When Prime Minister Curtin died in office on 5 July 1945, after leading the Australian nation through the darkest years of the Second World War, his death was announced in Parliament by Senator Keane, who offered this tribute.
This man was truly one with the masses who populate our country. He had striven and struggled among them, and when he came to the highest place in the land he was still one of them... It is true that he had dreams for the future. He had an abiding faith in the future national greatness of Australia, and I recall the vivid picture he painted of what he could see for the future... For those of us who remain, he has set a course for us to follow... (1)
This web publication explores the course that Curtin set, focussing on the achievements of the Labor Government under his leadership. Believing that 'the peace must be won for the masses' (2), Curtin used his wartime prime ministership to further his lifelong dream of a fair go for all Australians, implementing Labor programs in the areas of economic reform, social services and immigration, education, public broadcasting, and foreign policy, while maintaining confidence in the power of Parliament.
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