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At the December 1940 election, John Curtin narrowly avoids losing his seat of Fremantle. In October 1941 he becomes Australia’s 14th prime minister.
Curator’s notes
Had the postal votes of servicemen not saved Curtin from seeming defeat at the 1940 election, his political career would almost certainly have been over. This segment outlines the tremendous effort Curtin put into helping the Labor Party win vital votes in New South Wales, almost at the cost of his own seat in Western Australia. Historian Professor F Alexander describes Curtin as extremely fortunate to have survived, adding that his defeat would have been a great loss to Australia. The volatile nature of Australian politics at this time also comes into focus. Three prime ministers were installed in less than a year during the early days of the Second World War.
