John McEwen

The Right Honourable Sir John McEwen GCMG CH
McEwen in 1960
18th Prime Minister of Australia
In office 19 December 1967 – 10 January 1968
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor‑General	Lord Casey
Preceded by	Harold Holt
Succeeded by	John Gorton
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office 10 January 1968 – 5 February 1971
Prime Minister	John Gorton
Preceded by	office established
Succeeded by	Doug Anthony
Leader of the Country Party
In office 26 March 1958 – 5 February 1971
Deputy	Charles Davidson Charles Adermann Doug Anthony
Preceded by	Arthur Fadden
Succeeded by	Doug Anthony
Deputy Leader of the Country Party
In office 12 March 1941 – 26 March 1958
Leader	Arthur Fadden
Preceded by	Arthur Fadden
Succeeded by	Charles Davidson
Minister for Trade and Industry
In office 11 January 1956 – 5 February 1971
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies Harold Holt Himself John Gorton
Preceded by	Neil O'Sullivan
Succeeded by	Doug Anthony
Minister for Commerce and Agriculture
In office 19 December 1949 – 11 January 1956
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Reg Pollard
Succeeded by	William McMahon
Minister for Air and Civil Aviation
In office 28 October 1940 – 7 October 1941
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies Arthur Fadden
Preceded by	Arthur Fadden
Succeeded by	Arthur Drakeford
Minister for External Affairs
In office 14 March 1940 – 28 October 1940
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Henry Gullett
Succeeded by	Frederick Stewart
Minister for the Interior
In office 29 November 1937 – 26 April 1939
Prime Minister	Joseph Lyons Earle Page
Preceded by	Thomas Paterson
Succeeded by	Harry Foll
Father of the House
In office 30 September 1969 – 1 February 1971
Preceded by	Joe Clark
Succeeded by	Arthur Calwell
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 10 December 1949 – 1 February 1971
Preceded by	constituency established
Succeeded by	Bruce Lloyd
Constituency	Murray
In office 23 October 1937 – 10 December 1949
Preceded by	William Hutchinson
Succeeded by	William Bostock
Constituency	Indi
In office 15 September 1934 – 23 October 1937
Preceded by	William Hill
Succeeded by	constituency abolished
Constituency	Echuca
Personal details
Born	(1900-03-29)29 March 1900 Chiltern, Victoria, Australia
Died	20 November 1980(1980-11-20) (aged 80) Toorak, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Country
Spouses	Anne McLeod ​ ​ (m. 1921; died 1967)​ Mary Byrne ​ (m. 1968)​
Education	Wangaratta State School Dandenong State School
Occupation	Farmer, politician

Sir John McEwen GCMG CH (29 March 1900 – 20 November 1980) was an Australian politician and farmer who served as the 18th prime minister of Australia from 1967 to 1968, in a caretaker capacity following the disappearance of prime minister Harold Holt. He was the leader of the Country Party from 1958 to 1971, serving as the inaugural deputy prime minister of Australia from 1968 to 1971.

McEwen was born in Chiltern, Victoria. He was orphaned at the age of seven and raised by his grandmother, initially in Wangaratta and then in Dandenong. McEwen left school when he was 13 and joined the Australian Army at the age of 18, but the war ended before his unit was shipped out. He was nonetheless eligible for a soldier settlement scheme, and selected a property at Stanhope. He established a dairy farm, but later bought a larger property and farmed beef cattle.

After several previous unsuccessful candidacies, McEwen was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1934 federal election. He was first elevated to cabinet by Joseph Lyons in 1937. McEwen became deputy leader of the Country Party in 1940, under Arthur Fadden. He replaced Fadden as leader in 1958, and remained in the position until his retirement from politics in 1971. He served in parliament for 36 years in total, spending a record 25 years as a government minister.

The Liberal-Country Coalition returned to power in 1949, initially under Robert Menzies and then under Harold Holt. McEwen came to have a major influence on economic policy, particularly in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, and trade. When Holt disappeared and was presumed dead while in office in December 1967, he was commissioned as caretaker prime minister while the Liberal Party elected a new leader. He was 67 at the time, the oldest person to become prime minister and only the third from the Country Party. McEwen ceded power to John Gorton after 23 days in office, and in recognition of his service was appointed deputy prime minister, the first time that position had been formally created. He was Australia's third shortest serving prime minister, after Earle Page and Frank Forde. He remained as deputy prime minister until his retirement from politics in 1971.