Robert Menzies

@12th Prime Minister of Australia, Timeline and Childhood

Robert Gordon Menzies was the longest serving Prime Minister of Australia

Dec 20, 1894

AustralianUniversity Of MelbourneLeadersPolitical LeadersPrime MinistersSagittarius Celebrities
Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: December 20, 1894
  • Died on: May 15, 1978
  • Nationality: Australian
  • Famous: 12th Prime Minister of Australia, University Of Melbourne, Leaders, Political Leaders, Prime Ministers
  • Spouses: Pattie Menzies
  • Known as: Sir Robert Menzies
  • Childrens: Heather Henderson, Ian Mezies, Kenneth Menzies

Robert Menzies born at

Jeparit

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Birth Place

Robert Menzies married Pattie Leckie on 27 September 1920 in Melbourne. They bought a house in Howard Street, Kew that became their family home for 25 years. They had three surviving children, two sons and a daughter.

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Personal Life

In 1971, a severe stroke left one side of his body permanently paralyzed. He endured a second stroke in 1972.

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Personal Life

He died of a heart attack on 15 May 1978 in Melbourne. He was given Australia’s largest state funeral ever, in Scots' Church, Melbourne on 19th May.

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Personal Life

Robert Menzies was born on 20 December 1894, to James Menzies and Kate Menzies, in Jeparit, Victoria, Australia. He was the fourth of the five children of his parents. His father, James, was a general storekeeper and community leader. In 1911, James was elected to the Victorian Parliament and moved to Melbourne with his family.

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Childhood & Early Life

Robert was educated at Humffray Street State School in Bakery Hill, and later at Grenville College in Ballarat. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with First Class Honours in Law in 1916.

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Childhood & Early Life

When World War I started, he was in university and held a post in the campus militia unit. However, he resigned while others of his age were trying desperately to sign up.

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Childhood & Early Life

He was an outstanding student and won several academic prizes and scholarships. In 1916, he became the editor of the Melbourne University Magazine (MUM).

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Childhood & Early Life

Robert Menzies was admitted to the Victorian Bar and the High Court of Australia in 1918, and specialized in Constitutional law. In 1920, he won a landmark High Court case for the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. Thereafter, he became an accomplished lawyer and was appointed a King’s Counsel in 1929.

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Career

In 1928, he became a member of the Victorian Legislative Council, representing the Nationalist Party of Australia from East Yarra Province. Soon, he became a minister without portfolio in a new minority government led by Prime Minister William McPherson. The following year, he moved to the Legislative Assembly as the member for Nunawading.

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Career

In 1929, he created his party's youth wing, Young Nationalists and became its first president. From May 1932 to July 1934, he was the Deputy Premier of Victoria. He also held the portfolios of Attorney-General and Railways.

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Career

In the 1934 Federal election, he transferred to federal politics representing the United Australia Party (UAP). He was allotted the Ministry of Industry and Attorney-General position, in Lyons’ government.

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Career

In 1937, he became a Privy Councillor. Next year, as Attorney-General of Australia, he officially visited Nazi Germany. He sincerely supported the pacification strategies of the Chamberlain government in London, and strongly believed that war should be avoided in any case. Nevertheless, increasingly he realised that the peace efforts were futile and that war was unavoidable.

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Career

He played a vital role in the formation of the Liberal Party of Australia in 1944. He curbed Chifley government’s efforts to nationalise private banks and to extend war-time control over rents and prices, in 1947.

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Major Works

The Australia-New Zealand-United States (ANZUS) Treaty, 1951 and South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), 1954 was signed during his prime ministership. He sent forces to both Korea and Malayan Emergency in 1950 and to Vietnam, in 1964-65.

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Major Works

He developed the federal capital of Canberra, and encouraged expansion of higher education. He set up the Australian Universities Commission in 1959, raised subsidies to universities, and established new universities.

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Major Works