John Curtin was an Australian politician and trade unionist, who rose from the grassroots to become the 14th Prime Minister of the country.
Background
John Curtin was born on 8 January 1885, at Creswick, Victoria to John Curtin and Catherine Agnes, née Bourke. Both his parents were of Irish origin. John was the eldest of his parents’ four children. At the time of his birth John Sr. was policeman at Creswick. When John was five years old ill heath forced his father to leave his job. Later the family settled in Brunswick in poverty.
Education
He received his education at state schools. Although he was a good student he left school and took up employment at the age of thirteen.
Career
He entered the field of labor journalism, becoming known as a leftist socialist and critic of the labor movement. From 1911 to 1915 he was secretary of the Timber Workers' Union of Victoria, and was editor of the Westralian Worker in Perth from 1917 to 1928. During World War I he was antimilitarist and opposed conscription vigorously. As a writer on economic problems, Curtin desired to give to Australian socialism a theoretical as well as a political basis, stressing the positive rather than the negative aspects of the movement. His public services before he became the acknowledged leader of the Labour Party included acting as Australian delegate to the International Labour Conference in 1924, as a member of the Commission on Family Allowances in 1927-1928, and as state advocate for West Australia to the Commonwealth Grants Commission from 1933 to 1935. He was a member of the Commonwealth House of Representatives from 1928 to 1931 and again from 1934 until his death.
In terms of social policy, the Curtin Government enacted a wide range of progressive social reforms during its time in office. Pensions were introduced for deserted wives and widows, while the establishment of the Women's Employment Board led to increased wages for some women during the war. Aboriginal Australians were provided with significantly increased entitlement to welfare benefits, while maternity allowances were extended. In addition, pensions for the elderly and infirm were increased, while reciprocal arrangements with New Zealand were introduced regarding old age and invalid pensions.
In 1942, temporary public employees became eligible to apply to join the Commonwealth superannuation scheme if they had been employed for no less than five years and were certified as having indefinite future employment, while the Commonwealth Employees' Furlough Act of 1943 provided long service leave for all temporary Commonwealth employees. In 1943, the Universities Commission was established to exempt students from war service to undertake or continue university studies and to assist those students by exempting them from fees and, subject to a means test, by providing them with living allowances.
In the field of international relations he took the view that Australia could not solve European problems and ought, therefore, to concentrate on its own defense through air power. Curtin gave support to Australian participation in World War II despite reverses in the Mediterranean area in 1941. He became prime minister in October 1941, and in late December made his famous appeal for the help of the United States in the prosecution of the Pacific war. During his ministry, when he also held the post of Defense Minister, Australia took rapid strides to full wartime production, and gave the Curtin ministry a strong mandate in the election of August 1943.
Politics
Curtin became the leader of the Labour Party in 1935 and was successful in settling dissension within it.