Prime Minister Joseph Lyons dies

07 April 1939

While travelling from Canberra to Sydney, Prime Minister Joseph Lyons suffered a heart attack and died. Lyons had led Australia out of the Great Depression and had been Prime Minister for 7 years. 

Because Lyons was the first prime minister to die in office, there was no guide to what the Governor-General should do. Using his reserve powers – powers that are not included in the Australian Constitution – the Governor-General ended Lyons’ commission as Prime Minister. He then asked Earle Page, leader of the Country Party, to act as Prime Minister until the United Australia Party (Lyons’ party) was able to choose a new leader. Twenty days later, Page advised the Governor-General to commission the new leader of the United Australia Party, Robert Menzies, as Prime Minister.

This course of action was used by future Governors-General after the death of Prime Minister John Curtin in 1945 and Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967.