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Only a few people know what it's
like to be the Prime Minister of
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Australia, just 30 to be exact.
Eight of them served herein
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Parliament House on top
of Capitol Hill in Canberra,
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the nation's capital.
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Fifteen of them served in
the old Parliament House a short
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distance away at the base of
Capitol Hill and the first seven
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Prime Ministers served in the
Victorian Parliament House in
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Melbourne that was the meeting
place for the first Australian
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Parliament formed after
Federation in 1901. Each of
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these people have been unique
bringing their own special
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qualities to the job.
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Many of them have come from
humble beginnings. They've had a
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thirst for education and self
improvement, drive, tenacity and
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ambition. And it's fascinating
to see how faith has shaped our
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Prime Ministers and more
importantly how it has shaped
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and influenced our nation. So
today we're going to examine the
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spiritual life of each of
our Prime Ministers from Edmond
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Barton to Scott Morrison and
explore the ways in which their
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beliefs shaped the history and
development of our nation. What
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we discover will
surprise and inspire you.
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¤ ¤
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To take a closer look at
the Prime Ministers and in
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particular their spiritual lives
and the way they valued their
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beliefs showed the history
of the development of Australia
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we've come to Prime Ministers
Avenue in Ballarat, Victoria.
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It's a collection of the
busts of the Prime Ministers of
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Australia located in the
Ballarat Botanical Gardens.
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The busts are displayed as
bronze portraits mounted on
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polished granite pedestals. The
busts of every Australian Prime
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Minister are here with few
exceptions. The Avenue starts
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with the bust of Sir Edmund
Barton who became the country's
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first Prime Minister in 1901.
He remains the only Australian
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to have served as both Prime
Minister and Justice of the High
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Court. Barton was trained as
a public speaker and inspired to
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enter politics by a Christian
minister, Dr. Steele, whose
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religious values and
beliefs rubbed off on Barton.
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Australia's first Prime Minister
saw himself as an upright and
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God-fearing citizen and saw
Federation as providential and
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part of God's plan for Australia
And right there at the very
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start of Federation in 1901 when
Edmund Barton was Australia's
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first Prime Minister Australia's
Parliament began its proceedings
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with prayer and that practice
has continued to this day.
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Whenever Parliament sits, both
the House of Representatives and
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the Senate begin with
prayer. Australia's second Prime
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Minister was Alfred Deakin. He
served for two years as Edmund
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Barton's Attorney General before
assuming the prime ministership
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in 1903. Deakin was a good
and brilliant man. One of the
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architects of federation and
a most influential figure during
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the first decade of the infant
Australian nation. He was a
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lawyer by trade and arguably
the best read Prime Minister
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Australia has had. Deakin was
an avid reader of the Bible and
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regarded it as by far the
greatest book of religious
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revelation. He genuinely strived
to do God's will and learn more
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about it. One of his favorite
Bible verses was Psalm 36 verse
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nine. It says:
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John Christian Watson was
Australia's third Prime Minister
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and is still the youngest Prime
Minister Australia has ever had.
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He turned 37 a few weeks before
taking office in April 1904 and
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held the position for only a few
months. In matters of religion
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he came from a unique and
complex background. He had a
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Lutheran father, a Catholic
mother and a Presbyterian
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step-father. He wasn't a devout
or practicing religious man but
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his Christian heritage ensured
that he admired Christianity and
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followed its non-theological
precepts. George Reid was the
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first Australian Prime Minister
to be born into the world and
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the first to leave. He was born
in 1845 and died in 1918. His
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term as Prime Minister was short
He resigned after only 10 months
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in the job. His father
was a well known and prominent
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Presbyterian church minister and
George Reid was well-schooled
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and grounded in the Christian
faith. Yet he was never known to
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be religious and was a nominal
Christian for much of his life.
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However, he believed in God and
mixed in Christian circles and
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held Christian values. Andrew
Fisher was a key figure in
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Australian history and served
three separate terms as Prime
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Minister. He came from a strong
Protestant heritage and remained
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a devout Christian all of
his life. He knew the Bible well
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believed in personal prayer and
was a regular church-goer. He
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spent 13 years of his early life
working in the Scottish coal
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pits. After working long hard
hours during the day he then
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attended night classes to
improve his education. His
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Christian faith and
working-class roots were clearly
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evident in his political life.
His government achievements were
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formidable: Maternity
allowances, the liberalization
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of invalid and old-age pensions,
uniform postal charges, a
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national currency, extensive
railway construction. a workers
compensation act, a
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land tax act, various industrial
relations reforms to increase
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the bargaining power of the
workers, the creation of the
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Commonwealth Bank. Fisher even
designed the Australian coat of
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arms. Fisher's political
philosophy and ideas were based
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on his experiences as a miner,
his reading and study and his
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Christian faith, a faith that
never wavered and guided him
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throughout his life. Fisher was
followed by Joseph Cook who was
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the sixth person to hold the
top position of Prime Minister.
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Joseph Cook grew up in a staunch
Methodist family and from a
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young age learned to love
the Bible. In fact one of his
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greatest pleasures was to
read the Bible and sing hymns.
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He was an
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exemplary husband and father to
his nine children. All his life
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he believed that God was guiding
him. Like his predecessor Andrew
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Fisher, Joseph Cook worked in
the coal pits as a boy. He soon
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developed a high degree of self
confidence and a strong sense of
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obligation. William
"Billy" Hughes served three
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terms as Prime Minister,
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each time for a
different political party. He
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holds the record as the longest
serving parliamentarian lasting
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58 years when he died at 90
years of age while still serving
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in parliament. During that
time he belonged at one time or
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another to every major political
grouping by the country party.
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Religion and Christianity played
an important part in his life.
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He belonged to the Church
of England all of his life and
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loved reading the Bible and knew
it back to front. The people
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warmed to him. When he died in
1952 it is estimated that nearly
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half a million mourners crammed
the streets along the way to the
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cemetery. Stanley Bruce
was Australia's eighth Prime
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Minister and the first to
govern from the newly built
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capitol Canberra. He came from
a devout Presbyterian family. He
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excelled at school and went
on to study law at Cambridge
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University. Later he served with
high distinction during World
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War I on the front lines as
an officer in the British Army.
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After serving six years as Prime
Minister he went on to become an
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eminent world statesman. His
religious upbringing ensured he
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thought and behaved as a
Christian and his colleagues
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described him as a man who
walked humbly with his God.
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Jim Scullin was Australia's
ninth Prime Minister and the
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first who was a Catholic. He
remained committed to his faith
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and practice throughout his life
The people elected him because
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he was moderate and decent and
trustworthy. Next to hold the
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office of Prime Minister
was Joseph Lyons, the first from
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Tasmania. Joseph Lyons was an
amiable and respected practicing
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Catholic. At the height of
the great depression he defected
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from Labor to the Conservative
parties. The Australian people
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put their trust in Lyons.
He was elected three times by
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comfortable margins before dying
in office just months before the
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outbreak of World War II. Earle
Page was Australia's 11th Prime
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Minister holding the office for
only 20 days after the death of
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his predecessor Jim Lyons.
Before entering politics he was
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a medical doctor and surgeon. He
came from a Methodist heritage
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and his life and career were
guided by the Bible principles
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and values that he embraced in
his youth. Robert Gordon Menzies
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was Australia's 12th and
longest serving Prime Minister.
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He served two terms lasting over
18 years in the office, still
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the record term for an
Australian Prime Minister.
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And he certainly was one
of the most distinguished and
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influential Australian Prime
Ministers. But with all the
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praise and honor he received
he never lost sight of his
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Christian heritage and the
role they played in his life and
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political career and called
himself a simple Presbyterian.
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He knew his Bible, believed
the gospel and cherished his
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Christian tradition. Arthur
Fadden was the Prime Minister of
00:11:47.87\00:11:53.98
less than six weeks, just 40
days to be exact. He came from
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a family of Irish immigrants
and was a member of the
00:11:58.81\00:12:01.98
Presbyterian faith. John Curtin
was Australia's 14th Prime
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Minister and the country's
leader during most of World War
00:12:08.79\00:12:11.33
II. He's considered by many
to be the greatest ever Prime
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Minister. Curtin was the eldest
son of Irish Catholic immigrants
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He renounced his childhood faith
as a teenager when he fell out
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with the Catholic church, but
he was far from an irreligious
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man. There is evidence to
suggest that later in life
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Curtin regained a form of
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Christian faith.
Francis Michael Forde was
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Australia's 15th Prime Minister
and holds the record as the
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shortest-serving Prime Minister
in Australia's history, just
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eight days. He came from a
Catholic heritage. Ben Chifley
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was Australia's 16th Prime
Minister and probably its most
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popular one. It seems that just
about everybody, colleagues of
00:12:58.84\00:13:04.38
owners, journalists, and voters
seemed to like him. He was a
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hard worker, a peacemaker,
an inspiring leader and a good
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Christian. It was Chifley who
coined the phrase which is still
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the ALP patch cry, the
light on the hill. He drew it of
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course from the
sermon on the mount:
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Harold Holt succeeded Menzies
second term as Prime Minister.
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He was the 17th Australian
to hold the office. Holding the
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highest political office in the
land was the culmination of a
00:13:42.62\00:13:46.52
successful career. He did well
at school, in the law, and in
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business before entering
politics. Although attending a
00:13:51.76\00:13:55.86
Methodist boarding school,
he showed no interest in God or
00:13:55.90\00:14:00.24
religion. He was an apathetic
agnostic. On Sunday morning,
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December 17, 1967, he went
to Sheviet Beach with several
00:14:05.21\00:14:11.05
strangers. Soon after midday
he strode alone into the rough
00:14:11.08\00:14:15.52
undertow surf and was never
seen again, presumed drowned.
00:14:15.55\00:14:20.92
John McEwen took over the
highest political office in the
00:14:20.96\00:14:26.36
land following the disappearance
of Harold Holt. He was
00:14:26.39\00:14:30.63
Australia's 18th Prime Minister
and served for only 23 days.
00:14:30.67\00:14:36.60
He came from a Presbyterian
heritage. On the 10th of January
00:14:36.64\00:14:41.88
1968 John Gorton became the 19th
Prime Minister of Australia. He
00:14:41.91\00:14:47.98
wasn't considered a religious
man but had a great respect for
00:14:48.02\00:14:51.72
Christianity and a little known
spiritual side to his character
00:14:51.75\00:14:55.86
which was developed during
his schooling at elite Anglican
00:14:55.89\00:15:00.20
schools. It was there that
Gorton's religious consciousness
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was shaped. He was an Oxford
graduate and a brave fighter
00:15:04.17\00:15:08.67
pilot during World War II. In
fact, he survived three flying
00:15:08.70\00:15:13.07
accidents and his ship being
torpedoed. Gorton was also the
00:15:13.11\00:15:18.58
only Prime Minister to vote
himself out of office. William
00:15:18.61\00:15:24.45
"Willie" McMahon was the 20th
Prime Minister of Australia.
00:15:24.49\00:15:28.66
He was a substantial and
important individual who was
00:15:28.69\00:15:33.03
also a government minister
for over 21 years. The longest
00:15:33.06\00:15:37.57
continual ministerial service in
Australian history. During his
00:15:37.60\00:15:43.54
mid-teens he began
investigating God and religion
00:15:43.57\00:15:47.14
and developed a genuine passion
for theology and spiritual
00:15:47.18\00:15:51.38
matters. His spiritual journey
took him from Catholicism
00:15:51.41\00:15:56.69
to Anglicanism. He spoke
and wrote extensively about his
00:15:56.72\00:16:00.72
faith that strongly influenced
his life and political career.
00:16:00.76\00:16:05.59
Edward Gough Whitlam was the
21st Prime Minister of Australia
00:16:05.63\00:16:12.07
serving from 1972 to 1975.
He was a titanic figure in the
00:16:12.10\00:16:19.87
history of modern Australia.
He was the leader of the Labor
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.11
Party from 1967 to 1977 and led
his party to power for the first
00:16:23.14\00:16:30.82
time in 23 years at the
1972 election. His government
00:16:30.85\00:16:36.66
achieved a great deal for social
justice: One vote, one value,
00:16:36.69\00:16:41.10
Medicare, the Trade Practices
Act, Needs-based education
00:16:41.13\00:16:46.60
funding and better sewerage for
Australian cities to name but
00:16:46.63\00:16:51.77
five of his legacies. Whitlam
grew up in a devout Baptist
00:16:51.81\00:16:57.25
family. His parents were pious
churchgoers and raised their
00:16:57.28\00:17:00.98
children in a God-fearing,
disciplined home. They read the
00:17:01.02\00:17:05.45
Bible and Gough knew his Bible
well and respected it all his
00:17:05.49\00:17:10.66
life. However later in life
he left his childhood faith but
00:17:10.69\00:17:15.80
imbibed Christianity and
followed his nontheological
00:17:15.83\00:17:19.43
precepts. Gough Whitlam was
Australia's longest lived Prime
00:17:19.47\00:17:24.44
Minister reaching the age of
98 sadly just two years short of
00:17:24.47\00:17:30.85
receiving a hundredth birthday
letter from Queen Elizabeth II
00:17:30.88\00:17:34.95
the woman who sacked him
and his government in 1975. John
00:17:34.98\00:17:41.76
Malcolm Fraser served as the
22nd Prime Minister of Australia
00:17:41.79\00:17:46.73
in office from 1975 to 1983
as leader of the Liberal Party.
00:17:46.76\00:17:52.73
During this time he built the
best record of human rights of
00:17:52.77\00:17:58.24
any Prime Minister in
Australia's history. He came
00:17:58.27\00:18:02.74
from a devout Presbyterian
family and attended Anglican
00:18:02.78\00:18:07.42
schools and later studied at
Oxford University. He knew the
00:18:07.45\00:18:11.35
rudiments of Christianity and no
doubt this influenced his life
00:18:11.39\00:18:15.99
and political decisions and
colored his world view. Robert
00:18:16.02\00:18:22.10
Hawke was Australia's 23rd
Prime Minister and the country's
00:18:22.13\00:18:25.90
longest serving Labor Prime
Minister. He was one of the most
00:18:25.93\00:18:30.77
popular and charismatic of
Australia's Prime Ministers.
00:18:30.81\00:18:34.41
He led his party to
outright victory in four federal
00:18:34.44\00:18:38.55
elections and lost none. Hawke's
government transformed Australia
00:18:38.58\00:18:44.59
The country joined the
global economy, it embraced
00:18:44.62\00:18:49.02
multiculturalism, Medicare was
entrenched and progressive taxes
00:18:49.06\00:18:52.89
were introduced. His father
was a Congregationalist Church
00:18:52.93\00:18:57.67
minister and Hawke grew up in
a thoroughly Christian home. Yet
00:18:57.70\00:19:02.14
he lost his personal faith
in his early 20s and described
00:19:02.17\00:19:06.47
himself as an agnostic from then
on. However, he wrote in his
00:19:06.51\00:19:11.75
memoirs that his parents'
basic Christian principles of
00:19:11.78\00:19:16.25
brotherhood and compassion drove
his public life. Their Christian
00:19:16.28\00:19:21.82
beliefs and precepts guided his
political career. Paul Keating
00:19:21.86\00:19:28.03
mounted a successful challenge
to Bob Hawke's leadership and
00:19:28.06\00:19:32.13
became Australia's 24th Prime
Minister in 1991. He came from a
00:19:32.17\00:19:38.04
devout Irish Catholic heritage
and was educated exclusively in
00:19:38.07\00:19:42.78
the Catholic system. He remained
faithful to the tenants of the
00:19:42.81\00:19:46.92
Catholic church and in a
sense that defined Keating and
00:19:46.95\00:19:51.49
strongly influenced his
political career and decisions.
00:19:51.52\00:19:57.59
John Howard became the 25th
Australian Prime Minister on
00:19:57.63\00:20:01.30
the 11th of March 1996 and
continued to hold the office
00:20:01.33\00:20:05.67
until the 3rd of December 2007
making him the second-longest
00:20:05.70\00:20:10.51
serving Prime Minister of
Australia after Robert Menzies.
00:20:10.54\00:20:14.44
He won four federal elections
during that period. He was
00:20:14.48\00:20:19.45
courteous and measured as well
as thoughtful in his conduct.
00:20:19.48\00:20:23.18
He lived a worthy industrious
life and was a practicing
00:20:23.22\00:20:27.06
Christian who attended church
regularly. He's the only Liberal
00:20:27.09\00:20:31.23
Party minister to have
been educated in a state school.
00:20:31.26\00:20:35.50
On the 3rd of December 2007
Kevin Rudd became the 26th Prime
00:20:35.53\00:20:42.17
Minister of Australia. He served
two terms from December 2007 to
00:20:42.20\00:20:47.64
June 2010 and again from June
to September 2013. He held the
00:20:47.68\00:20:55.75
office as leader of the
Australian Labor Party. One of
00:20:55.78\00:20:58.75
his government's significant
acts was to deliver an apology
00:20:58.79\00:21:02.56
to indigenous Australians
for the stolen generations. Rudd
00:21:02.59\00:21:08.33
is a committed Christian and
attends church regularly. He is
00:21:08.36\00:21:12.13
passionate about religion and
speaks and writes extensively
00:21:12.17\00:21:15.74
about his faith. He has roots
from Catholicism to Anglicanism.
00:21:15.77\00:21:21.94
Rudd is considered by me to be
the most overtly Christian Prime
00:21:21.98\00:21:25.98
Minister since Joe Lyons. On
the 24th of June 2010 Kevin Rudd
00:21:26.01\00:21:34.09
lost the support of his party
and resigned. Julia Gillard was
00:21:34.12\00:21:38.29
elected unopposed as
his replacement and became
00:21:38.33\00:21:42.30
Australia's 27th Prime Minister.
She was the first and, to date,
00:21:42.33\00:21:46.84
only woman to hold the positions
of Deputy Prime Minister,
00:21:46.87\00:21:51.57
Prime Minister and leader of a
major party in Australia. As far
00:21:51.61\00:21:57.48
as religion goes Gillard has
clearly stated that she's not a
00:21:57.51\00:22:02.08
religious person. She's an
unbeliever. Having said that,
00:22:02.12\00:22:06.59
Gillard has
never called herself an
00:22:06.62\00:22:08.76
atheist or described a state of
00:22:08.79\00:22:10.99
mind the amounts to atheism. Her
parents were Baptist and in her
00:22:11.03\00:22:17.10
youth she attended the
local Baptist church where she
00:22:17.13\00:22:20.44
received the benefit of a
very vigorous grounding in basic
00:22:20.47\00:22:24.67
Christianity. She's since
rejected all of that but has
00:22:24.71\00:22:29.01
retained a healthy respect of
religious people and religious
00:22:29.04\00:22:33.11
issues. Tony Abbott served
as the 28th Prime Minister of
00:22:33.15\00:22:39.39
Australia from 2013 to 2015 and
is the first Catholic to do so
00:22:39.42\00:22:45.43
from the Liberal Party.
After graduating from Oxford
00:22:45.46\00:22:49.33
University he briefly trained
in a Roman Catholic seminary
00:22:49.36\00:22:53.90
preparing for the priesthood.
His religious convictions guided
00:22:53.94\00:23:00.11
his life and political career.
On the 14th of September 2015
00:23:00.14\00:23:05.98
Abbott was defeated in a vote
for the Liberal Party leadership
00:23:06.01\00:23:10.15
by Malcolm Turnbull who became
Australia's 29th Prime Minister
00:23:10.19\00:23:14.42
the next day. Turnbull came
from a Presbyterian heritage but
00:23:14.46\00:23:21.00
became an agnostic in the
beginning of his adult life
00:23:21.03\00:23:24.83
and later converted to Roman
Catholicism, the religion of his
00:23:24.87\00:23:29.00
wife's family. In August 2018
Malcolm Turnbull successfully
00:23:29.04\00:23:35.84
defeated a challenge for his
position as Prime Minister and
00:23:35.88\00:23:39.65
leader of the Liberal Party.
The tension continued and a
00:23:39.68\00:23:43.82
second ballot was held on the
24th of August which saw Scott
00:23:43.85\00:23:47.89
Morrison win and become the 30th
Prime Minister of Australia.
00:23:47.92\00:23:53.53
Scott Morrison was raised in
Uniting Church but now regularly
00:23:53.56\00:23:58.10
worships in a Pentecostal
church He has ensured that his
00:23:58.13\00:24:02.67
religious faith is well known,
a faith that gives guiding
00:24:02.70\00:24:07.18
principles and a faith that
is central to his identity. The
00:24:07.21\00:24:13.48
records show that the faith
of the Prime Ministers often
00:24:13.52\00:24:17.99
affected their decision making
even beyond matters that are
00:24:18.02\00:24:21.76
clearly moral or spiritual such
as family law, the death penalty
00:24:21.79\00:24:27.60
euthanasia, state aid to
religious schools and so on.
00:24:27.63\00:24:30.87
It extended to adjoining issues
of political politics, the
00:24:30.90\00:24:37.14
distribution of wealth, war and
peace and the recognition and
00:24:37.17\00:24:40.14
enforcement of human rights.
Christianity has played a major
00:24:40.18\00:24:47.58
and positive role in shaping and
making Australia the splendid
00:24:47.62\00:24:51.29
country we live in and
enjoy today, a country that's
00:24:51.32\00:24:55.52
democratic, prosperous and
relatively free of violence. We
00:24:55.56\00:25:01.36
have been uniquely blessed
in human history and for this
00:25:01.40\00:25:05.33
state of affairs our Prime
Ministers surely deserve some
00:25:05.37\00:25:10.31
credit and perhaps their
Christian faith even more so.
00:25:10.34\00:25:14.24
And here's some good
news. Over the last 200 years
00:25:14.28\00:25:18.71
Christianity has done Australia
a lot of good and it can do the
00:25:18.75\00:25:23.89
same for you too. So if you're
facing challenges in life and
00:25:23.92\00:25:29.16
looking for inner peace
and happiness, then I'd like to
00:25:29.19\00:25:32.33
to recommend a free gift we have
for all our Incredible Journey
00:25:32.36\00:25:36.97
viewers today. It's a book
that has changed nations and has
00:25:37.00\00:25:42.30
brought hope and peace to
millions of people around the
00:25:42.34\00:25:45.14
world. In fact, it's the world's
best seller, the Bible. It's a
00:25:45.17\00:25:51.15
book that shares the Christian
message and if there's one
00:25:51.18\00:25:54.58
Bible word all Australians and
New Zealanders would recognize
00:25:54.62\00:25:59.79
it's eternity. It's a message
of God's love for us in Jesus
00:25:59.82\00:26:04.29
Christ, a love that will last
forever. The Bible has brought
00:26:04.33\00:26:10.60
me hope, peace and happiness and
I want you to have a copy, too.
00:26:10.63\00:26:16.30
So make sure you take this
wonderful opportunity to receive
00:26:16.34\00:26:19.77
the free Bible we
have for you today.
00:26:19.81\00:26:22.51
Phone or text us at 0436-333-555
in Australia or 020-422-2042 in
00:26:22.54\00:26:33.72
New Zealand or visit our website
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offer and we'll send it to you
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00:26:40.46\00:26:44.03
no obligation. Write to us at:
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Don't delay.
Call or text us now.
00:26:59.01\00:27:05.59
If you've enjoyed today's
journey to Canberra and Ballarat
00:27:05.62\00:27:08.99
in the footsteps of our Prime
Ministers and our reflections
00:27:09.02\00:27:12.33
on the important role
Christianity has played in the
00:27:12.36\00:27:16.30
history and development of our
nation, be sure to join us again
00:27:16.33\00:27:20.14
next week when we will share
another of life's journey's
00:27:20.17\00:27:23.51
together. Until then may the God
who has blessed Australia keep
00:27:23.54\00:27:28.54
you safe and give you peace.
Let's pray the prayer that the
00:27:28.58\00:27:33.21
Speaker offers to open
each session of the Australian
00:27:33.25\00:27:38.35
Parliament.
00:27:38.39\00:27:39.85
¤ ¤
00:28:21.60\00:28:29.10