Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was an Australian politician who was the 12th and longest-serving prime minister of Australia, holding office from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1966.
117 Facts About Robert Menzies
2.
Robert Menzies played a central role in the creation of the Liberal Party of Australia, defining its policies and its broad outreach.
3.
Robert Menzies was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1932 to 1934, and then transferred to Federal Parliament, subsequently becoming Attorney-General of Australia and Minister for Industry in the government of Joseph Lyons.
4.
Robert Menzies authorised Australia's entry into World War II in September 1939, and spent four months in England to participate in meetings of Churchill's war cabinet.
5.
On his return to Australia in August 1941, Robert Menzies found that he had lost the support of his party and consequently resigned as Prime Minister.
6.
Robert Menzies subsequently helped to create the new Liberal Party, and was elected its inaugural leader in August 1945.
7.
Robert Menzies won seven consecutive elections during his second term, eventually retiring as prime minister in January 1966.
8.
Robert Gordon Menzies was born on 20 December 1894 at his parents' home in Jeparit, Victoria.
9.
Robert Menzies was the fourth of five children born to Kate and James Menzies; he had two elder brothers, an elder sister, and a younger brother.
10.
Robert Menzies was the first Australian prime minister to have two Australian-born parents: his father was born in Ballarat and his mother in Creswick.
11.
Robert Menzies's paternal grandfather, named Robert Menzies, was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and arrived in Melbourne in 1854.
12.
Robert Menzies was proud of his Scottish heritage, and preferred his surname to be pronounced in the traditional Scottish manner rather than as it is spelled.
13.
The Menzies family had moved to Jeparit, a small Wimmera township, in the year before Robert's birth.
14.
Robert Menzies's elder siblings had been born in Ballarat, where his father was a locomotive painter at the Phoenix Foundry.
15.
Robert Menzies was the inaugural president of the Creswick Miners' Association, which he co-founded with future Australian Labor Party MP William Spence, and was later prominent in the Amalgamated Miners' Association.
16.
Robert Menzies began his formal education in 1899 at the Jeparit State School, a single-teacher one-room school.
17.
In 1906, Robert Menzies began attending the Humffray Street State School in Bakery Hill.
18.
In 1908 and 1909, Robert Menzies attended Grenville College, a small private school in Ballarat Central.
19.
Robert Menzies was "not very interested in and certainly incompetent at sport", but excelled academically.
20.
In 1916, Robert Menzies was elected president of the Student Representatives' Council and editor of the Melbourne University Magazine.
21.
Robert Menzies wrote both prose and poetry for the magazine, and contributed a song about "little Billy Hughes" to an end-of-year revue.
22.
Robert Menzies was president of the Students' Christian Union, a founding member of the Historical Society, and a prominent member of the Law Students' Society.
23.
Robert Menzies was commissioned a second lieutenant on 6 January 1915.
24.
In 1920, Robert Menzies was an advocate for the Amalgamated Society of Engineers which eventually took its appeal to the High Court of Australia.
25.
In 1928, Robert Menzies entered state parliament as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council from East Yarra Province, representing the Nationalist Party of Australia.
26.
Robert Menzies stood for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, the sanctity of contracts and the jealous preservation of existing institutions.
27.
Suspicious of the Labor Party, Robert Menzies stressed the superiority of free enterprise except for certain public utilities such as the railways.
28.
Robert Menzies's candidacy was nearly defeated when a group of ex-servicemen attacked him in the press for not having enlisted, but he survived this crisis.
29.
Robert Menzies was immediately appointed Attorney-General of Australia and Minister for Industry in the Lyons government.
30.
Robert Menzies had extended discussions with British experts on Germany in 1935, but could not make up his mind whether Adolf Hitler was a "real German patriot" or a "mad swash-buckler".
31.
Robert Menzies expressed both views with an inclination to the former, says historian David Bird.
32.
Robert Menzies was strongly committed to democracy for the British peoples, but he initially thought that the Germans should take care of their own affairs.
33.
Robert Menzies strongly supported the appeasement policies of the Chamberlain government in London, and sincerely believed that war could and should be avoided at all costs.
34.
Robert Menzies praised the "really spiritual quality in the willingness of Germans to devote themselves to the service and well-being of the state".
35.
Robert Menzies supported British foreign policy, including appeasement, and was initially reticent about the prospect of going to war with Germany.
36.
Robert Menzies went on to say that if Hitler's expansionist "policy were allowed to go unchecked there could be no security in Europe and there could be no just peace for the world".
37.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, animosity developed between Sir Earle Page and Robert Menzies which was aggravated when Page became Acting Prime Minister during Lyons's illness after October 1938.
38.
Robert Menzies's supporters began promoting him as Lyons's natural successor; his critics accused Menzies of wanting to push Lyons out, a charge he denied.
39.
On 18 April 1939, Robert Menzies was elected party leader over three other candidates.
40.
Robert Menzies was sworn in as prime minister eight days later.
41.
When Page was deposed as Country Party leader a few months later, Robert Menzies took the Country Party back into his government in a full-fledged Coalition, with Page's successor, Archie Cameron, as number-two-man in the government.
42.
Ultimately, the fear of Japan proved decisive for Robert Menzies, who believed that for Australia to not support Britain in the Danzig crisis would lead to Britain eventually abandoning Australia to face Japan alone.
43.
However, Robert Menzies had a strong faith in the ability of Neville Chamberlain to handle the Danzig crisis.
44.
Robert Menzies believed that the crisis should and would be resolved by a Munich-type deal under which the Free City of Danzig would be peacefully allowed to "go home to the Reich" while at the same time Germany should and would be deterred from going to war against Poland.
45.
Several times, Robert Menzies declared that there were "two sides" both equally worthy of consideration to the Danzig dispute.
46.
Robert Menzies dismissed the "jitters", as he called it, on the stock market in the summer of 1939 while he spoke of "an outpouring of the sentiments of peace in the minds of the people".
47.
Robert Menzies was especially worried about the military threat from Japan.
48.
Robert Menzies hoped that a policy of appeasement would head off a war with Japan, and repeatedly pressured London.
49.
Robert Menzies did his best to rally the country, but the bitter memories of the disillusionment which followed World War I made his task difficult; this was compounded by his lack of a service record.
50.
Robert Menzies, then holding the responsibility for the Department of Munitions created a couple of months earlier, led the Coalition into the 1940 election and suffered an eight-seat swing, losing the slender majority he had inherited from Lyons.
51.
Robert Menzies managed to form a minority government with the support of two independent MPs, Arthur Coles and Alex Wilson.
52.
Labor, led by John Curtin, refused Robert Menzies's offer to form a war coalition, and opposed using the Australian army for a European war, preferring to keep it at home to defend Australia.
53.
Robert Menzies sent the bulk of the army to help the British in the Middle East and Singapore, and told Winston Churchill the Royal Navy needed to strengthen its Far Eastern forces.
54.
On 11 August 1940, Churchill sent a long letter to Robert Menzies promising that if Japan entered the war, Britain would activate the Singapore strategy by sending a strong Royal Navy force to Singapore.
55.
Robert Menzies continued to be worried about the fact that the Singapore base-despite being billed as the "Gibraltar of the East" was a base, not the fortress that it was presented as; about the shoddy state of the fortifications at Singapore; and about the lack of details in Churchill's promises.
56.
In December 1940, Robert Menzies sent Churchill a letter expressing concern that the Imperial Japanese Navy might likewise use air power to cripple the Singapore base.
57.
In March 1941 and again in August 1941, Robert Menzies appealed to Churchill in letters to activate the Singapore strategy as he wrote that he was highly concerned about Japanese ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region.
58.
From 24 January 1941, Robert Menzies spent four months in Britain discussing war strategy with Churchill and other Empire leaders, while his position at home deteriorated.
59.
On 20 February 1941, Churchill asked Robert Menzies to give his approval to sent the Australian forces in North Africa to Greece.
60.
On 25 February 1941, Robert Menzies reluctantly gave his approval to sent the 6th Division to Greece.
61.
Professor David Day, an Australian historian, has posited that Robert Menzies might have replaced Churchill as British prime minister, and that he had some support in the UK for this.
62.
Support came from Viscount Astor, Lord Beaverbrook and former WWI Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who were trenchant critics of Churchill's purportedly autocratic style, and favoured replacing him with Robert Menzies, who had some public support for staying on in the War Cabinet for the duration, which was strongly backed by Sir Maurice Hankey, former WWI Colonel and member of both the WWI and WWII War Cabinets.
63.
Robert Menzies's reputation was badly damaged by the failure of the Allied expedition to Greece, in which Australian troops played a prominent role.
64.
Robert Menzies maintained that if Blamey had given his disapproval in his opinion as a professional soldier, he would never sent the Australians to Greece.
65.
However, since Labor and the Coalition were level, Robert Menzies needed the support of the Labor Party in order to travel to Britain.
66.
Robert Menzies announced his intention to resign and advise the Governor-General, Lord Gowrie to commission Curtin as Prime Minister.
67.
The Cabinet instead urged Robert Menzies to make another overture to Labor for a national unity government, but Labor turned the offer down.
68.
Robert Menzies was bitter about this treatment from his colleagues, and nearly left politics, but was persuaded to become Minister for Defence Co-ordination in Fadden's cabinet.
69.
On 9 October 1941, Robert Menzies resigned as leader of the UAP after failing to convince his colleagues that he should become Leader of the Opposition in preference to Fadden.
70.
Robert Menzies was replaced as UAP leader by former prime minister Billy Hughes, who was 79 years old at the time.
71.
Robert Menzies himself described The Forgotten People collection as 'a summarised political philosophy'.
72.
The addresses frequently emphasised the values which Robert Menzies regarded as critical to shaping Australia's wartime and postwar policies.
73.
Hughes resigned as UAP leader, and Robert Menzies was elected as his successor on the second ballot, defeating three other candidates.
74.
The UAP voted to end the joint opposition arrangement with the Country Party, allowing Robert Menzies to replace Fadden as opposition leader.
75.
Robert Menzies called a conference of anti-Labor parties with meetings in Canberra on 13 October 1944 and again in Albury in December 1944.
76.
Whatever else Robert Menzies's victory represented, his anti-communism and advocacy for free enterprise had captured a new and formidable support base in postwar Australian society.
77.
Robert Menzies introduced legislation in 1950 to ban the Communist Party, hoping that the Senate would reject it and give him a trigger for a double dissolution election, but Labor let the bill pass.
78.
Later in 1951 Robert Menzies decided to hold a referendum on the question of changing the Constitution to permit the parliament to make laws in respect of Communists and Communism where he said this was necessary for the security of the Commonwealth.
79.
Shortly before the election, Robert Menzies announced that a Soviet diplomat in Australia Vladimir Petrov, had defected, and that there was evidence of a Soviet spy ring in Australia, including members of Evatt's staff.
80.
The Robert Menzies government won 64 of 121 seats and 49.3 percent of the two-party vote.
81.
The new party directed its preferences to the Liberals, with the Robert Menzies government re-elected with an increased majority at the 1955 election.
82.
Robert Menzies was re-elected almost as easily at the 1958 election, again with the help of preferences from what had become the Democratic Labor Party.
83.
The Robert Menzies era saw immense regional changes, with post-war reconstruction and the withdrawal of European Powers and the British Empire from the Far East.
84.
Robert Menzies later told parliament that this security pact between Australia, New Zealand and the United States was 'based on the utmost good will, the utmost good faith and unqualified friendship' saying 'each of us will stand by it'.
85.
Accordingly, the economic policy emphasis of the Robert Menzies government moved towards tax incentives to release productive capacity, boosting export markets, research and undertaking public works to provide power, water and communications.
86.
In 1960, the Robert Menzies government introduced a new pharmaceutical benefits scheme, which expanded the range of prescribed medicines subsidised by the government.
87.
Robert Menzies promised five million pounds annually for the provision of buildings and equipment facilities for science teaching in secondary schools.
88.
In 1965, the Robert Menzies government took the decision to end open discrimination against married women in the public service, by allowing them to become permanent public servants, and allowing female officers who were already permanent public servants to retain that status after marriage.
89.
The Robert Menzies government maintained and indeed expanded the Chifley Labor government's postwar immigration scheme established by Immigration Minister, Arthur Calwell in 1947.
90.
The Robert Menzies government extended Federal involvement in higher education and introduced the Commonwealth scholarship scheme in 1951, to cover fees and pay a generous means-tested allowance for promising students from lower socioeconomic groups.
91.
In 1956, a committee headed by Sir Keith Murray was established to inquire into the financial plight of Australia's universities, and Robert Menzies's pumped funds into the sector under conditions which preserved the autonomy of universities.
92.
The Robert Menzies government developed the city of Canberra as the national capital.
93.
In 1957, the Robert Menzies government established the National Capital Development Commission as independent statutory authority charged with overseeing the planning and development of Canberra.
94.
Robert Menzies turned 71 in December 1965 and began telling others of his intention to retire in the new year.
95.
Robert Menzies informed cabinet of his decision on 19 January 1966 and resigned as leader of the Liberal Party the following day; Harold Holt was elected unopposed as his successor.
96.
Robert Menzies was succeeded as Liberal Party leader and prime minister by his former treasurer, Harold Holt.
97.
Robert Menzies left office at the age of 71 years, 1 month and 6 days, making him the oldest person ever to be prime minister.
98.
On 7 October 1965, Robert Menzies was installed as the ceremonial office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle as appointed by the Queen, which included an official residence at Walmer Castle during his annual visits to Britain.
99.
Robert Menzies presented a series of lectures, published the following year as Central Power in the Australian Commonwealth.
100.
In 1971, Robert Menzies suffered a severe stroke and was permanently paralysed on one side of his body for the remainder of his life.
101.
On 27 September 1920, Robert Menzies married Pattie Leckie at Kew Presbyterian Church in Melbourne.
102.
Robert Menzies married Marjorie Cook on 16 September 1949, and had six children; Alec, Lindsay, Robert III, Diana, Donald, and Geoffrey.
103.
Robert Menzies never married, nor had children, and died in 1974 in East Melbourne at the age of 50.
104.
Robert Menzies died from a heart attack while reading in his study at his Haverbrack Avenue home in Malvern, Melbourne on 15 May 1978.
105.
Robert Menzies was a distinguished Australian whose contribution to his country and the Commonwealth will long be remembered", and from Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia: "All Australians will mourn his passing.
106.
Robert Menzies was the son of a Presbyterian-turned-Methodist lay preacher and imbibed his father's Protestant faith and values.
107.
Proud of his Scottish Presbyterian heritage with a living faith steeped in the Bible, Robert Menzies nonetheless preached religious freedom and non-sectarianism as the norm for Australia.
108.
Robert Menzies was by far the longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, in office for a combined total of 18 years, five months and 12 days.
109.
Robert Menzies managed to live down the failures of his first period in office and to rebuild the conservative side of politics from the nadir it hit at the 1943 election.
110.
Robert Menzies was the only Australian prime minister to recommend the appointment of four governors-general.
111.
Robert Menzies had many natural gifts, of which the greatest lay in the quality of his mind.
112.
Robert Menzies had a particularly logical mind, so that even in his conversation, let alone his set speeches and arguments, his remarks were always in sequence.
113.
Robert Menzies spoke like this because it was the way he thought.
114.
Robert Menzies had a beautiful speaking voice, clear, resonant and flexible.
115.
Robert Menzies was a good family man, a regular churchgoer.
116.
Robert Menzies shared the tastes of the people he led.
117.
The National Museum of Australia in Canberra holds a significant collection of memorabilia relating to Robert Menzies, including a range of medals and civil awards received by Sir Robert such as his Jubilee and Coronation medals, Order of Australia, Companion of Honour and US Legion of Merit.