8th January 1885 John Cur)n born in Creswick, Victoria.
1903 John & Kate John Cur)n became Cur)n with son a clerk for the Titan John, taken in Manufacturing Melbourne, 1885. JCPML00376/212 Company.
John Cur)n’s Life
1911 Cur)n le, the Titan Manufacturing Company and became the Secretary of the Timber Workers’ Union in Victoria. January 1917 Cur)n moved to WA and became the editor of the Western Australian Labor party newspaper, called the “Westralian Worker”. 1918 WWI ends.
John Cur)n in his early twen)es. JCPML00689/3
1899 John Cur)n le, school at 14 to support his family 1906 when his father became Published his first sick. He started work as a newspaper ar)cle in the “printer boy” for The Age journal of the Victorian newspaper. Socialist Party.
August 1919 Elected as the state representa)ve of the Australian Journalist’s Associa)on.
1928 John Cur)n ran for the seat of Fremantle for the third )me, and won. Labor had not held this seat for 15 years. He resigned as the editor of the “Westralian Worker”.
March 1942 General Douglas Macarthur arrives in Australia as “Supreme Commander of October 1937 the Allied Forces”. November 1942 The Liberal Party wins Macarthur and Cur)n The Pacific War Council the federal elec)on with th become close friends. met in Washington DC. a 74:29 seat majority. 7 October 1941 Cur)n became the John Cur)n said that Prime Minister of Australia could not help Australia when the Britain any longer – he Liberal party couldn’t wanted Australia to February 1943 1944 pass their budget. The defend herself and he February 1942 Australia and New Governor-‐General wanted America to help. He passed a law saying all men who were fit Zealand signed a asked the Australian Japanese forces 1934 and over 18 had to join bomb Darwin. treaty, making the Labor Party to form Prime Minister Cur)n Cur)n regained the army. This was There were 64 air countries close allies. Government. and General Macarthur, John Cur)n, 1937 his seat of called conscrip)on. raids on Darwin Sydney June 1943. Federal Elec)on Fremantle. JCPML00376/69 during WWII. souvenir. JCPML00382/56
1914 Start of WWI.
27th April 1917 Married Elsie Needham.
1919 Stood for the seat of Fremantle, but lost.
September 1939 1931 1935 A na)onal elec)on John Cur)n was voted Australia entered WWII. was held but Labor in as the leader of the 1925 lost, Cur)n lost his Labor Party Australia. December 1941 He ran for the seat, and he moved He won by one vote. Japan acacks Pearl Fremantle seat back to Perth to Harbour and ten days again, but he lost. work for the Perth later Australia Trades Hall Council. declares war on Japan.
1916 Became the Secretary of the An)-‐Conscrip)on League Victoria.
Elsie and John Cur)n, October 1917. JCPML00376/14
John Cur)n aged 34 years, December 1919. JCPML00381/16
February 1942 Despite objec)ons from Churchill, John Cur)n recalls the AIF back to Australia and instead of defending North Africa, they defend Papua New Guinea.
June 1942 Cur)n introduces Commonwealth income tax to help pay for the war. He also introduces social services including sickness benefits and widows’ pensions, which are paid for by the taxes.
John Cur)n with his wife, son and daughter outside their Cocesloe home January 1942. JCPML00376/34
August 1943 Labor wins the federal elec)on and in his Fremantle seat Cur)n increases his majority from 600 to 20,000 votes.
5th July 1945 John Cur)n died. He was the second Australian Prime Minister to die in office.
John Cur)n's coffin lying in state, King's Hall, Parliament House, 1945. JCPML00376/180
8th May 1945 WWII ends in Europe. November 1944 Cur)n had a heart acack and spends two months in hospital.
15th August 1945 The war ends in Asia, Australia and the Pacific.