On this day in 1900… a giant of our political history was born.
Orphaned at the age of 7, Sir John ‘Black Jack’ McEwen grew up across the northern Victorian towns of Chiltern, Wangaratta and Dandenong. After joining the military, he took up a soldier settlement on a property in Stanthorpe, Queensland and quickly developed a reputation as being one of the best farmers in the area.
McEwen entered federal parliament when he won the seat of Echuca in 1934 and would go on to also be the Member for Indi and Murray until 1971. He would spend 34 of those years as a Minister or opposition frontbencher.
Nicknamed ‘Black Jack’ by Robert Menzies for his dark ‘beetle browed’ appearance and manner, McEwen became Australia’s 18th Prime Minister following the death of Harold Holt. He then became our first official Deputy Prime Minister until he retired.
As put by Senator Bridget McKenzie in her book ‘John McEwen: right man, right place, right time’ – his policies, known as ‘McEwenism,’ forged the nation’s post Second World War economic boom ushering in an era of unprecedented full employment and prosperity for all Australians.
They assisted in building a modern industrial economy, a truly independent nation and underpinned Australia’s successful post war immigration program. As Prime Minister following Harold Holt’s tragic death in 1967, McEwen provided the calm and stable leadership the nation needed.
Today we remember a true legend of our history. Happy Birthday Black Jack!