War Cabinet - Australia

Australia

At the Imperial Conference in London in 1937, the Australian government had agreed to form a War Cabinet on the outbreak of war. The Full Cabinet approved the formation of the War Cabinet on 26 September 1939. As neither Earle Page's Country Party nor John Curtin's Australian Labor Party would join in a coalition government with Menzies' United Australia Party, the War Cabinet initially consisted of:

  • Robert Menzies (Prime Minister and Treasurer)
  • Richard Casey (Minister for Supply)
  • Geoffrey Street (Minister for Defence)
  • George McLeay (Minister for Commerce)
  • Henry Gullett (Minister for Information)
  • William Hughes (Attorney General)

In November 1939, the Department of Defence was split up. Street became Minister for Army, Menzies also became Minister for Defence Coordination, and three more ministers joined the War Cabinet:

  • James Fairbairn (Minister for Air)
  • Frederick Stewart (Minister for Navy)
  • Harry Foll (Minister for Interior)

Following the deaths of Fairbairn, Stewart and Gullett in Canberra air disaster, 1940 and the loss of seats in the Australian federal election, 1940 the War Cabinet of October 1940 consisted of:

  • Robert Menzies (Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Coordination)
  • Arthur Fadden (Treasurer)
  • John McEwen (Minister for Air)
  • Percy Spender (Minister for Army)
  • Billy Hughes (Attorney General and Minister for Navy)
  • Harry Foll (Minister for Interior)
  • Philip McBride (Minister for Munitions) (from 26 June 1941)

The government was replaced by a Labor one on 3 October 1941. A new War Cabinet was formed, consisting of:

  • John Curtin (Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Coordination)
  • Frank Forde (Minister for Army)
  • Ben Chifley (Treasurer)
  • Doc Evatt (Attorney General and Minister for External Affairs)
  • Jack Beasley (Minister for Supply)
  • Norman Makin (Minister for Navy and Minister for Munitions)
  • Arthur Drakeford (Minister for Air)
  • John Dedman (Minister for Interior) (from 11 December 1941)

Frederick Shedden, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Defence, served as secretary of the War Cabinet, which met regularly throughout the war. It held its last meeting in Canberra on 19 January 1946.

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