Timeline | Curtin University, Perth, Australia

1885	Born at Creswick, Victoria, on January 8. Poor family background. Father worked as policeman, hotel manager.
c.1899	Left school and worked in various jobs as office assistant and labourer.
1901	Australian colonies became a federation of states known as the Commonwealth of Australia.
c.1902	Met his local State parliamentary member, Anstey, who was to become his mentor; attended Anstey’s Sunday morning study-circle.
1903	Commenced work as an estimates clerk with the Titan Manufacturing Company.
1906	Joined the Victorian Socialist Party. Became involved in “soapboxing” on the Yarra Bank. Once said, “The Yarra Bank was my university.” First writing published in the “Socialist”.
1911-1915	Became Secretary of the Victorian Timber Workers’ Union.
1914	Stood unsuccessfully for the Victorian seat of Balaclava
1915-December	New job as organiser for the Australian Workers’ Union.
19l6	Became Victorian secretary of the Anti-Conscription League.
1917	Arrived in Perth to become the editor of the “Westralian Worker”. Wrote many of the articles as well as the editorials.
1917-April	Married Elsie Needham.
1919	Stood for the Federal seat of Perth. Decisively beaten.
1920-1925	State district president of the Australian Journalists’ Association.
1924	Australian delegate to the Sixth International Labor Organisation Conference of the League of Nations.
1925	Stood unsuccessfully for the Federal seat of Fremantle
1928	Won the marginal Federal seat of Fremantle.
1931	Lost the seat of Fremantle.
1931-1934	Freelance writing for various newspapers; sports writer for the “Westralian Worker”; publicity officer for the Perth Trades Hall Council; and chairman of the advisory council preparing WA’s case before the Commonwealth Grants Commission.
1934	Regained the seat of Fremantle.
1935	Labor leader James Scullin resigned as leader due to ill health. Curtin elected leader over favourite Frank Forde by one vote.
1939	War declared in September.
1940	Federal election. Curtin campaigned in NSW to capture marginal seats for Labor. Neglected his own seat. For a while it appeared he had lost Fremantle. When asked by agitated friends and journalists what he would do, he replied: “I shall not chase my destiny. If Fremantle, which sent me to the Federal Parliament, rejects me from the Federal Parliament, that will be the end of politics for me.” Retained his seat.
1941-August	Prime Minister Robert Menzies resigned. A W Fadden became Prime Minister.
1941-0ctober	Fadden’s government brought down.
1941 – 7 October	Curtin became Prime Minister.
1941-December	Curtin’s famous New Year article: “The Australian Government therefore regards the Pacific struggle as primarily one in which the United States and Australia must have the fullest say in the direction of the democracies’ fighting plan. “Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom”
1942	At Curtin’s insistence General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the South West Pacific.
1942-March	Curtin became the first Australian Prime Minister to address the people of the United States in a broadcast speech.
1942-1944	Introduction of widows’ pensions, maternity allowances, sickness and unemployment benefits.
1943-August	Curtin government won landslide election victory – Curtin’s majority increased from 600 to 20,000 in his Fremantle electorate.
1944	Attended Prime Ministers’ Conference in England. Also went to Washington and met with President Roosevelt and US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull.
1944-November	Coronary occlusion. Curtin hospitalised for two months.
1945-January	Back at work, but very weak.
1945 July 5	Curtin died. Buried in the Karrakatta cemetery. The inscription on his gravestone is: “His country was his pride His brother man his cause”