THE FAITH OF THE PRIME MINISTERS

INTRODUCTION

Only a few people know what it’s like to be the Prime Minister of Australia – just 30 to be exact. 8 of them served here in Parliament House, on top of Capital Hill in Canberra, the nation’s Capital.

15 of them served in the Old Parliament House a short distance away, at the base of Capital Hill, and the first 7 Prime Ministers served in the Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne, that was the meeting place for the first Australian Parliament, formed after Federation in 1901.

Each of these people has been unique, bringing their own special qualities to the job. Many of them have come from humble beginnings. They’ve had a thirst for education and self-improvement, drive, tenacity and ambition.

And it’s fascinating to see how faith has shaped our Prime Ministers, and more importantly, how it has shaped and influenced our nation.

So, today we’re going to examine the spiritual life of each of our Prime Ministers from Edmund Barton to Scott Morrison, and explore the ways in which their beliefs shaped the history and development of our nation. What we discover will surprise and inspire you.

PRIME MINISTER’S AVENUE

To take a closer look at the Prime Ministers, and in particular their spiritual lives and the way their values and beliefs shaped the history and development of Australia, we’ve come to Prime Ministers’ Avenue in Ballarat, Victoria.

It’s a collection of the busts of the Prime Ministers of Australia, located at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The busts are displayed as bronze portraits mounted on polished granite pedestals. The busts of every Australian prime minister are here – with two exceptions.

HONOUR ROLL

The avenue starts with the bust of Sir Edmund Barton, who became the country’s first prime minister in 1901. He remains the only Australian to have served as both Prime Minister and Justice of the High Court. Barton was trained as a public speaker, and inspired to enter politics by a Christian minister, Dr. Steele, whose religious values and beliefs rubbed off on Barton.

Australia’s first Prime Minister saw himself as an upright and God-fearing citizen, and saw Federation as providential, and part of God’s plan for Australia. 

And right there at the very start of Federation in 1901, when Edmund Barton was Australia’s first Prime Minister, Australia’s Parliament began its proceedings with prayer, and that practice has continued to this day. Whenever Parliament sits, both the House of Representatives and the Senate begin with prayer.

Australia’s second Prime Minister was Alfred Deakin. He served for two years as Edmund Barton’s Attorney General before assuming the Prime Ministership in 1903. Deakin was a good and brilliant man, one of the architects of Federation, and the most influential figure during the first decade of the infant Australian nation. He was a lawyer by training and arguably the best-read Prime Minister Australia has had.

Deakin was an avid reader of the Bible and regarded it as by far the greatest book of religious revelation. He genuinely strived to do God’s will and learn more about Him. One of his favourite Bible verses was Psalm 36:9. It says:

“By Thy Light shall we see light.” 

John Christian Watson was Australia’s third Prime Minister and is still the youngest Prime Minister Australia has ever had. He turned 37 a few weeks before taking office in April 1904, and held the position for only a few months.

In matters of religion, he came from a unique and complex background. He had a Lutheran father, a Catholic mother, and a Presbyterian stepfather. He wasn’t a devout or practising religious

man, but his Christian heritage ensured that he admired Christianity and followed its non- theological precepts.

George Reid was the first Australian Prime Minister to be born into the world, and the first to leave it. He was born in 1845 and died in 1918. His term as Prime Minister was short – he resigned after only ten months in the job. 

His father was a well-known and prominent Presbyterian Church minister, and George Reid was well schooled and grounded in the Christian faith. Yet he was never notably religious and was a nominal Christian for much of his life. However, he believed in God and mixed in Christian circles and held Christian values.

Andrew Fisher was a key figure in Australian history and served three separate terms as Prime Minister. He came from a strong Protestant heritage and remained a devout Christian all of his life. He knew the Bible well, believed in personal prayer, and was a regular Churchgoer.

He spent 13 years of his early life working in the Scottish coal pits. After working long, hard hours during the day he then attended night classes to improve his education. His Christian faith and working-class roots were clearly evident in his political life.

His government’s achievements were formidable: maternity allowances; the liberalisation of invalid and old age pensions; uniform postal charges; a national currency; extensive railway construction; a Workers’ Compensation Act; a Land Tax Act; various industrial relations reforms to increase the bargaining power of the workers; the creation of the Commonwealth Bank.

Fisher even designed the Australian Coat of Arms. Fisher’s political philosophy and ideas were based on his experiences as a miner, his reading and study, and his Christian faith – a faith that never wavered, and guided him throughout his life.

Fisher was followed by Joseph Cook, who was the 6th person to hold the top position of Prime

Minister. Joseph Cook grew up in a staunch Methodist family, and from a young age learned to love the Bible. In fact, one of his greatest pleasures was to read the Bible and sing hymns.

He was an exemplary husband and father to his nine children. All his life he believed that God was guiding him. Like his predecessor Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook worked in the coal pits as a boy. He soon developed a high degree of self- confidence and a strong sense of obligation.

William (Billy) Hughes served three terms as Prime Minister, each time for a different political party. He holds the record as the longest serving parliamentarian, lasting 58 years, when he died at 90 years of age while still serving in Parliament. During that time he belonged at one time or another to every major political grouping, bar the Country Party.

Religion and Christianity played an important part of Hughes life. He belonged to the Church of England all his life and loved reading the Bible, and knew it back to front. The people warmed to him. When he died in 1952 it is estimated that nearly half a million mourners crammed the streets along the way to the cemetery.

Stanley Bruce was Australia’s 8th Prime Minister and the first to govern from the newly built capital, Canberra. He came from a devout Presbyterian family. He excelled at school and went on to study law at Cambridge University. Later he served with high distinction during World War 1, on the front lines as an officer in the British Army.

After serving six years as Prime Minister, he went on to become an eminent world statesman. His religious upbringing ensured he thought and behaved as a Christian, and his colleagues described him as ‘a man who walks humbly with his God.’

Jim Scullin was Australia’s ninth Prime Minister and the first who was a Catholic. He remained committed to his faith and practice throughout his life. The people elected him because he was moderate, and decent, and trustworthy.

Next to hold the office of Prime Minister was Joseph Lyons, the first from Tasmania. ‘Jim’ Lyons was an amiable and respected practising Catholic. At the height of the Great Depression, he defected from Labour to the Conservative parties. The Australian people put their trust in Lyons. He was elected three times by comfortable margins before dying in office, just months before the outbreak of World War 2.

Earle Page was Australia’s eleventh Prime Minister, holding the office for only 20 days after the death of his predecessor Jim Lyons. Before entering politics, he was a medical doctor and surgeon. He came from a Methodist heritage and his life and career were guided by the Bible principles and values that he embraced in his youth.

Robert Gordon Menzies was Australia’s twelfth and longest serving Prime Minister – he served 2 terms, lasting over 18 years in the office – still the record term for an Australian Prime Minister. And he was certainly one of the most distinguished and influential Australian Prime Ministers.

But with all the praise and honour he received, he never lost sight of his Christian heritage and the role it played in his life and political career, and called himself a ‘simple Presbyterian’. He knew his Bible, believed the Gospel, and cherished his Christian tradition.

Arthur Fadden was the Prime Minister of Australia for less than 6 weeks – just 40 days to be exact. He came from a family of Irish immigrants and was a member of the Presbyterian faith.

John Curtin was Australia’s 14th Prime Minister and the country’s leader during most of World War 2. He is considered by many to be the nation’s greatest-ever Prime Minister.

Curtin was the eldest son of Irish-Catholic immigrants. He renounced his childhood faith as a teenager when he fell out with the Catholic Church. But he was far from an irreligious man. There is evidence to suggest that later in life Curtin regained a form of Christian faith.

Francis Michael Forde was Australia’s 15th Prime Minister and holds the record as the shortest serving Prime Minister in Australia’s history – just 8 days. He came from a Catholic heritage.

Ben Chifley was Australia’s 16th Prime Minister, and probably its most popular one. It seems that just about everybody – colleagues, opponents, journalists and voters – seemed to like him. He was a hard worker, a peacemaker, an inspiring leader and a good Christian.

It was Chifley who coined the phrase which is still the ALP catch-cry: ‘the light on the hill.’ He drew it, of course from the Sermon on the Mount:

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”  (Matthew 5:14)

Harold Holt succeeded Menzies’ second term as Prime Minister. He was the 17th Australian to hold the office. Holding the highest political office in the land was the culmination of a successful career. He did well at school, in the law, and in business before entering politics.

Although attending a Methodist boarding school he showed no interest in God or religion. He was an apathetic agnostic. On Sunday morning, December 17, 1967 he went to Cheviot Beach with several friends. Soon after midday he strode alone into the rough and unpatrolled surf and was never seen again – presumed drowned.

John McEwan took over the highest political office in the land following the disappearance of

Harold Holt. He was Australia’s 18th Prime Minister and served for only 23 days. He came from a Presbyterian heritage.

On the 10th January 1968, John Gorton became the 19th Prime Minister of Australia. He wasn’t considered a religious man but had a great respect for Christianity, and a little known spiritual side to his character which was developed during his schooling at elite Anglican schools. It was there that Gorton’s religious consciousness was shaped.

He was an Oxford graduate and a brave fighter pilot during World War 2. In fact, he survived three flying accidents and his ship being torpedoed. Gorton was also the only Prime Minister to vote himself out of office.

William ‘Billy’ McMahon was the 20th Prime Minister of Australia. He was a substantial and important individual, who was also a government minister for over 21 years, the longest continuous ministerial service in Australian history.

During his mid-teens he began investigating God and religion, and developed a genuine passion for theology and spiritual matters. His spiritual journey took him from Catholicism to Anglicanism. He spoke and wrote extensively about his faith that strongly influenced his life and political career.

Edward Gough Whitlam was the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. He was a titanic figure in the history of modern Australia. He was the Leader of the Labor Party from 1967 to 1977, and led his party to power for the first time in 23 years, at the 1972 election.

His government achieved a great deal for social justice: one-vote-one-value; Medicare; the Trade Practices Act; needs-based education funding; and better sewerage for Australian cities – to name but 5 of his legacies.

Whitlam grew up in a devout Baptist family. His parents were pious churchgoers and raised their children in a God-fearing, disciplined home. They read the Bible, and Gough knew his Bible well and respected it all his life. However, later in life he left his childhood faith, but admired Christianity and followed its non-theological precepts.

Gough Whitlam was Australia’s longest-lived Prime Minister, reaching the age of 98, sadly just 2 years short of receiving a 100th birthday letter from Queen Elizabeth ll – the woman who sacked him and his government in 1975!

John Malcolm Fraser served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1975 to 1983 as leader of the Liberal Party. During this time, he built the best record of human rights of any Prime Minister in Australia’s history.

He came from a devout Presbyterian family and attended Anglican schools, and later studied at Oxford University. He knew the rudiments of Christianity and no doubt this influenced his life and political decisions, and coloured his worldview.

Robert Hawke was Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister and the country’s longest serving Labor Prime Minister. He was one of the most popular and charismatic of Australia’s Prime Ministers. He led his party to outright victory in four Federal elections and lost none.

Hawke’s government transformed Australia. The country joined the global economy and embraced multi-culturalism. Medicare was entrenched and progressive taxes were introduced.

His father was a Congregationalist Church minister, and Hawke grew up in a thoroughly Christian home. Yet he lost his personal faith in his early twenties and described himself as an agnostic from then on. However, he wrote in his memoirs that his parent’s basic Christian principles of brotherhood and compassion drove his public life. Their Christian beliefs and precepts guided his political career.

Paul Keating mounted a successful challenge to Bob Hawke’s leadership and became Australia’s 24th Prime Minister in 1991. He came from a devout Irish-Catholic heritage and was educated exclusively in the Catholic system. He remained faithful to the tenets of the Catholic church, and in a sense that defined Keating and strongly influenced his political career and decisions.

John Howard became the 25th Australian Prime Minister on 11 March 1996, and continued to hold the office until 3 December 2007, making him the second-longest serving prime minister of Australia after Robert Menzies. He won four Federal elections during that period.

He was courteous and measured, as well as thoughtful in his conduct. He lived a worthy, industrious life and was a practising Christian who attended Church regularly. He is the only Liberal Party Minister to have been educated in a state school.

On the 3rd of December 2007 Kevin Rudd became the 26th Prime Minister of Australia. He served two terms, from December 2007 to June 2010; and again from June to September 2013. He

held the office as leader of the Australian Labour Party. One of his government’s significant acts was to deliver an apology to Indigenous Australians, for the Stolen Generations.

Rudd is a committed Christian and attends church regularly. He is passionate about religion, and speaks and writes extensively about his faith. He has moved from Catholicism to Anglicanism. Rudd is considered by many to be the most overtly Christian Prime Minister since Joe Lyons.

On 24th June 2010, Kevin Rudd lost the support of his party and resigned. Julia Gillard was elected unopposed as his replacement, and became Australia’s 27th Prime Minister. She was the first, and to date, only woman to hold the positions of Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister and leader of a major party in Australia. 

As far as religion goes, Gillard has clearly stated that she’s not a religious person. She’s an unbeliever. Having said that, Gillard has never called herself an atheist or described a state of mind that amounts to atheism.

Her parents were Baptists and in her youth she attended the local Baptist Church, where she received the benefit of a very rigorous grounding in basic Christianity. She’s since rejected all of that, but has retained a healthy respect of religious people and religious issues.

Tony Abbott served as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia, from 2013 to 2015, and is the first Catholic to do so from the Liberal Party. After graduating from Oxford University he briefly trained in a Roman Catholic seminary, preparing for the Priesthood. His religious convictions guided his life and political career.

On 14th September 2015 Abbott was defeated in a vote for the Liberal party leadership by Malcolm Turnbull, who became Australia’s 29th Prime Minister the next day. Turnbull came from a Presbyterian heritage, but became an agnostic in the beginning of his adult life and later converted to Roman Catholicism, the religion of his wife’s family.

In August 2018 Malcom Turnbull successfully defeated a challenge for his position as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party. But tension continued, and a second ballot was held on 24 August, which saw Scott Morrison win and become the 30th Prime Minister of Australia.

Scott Morrison was raised in the Uniting Church, but now regularly worships in a Pentecostal church. He has ensured that his religious faith is well known, a faith that gives guiding principles, and a faith that is central to his identity.

The records show that the faith of the Prime Ministers often affected their decision making, even beyond matters that are clearly moral or spiritual – such as family law, the death penalty, euthanasia, State aid to religious schools and so on. It extended to enduring issues of practical politics: the distribution of wealth, war and peace, and the recognition and enforcement of human rights.

Christianity has played a major and positive role in shaping and making Australia the splendid country we live in and enjoy today. A country that’s democratic, prosperous, and relatively free of violence. We have been uniquely blessed in human history. And for this state of affairs our Prime Ministers surely deserve some credit – and perhaps their Christian faith even more so?

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If you’ve enjoyed today’s journey to Canberra and Ballarat in the footsteps of our Prime Ministers, and our reflections on the important role Christianity has played in the history and

development of our nation, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, may the God who has blessed Australia keep you safe and give you peace. Let’s pray the prayer that the Speaker offers, to open each session of the Australian parliament:

CLOSING PRAYER

Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to vouchsafe Thy blessing upon this Parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of Thy glory, and the true welfare of the people of Australia.

Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.