By Craig


* Ben Chifley was born in Bathurst, 22nd of September in 1885.
* In 1914  he married Elizabeth Mackenzie, but had no children.
* He lived and worked on his grandfather's farm at Limekilns near Bathurst until he was 13.
* He then spent 2 years at the Patrician Brothers School, Bathurst N.S.W.
* He worked on Government Railways. At 27 he became an advocate for his union the Locomotive Engineermen's Association.


* He won his seat in 1928 election.
* He became Scullin's Minister for Defence.
* He lost his seat in the electoral landslide against Labor in 1931.
* In 1940 he was re-elected and held it through next four general elections 1943, 1946, 1949 and 1951.
* Chifley became Treasurer in Curtin's Labour Government getting economy ready for wartime.
* In 1942 the Commonwealth Government introduced uniform income tax (making grants to states to replace their taxes on income).
* Introduced a national welfare scheme and unemployment and sickness benefits in 1944.
* In 1945 he became Prime Minister.
* Many things his government did include -
        * After World War II the Commonwealth Government joined the United Nations.
        * It announced its objective of raising the population to 20 million.
        * The War Service Land Settlement Act introduced the Soldier Settlement Scheme.
        * The Education Act 1945 set up a Universities Commission for expansion of university education.
        * The Hospital Benefits Act 1945 provided grants to States to subsidise public hospitals.
* The first Holden car was 'launched' by Chifley in 1948.
* The Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was passed.
* The Snowy Mountains Authority was commenced in 1949.
* The National Health Service Acts of 1948 and 1949.
* Chifley broke the national coal strike by sending in the army to work open cuts mines in 1949.
* He continued in Parliament as a Opposition Leader after his defeat by Robert Menzies.
* He died on the way to hospital after a heart attack in his hotel room in Canberra, 13 June 1951.
* He was a humble man who never forgot he had been a train driver before he was a politician.



A Century of Prime Ministers, by Scott Brodie, published by Watts Publishing
Internet Sites
http://www.nma.gov.au/primeministers/3.htm