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Curtin left school
at the age of 12, started his working life in a print shop, and then became a
journalist.
Between 1903 and
1907 he was a good amateur footballer playing for Brunswick in the VFA until
poor eyesight shortened his career. He then became a Brunswick committee man and
served on the Committee of Investigation into rough play for the VFA. In 1917 he
moved to Perth in WA. He barracked for Carlton in the VFL.
Curtin entered
federal politics in 1928, winning the Fremantle seat in the House of
Representatives for Labor. By 1935 he was leader of the Labor party and in
October 1941 became prime minister. As prime minister he worked determinedly to
adapt the economy to a wartime situation and to establish Australia as part of
the Pacific region, more dependent for security on the United States than on
Great Britain; he also came into conflict with Winston Churchill, arguing
heatedly for the withdrawal of Australian troops from the Middle East. Curtin's
excessive workload undermined his health and he died in office on July 5, 1945,
a few months before the Allied victory.
The first stamp
featuring John Curtin was issued as part of the third series of Australian Prime
Ministers on the 26th March 1975. (left) Other PM's included Scullen, Lyons,
Page, Fadden and Chiefley. The
Wesley Cover Service
as well as
Australia Post
released a First Day Cover. The five
stamps were also released in a
Post Office Pack.
A set of five
stamps, 2
FDCs
, 5
Maximim Cards
and
Post Office Pack,
commemorating the five war time Prime Ministers, including Curtin (right) were
issued on the 11th August 1994, nearing 50 years from the end of the second
world war. |
