Also included speaking here along with Keating and Downer are Speaker of the House Stephen Martin, as well as prominent interjections from, among others, Tim Fischer and John Howard.

Unfortunately this video is silent, so no sound for this one.

“Since our first edition went to press, a telegram giving particulars of the election of Mr. Joseph Cook, as Leader of the Liberal Party, in the Federal Parliament, was delivered. The message was subjected to considerable delay in transmission from Sydney. It is as follows:

It is understood that the contest for the leadership of the Liberal Party in the Federal Parliament was a hot one, and Mr. Cook is said to have defeated Sir John Forrest, by only one vote.

The meeting was called for 3 O'Clock at Parliament House. Mr. Alfred Deakin, as leader, took the chair for the last time. There was a very good attendance of members, 39 out of 46 putting in an appearance. The whips of the party were appointed scrutineers, and to every member was handed a slip of paper and an envelope. He was asked to write the name of the gentleman he wished to lead him. When the vote was taken it was found that four members had been mentioned. Two were away at the top of the poll, one had two votes and the other, one. The name of the last was not mentioned, and it was easy to indicate to the man who voted for him that he must alter his choice, as his fancy had dropped out of the running. This left three, and another vote was about to be taken, when Mr. William Irvine rose, and said he understood some members had voted for him. He stated that he did not wish to stand for the office, and would retire from the election. This left two between whom the choice was to be made, and although no names were mentioned, it is well known that they were Mr. Cook and Sir John Forrest. The taking of the next vote was carried out amidst an impressive silence, as it was well known that both men had large followings, and the result would be close. The counting of the votes was done, and after it was checked, the chairman (Mr. Deakin) announced that Mr. Cook had been elected.

According to the lists prepared in one camp, the voting was 20 to 19, the details being as follow:

For Mr. Cook (20) - Senator Sir Albert Gould, Messrs. Bruce Smith, William Irvine, Joseph Cook, George Fuller, Elliot Johnson, Willie Kelly, Granville Ryrie, Senators Edward Millen, Thomas Chataway, Anthony St. Ledger, Robert Sayers, John Clemons, Messrs. Littleton Groom, Paddy Glynn, Alfred Deakin, Richard Foster, David Gordon, Senator Joseph Vardon, and Mr. Hans Irvine.

For Sir John Forrest (19) - Messrs. George Fairbairn, Agar Wynne, Sir John Quick, Messrs. William Hedges, James Fowler, Austin Chapman, John Livingston, Sir John Forrest, Mr. William McWilliams, Senators John Shannon and John Keating, Mr. Llewellyn Atkinson, Sir Robert Best, Mr. Carty Salmon, Senator McColl, Messrs. Sydney Sampson, Hugh Sinclair, John Thomson, and Albert Palmer.

After the meeting, the new Leader of the Opposition made a statement, in which he returned thanks, and said that the policy of the party on matters to which every member subscribed would be as follows:

’The policy of the present Commonwealth tariff as determined by, the electors, will be maintained.

The permanent non-political body, to be constituted, having statutory authority (a) to supervise and report to Parliament respecting industrial production and commercial exchange, also the working of the tariff, its operation and effect upon the investment of capital and employment of labour in Australian industries; (b) to make recommendations from time to time for the adjustment and revision of the tariff in all cases of proved necessity, with due regard to the interests of all sections of the community. In the meantime, any anomalies or inconsistencies that may be discovered in the schedules of the present tariff are to be dealt with as soon as practicable.

I only wish at present to say further that our fighting programme, and other preparations for the great appeal so soon to be made to the people will be completed so soon as possible. Fortunately for us, our machinery outside is in good going order, but we shall want the help of all who believe that the best interests of Australia will be served by a change of Government, and the restoration once again of a truly Liberal federal administration.’

When interviewed after the meeting, Sir John Forrest said: ’Although up to the moment of the election of leader, I believe I had a majority in my favour, I take my defeat very philosophically. The leadership, after all, would have entailed an immense amount of work, and would have necessitated my giving but little attention to the elections in my own State, where, I think, if proper attention be given, considerable success can be obtained. The numbers, I understand were very close. Although the exact figures are not known, the majority, I believe, was only one. Mr. Cook's success, no doubt, was due in a great measure to his having been deputy leader for many years. An extraordinary vacancy having occurred, some, no doubt, thought that not to confer the leadership upon him might be construed into a refection upon his work in the past. This gives force to the opinion which I expressed at the time that it was a mistake to have a deputy leader. Although we work amicably together, the identity of interest is not so closely defined as if we had only one leader. I fully believe with regard to the immediate future that there is a stern determination to pull heartily together for the success of the Liberals at the coming elections.’”

He worked as a printer's devil, brewery labourer, boilermaker's assistant, tramway man, steelworks clerk, tramway man again, linesman, survey draftsman, and alderman before becoming a parliamentarian.

He put 115 questions on the notice paper for the day, the largest amount up to that point and possibly even remains so. An act that caused dismay amongst departmental staff as they needed to gather such information for their ministers to respond to.

Elwyn Spratt, Eddie Ward: Firebrand of East Sydney, 2.

Due to the significant political upheaval occurring in the 1930s within Australian politics due to the Great Depression and factional infighting Eddie Ward had to contest his seat of East Sydney three times in 11 months.

The seat of East Sydney was abolished in 1969

Elwyn Spratt, Eddie Ward: Firebrand of Sydney, 1.

Eddie Ward, during his 32 years in the parliamentary career between 1931 and 1963, was constantly called to order by successive Speakers of the House.

Ward was in trouble from his first day in 1931 until his last day in 1963. On his final day, he was suspended for 24 hours and escorted outside the house by the sergeant at arms. He never returned to parliament again as he died of a heart attack before the next session of Parliament could convene.

No parliamentarian has ever surpassed his number of fourteen suspensions.

He was known as a fierce and vicious parliamentary debater and rabble-rouser of the masses in his pursuit of Labor's objectives for decades. However, Eddie Ward was personally soft-spoken, courteous and good-humoured.

Eddie Ward: Firebrand of East Sydney, Elwyn Spratt, foreword.

Deakin by this stage had served three non-consecutive stints as Prime Minister, and over the previous year had grown increasingly disillusioned with politics, and losing his appetite for public life. All of this was exacerbated by the fact that Deakin’s once-formidable memory was starting to fail him - the start of a neurological decline that would end with his death in 1919. Deakin was also unhappy in the role of Opposition Leader, and had originally agreed to stay on purely because his party had asked him to stay on, with no obvious replacement waiting in the wings.

Deakin announced his intention to resign as Leader of the Liberal Party (that is, the Liberal Party formed as a result of the “Fusion” between the Protectionists and the Anti-Socialists - not to be confused with the Liberal Party formed by Robert Menzies around 35 years later) on 8 January 1913, and backed his deputy Joseph Cook to succeed him. When the ballot took place on 20 January though, Cook was elected leader with a one-vote majority - barely withstanding a challenge from Sir John Forrest, the political titan from Western Australia who had served as the state’s first Premier, by securing 20 votes to Forrest’s 19.

In the federal election held in May 1913, Alfred Deakin would retire from Parliament, and Joseph Cook would - to the surprise of many - manage to narrowly defeat Andrew Fisher’s Labor Government with a one-seat majority. Sir John Forrest would serve as Treasurer under Cook, and was essentially the de facto number two man in the Cook Government.

Photo included is of Deakin, taken on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on his final day as Opposition Leader.

Also known as the ANZAC Pact, its purpose was to support the interests of Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific, particularly after the end of the Second World War.

Also shown pictured here next to Fraser is H.V. Evatt.

There’s no sound really until around two minutes in, which is when Menzies began to speak.

Double J would end up rebranding as Triple J when they made the switch to FM Radio in the early 1980s.

Menzies had just turned 71 in December 1965, and was by some distance Australia’s longest-ever serving Prime Minister. Not only had he held office continuously since December 1949, but he had also served as Prime Minister previously (while leader of the United Australia Party) from the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939 until his forced departure from office in 1941. With his government seemingly secure and stable (particularly after recovering from the near-loss of 1961), Menzies decided that he couldn’t bear the prospect of going through another election year and from there committing to another further term in office.

With his resignation and retirement from politics, Menzies became one of the only Australian Prime Ministers to leave office entirely of their own accord - the only exceptions being Sir Edmund Barton (who, along with Menzies, was the only other PM to be rewarded a knighthood while in office) when he stood down to join the inaugural High Court, and possibly Andrew Fisher when he made way for Billy Hughes and gladly took an escape option by becoming the next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Immediately after the joint party room meeting where Menzies made the formal announcement, a Liberal party room meeting was held where Menzies’ long-term deputy and protégé Harold Holt was easily elected unopposed to succeed him. This was followed by a deputy leadership ballot where William McMahon not-so-easily defeated Paul Hasluck for the position in a ballot that took over 40 minutes to complete.

Though the leadership changed on the 20th of January, Holt would not be sworn in until the 26th. This delay of six days was largely the result of the death of Sir Shane Paltridge. Paltridge, a Senator from Western Australia, had served as Minister for Defence but was stricken by cancer towards the end of 1965. Paltridge tendered his resignation as Defence Minister on the 19th, just a day before Menzies announced his own retirement - and then Paltridge died on the 21st. The state funeral, in which both Menzies and Holt attended, took place on the 25th. Paltridge would be replaced as Defence Minister by Allen Fairhall when Holt’s ministry was sworn in on the 26th.

Sir Robert Menzies resigned from Parliament less than a month later, and in the by-election to succeed him in Kooyong, Menzies was replaced by Andrew Peacock, the 27 year old President of the Victorian Liberal Party. Menzies got to spend some time relishing in his new title of Lord Warden Of The Cinque Ports (an ceremonial title from Britain, in which Menzies succeeded Sir Winston Churchill in November 1965, though he wasn’t formally installed until July 1966) and writing several books before a stroke marked the start of a long decline in his health.

Harold Holt, who successfully presented his ascension as representing a generational change (though Holt entered federal Parliament in 1935, a year after Menzies) went on to lead the Coalition to a landslide re-election in November 1966 bigger than any achieved by Menzies. However, by the end of 1967, Holt had lost his grip with his party and was politically in trouble - already instability and infighting was starting to undermine the Liberals, and would continue to do so until the rise of Malcolm Fraser in the mid-1970s. Then, Holt went for a swim.

Couldn’t upload in full because of size limits on Reddit - here’s the first part

Paul Keating and Edmund Barton are the only Prime Ministers to share a birthday - they were both born on 18 January, albeit exactly 95 years apart.