Alfred Deakin

Alfred Deakin (NAA: A5954, 1299/2 Photo PL756/1 )

Three times prime minister, Alfred Deakin was a member of the House of Representatives from 1901 to 1913. He was prime minister for two brief terms (1903–04 and 1909–10), and for three years from 1905 to 1908.

Deakin's archival records are concerned with a range of topics from the foundations of Australian defence policy to the transfer of the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth in 1911.

What's in the National Archives on Alfred Deakin?

The tables below list a sample of the Archives' records about Deakin.

Deakin before his terms as Prime Minister

As a leading Victorian politician, Alfred Deakin played an important role in the federation of the Commonwealth of Australia. He was appointed Attorney-General in the first Commonwealth ministry.

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Official record of the proceedings and debates of the Australasian Federation Conference, 1890	1890	R5
	Records of the Australasian Federal Convention of 1897–98, 1888–98	1897–98, 1888–98	R216
	Commission, signed by Queen Victoria, empowering the Lords Commissioners to declare royal assent to the bill creating the Commonwealth of Australia, 1900	1900	A5137, 1
	Summary of work done in the Attorney-General's Department during A Deakin's term as Attorney-General, 1901–03	1901–03	A432, 1929/2611
	Newspaper cutting relating to A Deakin's Morning Post articles, 1968	1968	A5954, 1213/13

Deakin during his terms as Prime Minister

Alfred Deakin served as Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs from 24 September 1903 to 27 April 1904 and from 5 July 1905 to 13 November 1908. He was again Prime Minister from 2 June 1909 to 29 April 1910.

Deakin after his terms as Prime Minister

After his final term as Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin was elected as one of two Australian delegates who went to San Francisco to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal.

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	A Deakin's report on the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, 1915–16	1915–16	A2, 1915/1526/68
	Resignation of A Deakin from the Commission for the Panama Pacific International Exposition, 1915	1915	A6006, 1915/5/11
	Papers relating to the Commission for the Panama Pacific International Exposition, 1914–15	1914–15	A93

Pattie Deakin

Elizabeth Martha Anne (Pattie) Browne married Alfred Deakin in 1882. Pattie Deakin accompanied Alfred Deakin to London in 1900 and took an active role in the Australian delegation. She also took part in the official opening ceremonies of parliament in 1901. In 1907 she again accompanied Alfred Deakin on an official visit to London and kept an informative diary of her duties. While in London she addressed a women's group formed to enable women's participation in politics. She was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) two days after her death.

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Honours awarded to Pattie Deakin, nd	nd	A1606, 22/2/56
	Death of A Deakin – correspondence, condolences and an obituary, 1919	1919	A11804, 1919/380

Significant subjects for Deakin-related research

During his time as Prime Minister, Deakin was particularly involved in the establishment of the High Court, the organisation of an Australian defence force, negotiations regarding the site of the federal capital and bringing the Northern Territory into the Commonwealth.

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Construction of TB Destroyers (River Class) Yarra and Parramatta, 1909–12	1909–12	MP1049/14, 1911/3653
	Papers relating to the federal capital site – correspondence between A Deakin and the NSW Premier, 1905	1905	A18, 5
	Proclamation accepting Federal Capital Territory, 1910	1910	A432, 1929/2648 Part 2
	Transfer of the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth, 1901–11	1901–11	A452, 1954/621
	High Court Procedure Act 1904, 1903–04	1903–04	A1, 1904/1772

Photographic and multimedia records relating to Deakin

Collection references

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Framed photograph of the first Commonwealth ministry, Melbourne, 1901	1901	A8120, 1
	Postcard of A Deakin with a background of Australian and British flags, 1903	1903	A1719, 3592C
	Stereo photograph of the American fleet in Australia showing Rear-Admiral Sperry meeting A Deakin at St Kilda, 1908	1908	A1861, 702
	Photograph of the Australasian Federation Conference in Melbourne, at which parliaments of all the colonies were represented, 1890	1890	A1200, L13363
	Photograph of A Deakin's ministry of 1905–08, nd	nd	A1200, L60717

Relevant research guides

The National Archives has produced a number of research guides and fact sheets that may assist you with your research on Alfred Deakin. These are available from the website and in print versions.

Records of Australian prime ministers, 1901–71 (Fact Sheet 70)

Federation: The guide to records (Research Guide)

Our first six: Guide to archives of Australia's prime ministers (Research Guide)

Design and development of the national capital (Fact Sheet 60)

Papua New Guinea records 1883–1942: Microfilm collections (Research Guide 4)

Records of Papua New Guinea, 1883–1942 (Fact Sheet 148)

Universal military training in Australia, 1911–29 (Fact Sheet 160)

Research databases

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