Earle Christmas Grafton Page

Earle Christmas Grafton Page
NAA: A1200, L69705

Earle Christmas Grafton Page was Australia's 11th prime minister (1939). He was a New South Wales parliamentarian who held the seat of Cowper from 1920 to 1961. Page was the leader of the Country Party from 1921 to 1939. He formed a coalition government with Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the Nationalist Party leader. Page was a surgeon with a medical practice serving a large rural district. He was one of the first Australians to own a car.

What's in the National Archives on Earle Christmas Grafton Page?

Page before his term as Prime Minister
Page during his term as Prime Minister
Page after his term as Prime Minister
Ethel Page
Significant subjects for Page-related research
Photographs/multimedia
Relevant research guides
Research databases

The tables below list a sample of the Archives' records about Page.

Page before his term as Prime Minister

Page led the Country Party from 1921 to 1939. From 1923 to 1929, he was Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer in a coalition government with the Nationalist Party, led by Stanley Melbourne Bruce. He returned to both roles in 1934, until 1939, in a coalition government with Joseph Lyons' United Australia Party.

Collection references

Personnel dossier for ECG Page, ex-member of the first Australian Imperial Forces, c1914–c1920	c1914–c1920	B2455, Page E C G
ECG Page's criticisms of repatriation expenditure, 1921	1921	A2487, 1921/7907
Cheque for 5000 pounds presented to Charles Kingsford Smith, signed by Treasurer ECG Page and Prime Minister SM Bruce, 1928	1928	A3560, 4176
Imperial and economic conferences – review of the work of Prime Minister SM Bruce by the Acting Prime Minister, ECG Page, 1923	1923	A106, G1923/4024
ECG Page's attendance at the international sugar conference of 1935, 1936–38	1935, 1936–38	A461, 748/1/397 Part A

Page during his term as Prime Minister

Page's prime ministership was short – from 7 to 26 April 1939. And it was pre-occupied with organising the funeral and succession of Joseph Lyons. As Country Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Page became Prime Minister because the senior coalition partner, the United Australia Party, did not have a deputy leader after the resignation of Robert Menzies.

Collection references

Oaths and correspondence of the 19th Commonwealth ministry (ECG Page), 1939–40	1939–40	A5447, 35
Prime Minister's speeches, 1939	1939	CP103/17, Bundle 7/NN
Speeches, 1939	1939	CP103/17, Bundle 4/NN
Text of messages for Anzac Day, 1934–39	1934–39	CP103/17, Bundle 1/NN
Cabinet minutes and submissions of the JA Lyons and ECG Page ministries, 1932–39	1932–39	A2694

Page after his term as Prime Minister

Earle Page was a federal parliamentarian for 22 years after his term as Prime Minister. He was Minister for Commerce (1940–41) and Minister for Health (1949–56). Page also served on the Advisory War Council in John Curtin's government.

Collection references

Mission abroad of ECG Page, 1941	1941	SP112/1, 353/3/19
Appointment of ECG Page as a member of the War Cabinet and the Advisory War Council, and circulation of cablegrams and papers to ECG Page, 1942–43	1942–43	A5954, 721/19
Reports by ECG Page – 'Investigation into malaria', 1943	1943	MP729/6, 42/401/420
Report of combined Commonwealth and state Sub-Committee on Flood Relief – memorandum from ECG Page to the Prime Minister, 1950	1950	A4933, FR/1
Free milk for children scheme – policy, 1950–60	1950–60	A4940, C5

Ethel Page

Ethel Esther Blunt married Earle Page in 1906. She was a trained nursing sister, theatre sister and hospital matron. She was active in the Feminist Club, the Lyceum Club, the New South Wales National Council of Women, the Country Women's Association and the Australian Red Cross. She was a founder of the Women's Country Party.

Collection references

	Personnel dossier for ECG Page, ex-member of the first Australian Imperial Forces, including reference to Ethel Page as his next of kin, c1914–c1920	c1914–c1920	B2455, Page E C G
	Occupation by Australian military forces of Ethel Page's cottage off Jennifer Street in La Perouse – includes claim for compensation, 1942–43	1942–43	SP16/4, 1112R

Significant subjects for Page-related research

A surgeon by trade and Minister for Health in the Chifley government from 1949 to 1956, Page designed and implemented a comprehensive health program including a scheme for free pharmaceuticals on an ‘essential’ list. He was also strongly involved in national road building.

Collection references

Road policies of various Australian governments – information prepared for the South African government, 1924–25	1924–25	A106, G1925/186
National road scheme – views of the Country Party, 1927	1927	A106, G1927/659
Program of road construction in the states in conjunction with relevant Commonwealth legislation, 1927	1927	A106, G1927/692
Cabinet committee paper on the National Health Service Committee – hospital insurance benefits, 1950	1950	A4933, NHS/10
Cabinet submission concerning the national health service – hospitals and medical insurance schemes, 1956	1956	A4926, 471

Photographic and multimedia records relating to Page

Collection references

Photograph of ECG Page on the steps of Parliament House, 1927	1927	A3560, 3581
Photograph of the Country Party members of parliament including ECG Page and J McEwen, 1929	1929	A3560, 5320
Photograph of SM Bruce at Australian National University with ECG Page, nd	nd	A1200, L25029
Photograph of ECG Page as Prime Minister, 1939	1939	A1200, L69705
Sound recording of ECG Page announcing the death of JA Lyons, 1939	1939	C102, Pol9

Relevant research guides

The National Archives has produced a number of research guides and fact sheets that may assist you with your research on Earle Christmas Grafton Page. These are available from the website and in print versions.

Records of Australian prime ministers, 1901–71 (Fact Sheet 70)

Sir Earle Grafton Christmas Page (Fact Sheet 77)

Joseph Aloysius Lyons (Fact Sheet 76)

Canberra air disaster, 1940 (Fact Sheet 142)

War Cabinet records (Fact Sheet 127)

Working for the dole: Commonwealth relief during the Great Depression (Research Guide 15)

Federation: The guide to records (Research Guide)