Frank Forde

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Rt Hon Frank Forde
15th Prime Minister of Australia
In office
6 July 1945 – 13 July 1945
Preceded by John Curtin
Succeeded by Ben Chifley
Constituency Capricornia (Queensland)
Personal details
Born 18 July 1890(1890-07-18)
Mitchell, Queensland
Died 28 January 1983(1983-01-28) (aged 92)
Political party Labor

Francis Michael Forde (18 July 189028 January 1983) was the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was Prime Minister for only a week after John Curtin died. He lost a leadership contest to Ben Chifley. He was Australia's shortest-serving Prime Minister, and he lived longer than any other Prime Minister, until Gough Whitlam, who surpassed Forde's age on January 21, 2009. He died at 92.

Forde was from the Australian Labor Party. He was the Minister for Trade and Customs in the Scullin government (1929–1931).[1] When Scullin retired in 1935, Forde tried to become the leader of the Labor Party, but he lost by one vote to John Curtin.[2] When Labor won the 1941 elections and Curtin became Prime Minister, Forde was made Minister for the Army.[2] On 5 July 1945 Curtin died; because he was Deputy Leader, Forde was then made Prime Minister until the Labor Party chose a new leader. At the leadership election on 13 July, Ben Chifley was voted leader, but Forde was made Deputy Leader again.[3]

References[change | change source]

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