Earle Christmas Grafton Page was Australia's 11th Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister for only 20 days, from 7 April 1939 to 26 April 1939. Page was also deputy Prime Minister to Stanley Bruce in 1923–29, and to Joseph Lyons in 1934–39. A founder of the Country Party, Page led the party in parliament from 1921 to 1939. He is also remembered for his long term as Minister for Health, from 1949 to 1956, in the Menzies government.

Described as ‘a man of boundless energy, fertile in ideas’, Page spoke at a rapid rate, rarely pausing for breath. His partnership with the deliberate and measured Stanley Bruce was an ideal political combination – particularly for political cartoonists. During the 1920s, cartoons depicted Bruce as a dapper gentleman and Page as ‘a rather riotous-looking lady’.

Did you know?

Earle Page:

• was the founder of the Australian Country Party (now National Party)
• governed in coalition with Stanley Bruce from 1923 to 1929
• as treasurer, established the Loan Council in 1928
• was one of the first Australians to own a car in 1904, and in the 1920s set up a Commonwealth aid program for road building
• was the second prime minister with war service (Stanley Bruce was the first)
• holds the record for the shortest official stay in Britain – 1 day (1925)
• was the ‘Father of health insurance’
• was nicknamed ‘the Doc’