Prime Minister of Australia - Living Former Prime Ministers

Living Former Prime Ministers

There are currently six living former prime ministers of Australia:

Name Term of office Date of birth
Gough Whitlam 1972–1975 (1916-07-11) 11 July 1916 (age 96)
Malcolm Fraser 1975–1983 (1930-05-21) 21 May 1930 (age 82)
Bob Hawke 1983–1991 (1929-12-09) 9 December 1929 (age 82)
Paul Keating 1991–1996 (1944-01-18) 18 January 1944 (age 68)
John Howard 1996–2007 (1939-07-26) 26 July 1939 (age 73)
Kevin Rudd 2007–2010 (1957-09-21) 21 September 1957 (age 55)

The greatest number of living former prime ministers at any one time was eight. This has occurred twice:

  • Between 7 October 1941 (when John Curtin succeeded Arthur Fadden) and 18 November 1941 (when Chris Watson died), the eight living former prime ministers were Bruce, Cook, Fadden, Hughes, Menzies, Page, Scullin and Watson
  • Between 13 July 1945 (when Ben Chifley succeeded Frank Forde) and 30 July 1947 (when Sir Joseph Cook died), the eight living former prime ministers were Bruce, Cook, Fadden, Forde, Hughes, Menzies, Page and Scullin.

Seven former prime ministers were alive between 18 November 1941 and 13 July 1945, and between 30 July 1947 and 13 June 1951.

Gough Whitlam has lived in the lifetime of every prime minister of Australia and has achieved a greater age than any other prime minister. The most recently deceased prime minister was John Gorton (1968–1971), who died on 19 May 2002.

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