About this record

This is a colour photograph of the Hon. John Howard, Australia's twenty-fifth Prime Minister. It shows him walking up the steps of the National Archives to launch a Gift to the Nation. The launch was part of the release of all of the World War I service records in an online digital format. Howard walks alongside the National Archives Advisory Council Chairman, Paul Santamaria (blue tie), and the National Archives Director-General, Ross Gibbs (yellow tie).

John Howard served as Prime Minister from 1996 until 2007. He was the second-longest Prime Minister after Robert Menzies, and became only the second Prime Minister to lose his own seat. As Prime Minister, Howard implemented uniform gun control legislation, privatised partial ownership of Telstra, introduced the goods and services tax (GST), and increased funding for national security in light of international terrorism incidents.

Educational value

The National Archives has an extensive collection of photographs and documents relating to John Howard. Here are some links to help you get started:

• Information about John Howard before, during and after his term as Prime Minister
• The RecordSearch online database allows searching of the National Archives' collection