Frank Forde

Biography

Francis Michael Forde was born on 18 July 1890 at Mitchell, Queensland, to Irish-born parents. He was educated at a Christian Brothers school in Toowoomba and worked as a teacher and then as a telegraphist with the postal service. Active in the labour movement, he won the seat of Rockhampton in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1917.

In 1922 Forde entered federal Parliament as the member for Capricornia, which he held for 24 years. He served in the Scullin Government, taking responsibility for trade and customs, and became deputy leader of the Labor Party. He narrowly lost the leadership contest to John Curtin in 1935 but remained deputy leader, and in the Curtin Government from 1941 he served as Minister for the Army throughout the Pacific war. In 1945 he co-led the Australian delegation to the San Francisco conference that founded the United Nations.

When Curtin died on 5 July 1945, Forde, as deputy leader, was sworn in as Prime Minister on 6 July. His term lasted eight days. In the Labor caucus ballot that followed he was defeated by Ben Chifley, who was sworn in on 13 July 1945. Forde's term remains the shortest of any Australian prime minister. He served as deputy prime minister and Minister for Defence under Chifley.

Forde lost Capricornia at the 1946 election. He was then appointed High Commissioner to Canada, serving until 1953. He later returned to state politics, briefly representing Flinders in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the 1950s. Forde died in Brisbane on 28 January 1983.