Fact sheet 80 – John Joseph Ambrose Curtin

Prime Minister of Australia 1941–45

A Victorian by birth, John Curtin moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1917 to become editor of the Westralian Worker newspaper. He was a known activist within the labour movement, and an outspoken opponent of conscription – the issue that split the Labor Party in 1917.

Curtin failed in his first two attempts in Western Australia to win a seat in federal Parliament – in the seats of Perth (1919) and Fremantle (1925). He won election as member for Fremantle in 1928, and held the seat in 1929, serving as a backbench member of the Scullin Labor Government (1929–31). Curtin lost the seat in 1931, when Scullin's government was defeated, but regained Fremantle in 1934 and held it for the remainder of his career. He succeeded Scullin as party leader in 1935 and led the opposition as the world drifted towards World War II.

John Curtin became Prime Minister in October 1941 when the short-lived Fadden Government lost its majority in parliament. As well as Prime Minister, Curtin served as Chairman of the Advisory War Council, member of the War Cabinet, Minister for Defence Coordination and Minister for Defence. He was also acting Minister for External Affairs in 1942, 1943 and 1945, during the absence overseas of HV Evatt. In 1944 Curtin attended the conference of dominion prime ministers in London and visited Canada and the United States.

In the face of the Japanese threat during World War II, Curtin took steps seen as necessary to protect Australia. In 1942, he invited American General Douglas MacArthur to Australia to prepare the combined force that would repel the Japanese from the Pacific. He also stood firm in a dispute with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill over the destination of Australian forces recalled from the Middle East.

John Curtin died in office on 5 July 1945.
John Curtin's records held in Canberra
SeriesCopies of photographs of John Curtin (A duplicate of these photographs is held as PP975/1)1938–44M1422 
SeriesTape recordings of wartime speeches made by John Curtin1939–44M1219 
SeriesPhotographs relating to John Curtin's term as Prime Minister1941–45M1218 
SeriesCorrespondence of John Curtin as Prime Minister – alphabetical series1941–44M1415 
SeriesCorrespondence of John Curtin as Prime Minister – special subject series1941–44M1416 
SeriesReports and conference papers maintained by John Curtin as Prime Minister1941–45M2319 

Other records relating to John Curtin

Records relating to Curtin during his time as Prime Minister may be found in various Departments' record series, especially the Prime Minister's Department and the Department of Defence. Some selected items appear below.
Other records relating to John Curtin – in Canberra
ItemMr Curtin's broadcast talks over the national network1940–43SP112/1, 31/3/5 
ItemPrime Minister – Press messages – Hon. J Curtin1941A461, S4/1/12 
ItemMr Curtin's speeches 1941 – [press cuttings]1941–42A5954, 1931/1 
ItemExchange of cablegrams between Mr Churchill and Mr Curtin after outbreak of War with Japan1941–42A5954, 581/17 
ItemPrime Minister – Rt Hon. J Curtin1941–45A461, R4/1/12 
ItemPortrait of Rt Hon. John Curtin by Cav A Dattilo-Rubbo1941–47A463, 1965/1998 
ItemFederal Election, 19431942–44SP286/16, 5 
ItemBooks and journals – John Curtin – Australian1943SP109/3, 323/26 
ItemBiography of Prime Minister Mr John Curtin by Mr A Chester1943SP112/1, 352/53/2 
ItemPost War Reconstruction – Mr Curtin's proposal for Empire Council. UK comment on British/Commonwealth relations1943–44A989, 1943/735/150/4 
ItemAustralia and the War – Statement by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr John Curtin.1944A5954, 667/4 
ItemMr Curtin's statement on international affairs – review of war situation [book notes relating to manuscript]1944A5954, 826/23 
ItemDeath of the Rt Hon. John Curtin PC MP1945A1066, PI45/88 
ItemSuccessor to Mr Curtin as Leader of the Labor Party [press cuttings]1945A5954, 2207/3 
ItemDeath of the Prime Minister John Curtin [press cuttings]1945–47A5954, 2207/2 

Other records relating to John Curtin – in Sydney
ItemCurtin, John – Declaration of War on Japan (audio tapes)1941C102, POL18 
ItemThe passing of John Curtin1945SP286/16, 13 
Other records relating to John Curtin – in Melbourne
ItemBooklet: 12 months Labour Rule: What the Government led by Rt Hon. John Curtin has accomplished1943MP956/2, 1078 

Further information

link to the National Archives Australian Prime Ministers Portal Website

RecordSearch, the Archives database, will help you locate more records on this Prime Minister. You can also use it to identify the agencies that created the records. PhotoSearch may also contain photos pertaining to your subject. Both RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online and in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff there can help you, or you can email ref@naa.gov.au.

The Archives has also published a series of research guides about prime ministers. John Curtin: Guide to Archives of Australia's Prime Ministers by David Black and Leslie Wallace (2004) has a comprehensive listing of archival sources on John Curtin.

Australia's Prime Ministers portal website

The National Archives of Australia has developed a new portal website on Australia's 25 prime ministers. It features short biographies of the prime ministers and their wives, a ready reference called Fast Facts, photographs, original documents and more.

The portal's research map enables you to find Australian and overseas collections with archives on Australia's prime ministers. Visit primeministers.naa.gov.au.

As part of this new portal website, we have made a suite of new webpages about prime ministerial records in the National Archives.

Comments or other feedback can be sent to archives@naa.gov.au

updated December 2004