Ben Chifley

Joseph Benedict Chifley (; 22 September 1885 – 13 June 1951) was the 16th prime minister of Australia, serving from 1945 to 1949. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and was notable for defining Australia's post-war reconstruction efforts, enacting social and immigration reforms and advancing the nationalisation of critical industries. Chifley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and joined the New South Wales Government Railways after leaving school, eventually qualifying as an engine driver. Before entering politics, he was an organiser for the Federated Union of Locomotive Employees, and was also a director of The National Advocate. After several previous unsuccessful candidacies, Chifley was elected to parliament in the 1928 federal election. In 1931, he was appointed Minister for Defence in the government of James Scullin. He served in cabinet for less than a year before losing his seat at the 1931 federal election, which saw the government suffer an electoral wipeout. After his electoral defeat, Chifley remained involved in politics as a party official, siding with the federal Labor leadership against the Lang Labor faction. He served on a royal commission into the banking system in 1935, and in 1940 became a senior public servant in the Department of Munitions. Chifley was re-elected to parliament later that year, on his third attempt since 1931. He was appointed Treasurer in the new Curtin government in 1941, as one of the few Labor MPs with previous ministerial experience. The following year Chifley was additionally made Minister for Postwar Reconstruction, making him one of the most powerful members of the government. He became prime minister following Curtin's death in office in 1945, defeating caretaker prime minister Frank Forde in a leadership ballot. At the 1946 Australian federal election, Chifley was re-elected with a slightly reduced...