John Curtin
Personal
Other names:
Job / Known for: Prime Minister of Australia, leader
Left traces: A legacy of wartime leadership
Born
Date: 1885-01-08
Location: AU Creswick, Victoria
Died
Date: 1945-07-05 (aged 60)
Resting place: AU Canberra
Death Cause: Heart attack
Family
Spouse: Elsie Needham-Curtin (m. 1917)
Children: Two children; Elsie Curtin (1917-2004) and John Curtin Jr. (1921-2009)
Parent(s): John Curtin Sr. and Catherine Agnes Curtin (née Bourke)
QR Code:
John Curtin My QR code: John Curtin https://DearGone.com/10485
Key Ownner: Not yet supported by key owner
Show More
Rank Users ranking to :
Thanks, you rate star
1 2 3 4 5
Ranking 5.0 1
Fullname

John Curtin

Fullname NoEnglish

Slogan
The game is not lost - or won - until the last bell goes.
About me / Bio:
John Curtin was born on 8 January 1885 in Creswick, Victoria, to John Curtin Sr., a former policeman, and Catherine Agnes Bourke, both of Irish descent. He was the eldest of four children and had a difficult childhood marked by poverty and ill health. He left school at the age of 13 and worked as a copyboy, a printer's assistant, a page boy, and a clerk. He also educated himself by reading books at the public library and developed an interest in politics and social issues. Curtin joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1903 and became active in the labour movement. He was influenced by socialist thinkers like Tom Mann and Frank Anstey and opposed conscription during World War I. He also became involved in journalism and edited several labour newspapers, including the Westralian Worker in Perth, where he moved in 1917. He married Elsie Needham, a schoolteacher and suffragist, in the same year and they had two children. Curtin entered federal politics in 1928 when he won the seat of Fremantle in Western Australia. He lost it in 1931 but regained it in 1934. He became the leader of the ALP in 1935 after James Scullin's retirement. He faced many challenges as the leader of the opposition during the Great Depression and the rise of fascism in Europe. He advocated for social justice, economic recovery, national defence, and international cooperation. Curtin became the prime minister of Australia on 7 October 1941, after Arthur Fadden's minority government lost a confidence motion. He took office at a critical time when Australia was under threat from Japan's expansion in the Pacific. He showed strong leadership and courage in mobilising the nation for war and forging a close alliance with the United States. He also initiated many domestic reforms such as income tax, child endowment, widows' pensions, and unemployment benefits. Curtin's health deteriorated under the strain of war and he suffered from heart problems and nervous exhaustion. He died of a heart attack on 5 July 1945 at The Lodge in Canberra, just six weeks before Japan's surrender. He was given a state funeral and buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth. He is widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest prime ministers and a national hero.
Show More

Article for John Curtin

Died profile like John Curtin

  • Anita Aarons Voice of death
    Anita Aarons
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Vere Gordon Childe Voice of death
    Vere Gordon Childe
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Catherine Hamlin Voice of death
    Catherine Hamlin
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: ET
  • Mae Dahlberg Voice of death
    Mae Dahlberg
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: US
  • Annie Jean Macnamara Voice of death
    Annie Jean Macnamara
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Douglas Shenton Annand Voice of death
    Douglas Shenton Annand
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Frank Fenner Voice of death
    Frank Fenner
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Fred Spofforth Voice of death
    Fred Spofforth
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: GB
  • Brian McGuire Voice of death
    Brian McGuire
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: GB
  • Eleanor Dodson Voice of death
    Eleanor Dodson
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: GB
  • Peter Harvey Voice of death
    Peter Harvey
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
  • Charles Tran Van Lam Voice of death
    Charles Tran Van Lam
    Trần Văn Lắm
    Age: y/o ()
    Died: AU
Comments:
Add Death Died Social Media

To access this section, register or log in to your account.

Log in / Sign up