 1936
(aged 88)
11 November 1975

5 March 1983
7 years, 3 months and 22 days Fraser
m. 1956
22 Hazel Hawke.jpg Hazel Hawke
20 July 1929 – 23 May 2013
(aged 83)
5 March 1983

20 December 1991
8 years, 9 months and 15 days Hawke
m. 1956
23 Annita Keating.jpg Annita Keating
5 October 1948
(aged 75)
20 December 1991

11 March 1996
4 years, 2 months and 20 days Keating
m. 1975
24 JanetteHoward.JPG Janette Howard
11 August 1944
(aged 79)
11 March 1996

3 December 2007
11 years, 8 months and 22 days Howard
m. 1971
25 Therese Rein 2011-01.jpg Thérèse Rein
17 July 1958
(aged 66)
3 December 2007

24 June 2010
2 years, 6 months and 21 days Rudd
m. 1981
26 Julia Gillard and Tim Mathieson January 2013 cropped.jpg Tim Mathieson
1957
(aged 66–67)
24 June 2010

27 June 2013
3 years and 3 days Gillard
domestic partner
(25) Therese Rein 2011-01.jpg Thérèse Rein
17 July 1958
(aged 66)
27 June 2013

18 September 2013
2 months and 22 days Rudd
m. 1981
27 Margie Abbott at the Canberra Operation Slipper Welcome Home Ceremony in March 2015.jpg Margie Abbott
1 February 1958
(aged 66)
18 September 2013

15 September 2015
1 year, 11 months and 28 days Abbott
m. 1988
28 Lucy Turnbull in 2015.jpg Lucy Turnbull
AO
30 March 1958
(aged 66)
15 September 2015

24 August 2018
2 years, 11 months and 9 days Turnbull
m. 1980
29 1 Jenny Morrison (48775152218) (cropped).jpg Jenny Morrison
8 January 1968
(aged 56)
24 August 2018

23 May 2022
3 years, 8 months and 29 days Morrison
m. 1989
30 Jodie Haydon 2023.jpg Jodie Haydon
1979
(aged 44–45)
23 May 2022

Incumbent
2 years, 2 months and 6 days [lower-alpha 2] Albanese
partner then fiancée

Others

A number of prime ministers have remarried after leaving office or had marriages that ended before taking office.

See also

Notes

  1. The only male (as of March 2020), Tim Mathieson, was sometimes referred to as the "first bloke". [9] [10] [11]
  2. As of 29 July 2024

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References

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Further reading