PMs’ wives often silent but always a power behind the throne

Lucy Turnbull has joined of one of Australia’s most elite clubs. But expect her be a lot more active than some of its past members.

Copy pic Prime Minister John Curtin with his family, son John, wife Elsie, and daughter Elsie circa 1940s. Pic. National Library of Australia. Picture: Supplied

Lucy Turnbull is one of a new breed of prime ministerial spouse, one whose accomplishments rival those of her partner and who could probably have run for the top job herself under other circumstances.

It is expected she will adhere to the trend of recent times for the life partner of the elected leader of Australia to take on a highly visible role. But, in the early years of our political history, many leaders’ spouses remained very much in the background, even if they were extremely busy.

Jane Ross, for example, was 26 when she married barrister and aspiring politician Edmund Barton in 1877. The couple had been seeing each other for five years. Although Barton praised her singing, Jane had no occupation or tertiary education but later correspondence shows her to have been intelligent and articulate.

Before Barton became prime minister Jane was active in the cause for Federation, becoming vice-president of the Sydney Women’s Federal League. But, apart from being founding president of exclusive women’s club the Queen’s Club and sitting on the first committee of Crown Street Women’s Hospital, she did not have a long list of accomplishments beyond keeping the Barton household running and supporting Edmund’s career (which some might argue is accomplishment enough).

Prime Minister John Curtin with his wife Elsie circa 1945.

Similarly Pattie Deakin did not have a career before marrying the struggling barrister Alfred Deakin but she became deeply involved in organisations relating to nursing and childcare. She even ran a model creche at the 1907 Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work in Melbourne that led to the establishment of the Association of Creches with Pattie as founding president.

Ada, wife of the first Labor prime minister Chris Watson, had little time to accomplish anything during her husband’s brief tenure and is known mostly for influencing her husband to quit politics.

Labor leader Andrew Fisher’s wife Margaret was very different, taking part in political rallies, including for women’s suffrage.

Some wives were also crucial to their husbands’ political success. Joseph Cook’s wife, Mary, was a schoolteacher who, long before Cook was PM, helped the coal miner overcome a lack of education to make it possible for him to enter politics.

Mary Hughes, wife of WWI PM Billy, had skills that were a boon during those dark times. She was a trained nurse who was able to look after her husband’s health and also involved herself with the health of soldiers during the war.

Harold Holt with his wife Zara, who managed her own fashion business.

By comparison Ethel Bruce (wife of Stanley) and Sarah Scullin (wife of James) Mary Hughes’s successors in The Lodge, were political wives who have left little mark on history.

Not so Enid Burnell, who was an educated schoolteacher and was active in local politics before she married politician Joseph Lyons. Lyons died in 1939 and Enid later entered politics herself. She also later became a journalist and a commissioner of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Elsie Curtin, wife of WWII prime minister John Curtin, was politically active in the Labor Women’s Organisation (LWO) and involved with other organisations before John entered The Lodge. Elsie’s experience keeping the accounts in her father’s sign-writing business meant she saw to most of the Curtin family’s finances.

After the war Elizabeth Chifley, wife of Ben, and Pattie Menzies, wife of Robert, were both notable, and well-loved, only for being devoted political wives, known more for their homemaking skills than their political opinions.

Prime Minister William McMahon and his wife Sonia McMahon at the White House in 1971.

By the 1960s wives were becoming more sophisticated and high profile.

Harold Holt’s wife, Zara, managed her own fashion business and Billy McMahon’s wife Sonia McMahon, an occupational therapist, made international headlines for her fashion choice for a White House function.

Gough Whitlam’s wife Margaret had degrees in economics and social sciences and, when Gough became PM, a spokeswoman for women’s issues and rights.

CAREERS OF OUR FIRST WIVES CLUB

Mary Turner (wife of Joseph Cook): teacher.

Mary Campbell (Billy Hughes): nurse.

Sonia Hopkins (Billy McMahon): occupational therapist.

Hazel Masterson (Bob Hawke): accomplished pianist.

Annita van Iersel (Paul Keating): flight attendant, speaks several languages

Margaret Dovey (Gough Whitlam): represented Australia in swimming at the 1938 Empire Games

Therese Reine (Kevin Rudd): psychologist and founder of employment company Ingeus

Tim Mathieson (Julia Gillard): hairdresser, property agent

Margie Aitken (Tony Abbott): teacher, also worked in recruitment

Originally published as PMs’ wives often silent but always a power behind the throne