# Joseph Lyons

_Australian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Australia (1879-1939)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/joseph-lyons
Last updated: 2026-11-10

> Joseph Aloysius Lyons was the tenth prime minister of Australia, serving from 1932 until his death in 1939. He held office as the inaugural leader of the United Australia Party (UAP), having previously led the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) before the Australian Labor Party split of 1931. He served as the 26th premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 15 September 1879 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Stanley ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P19))
- **Died:** 7 April 1939 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P570))
- **Place of death:** Darlinghurst ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Australia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; teacher; trade unionist; civil servant ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P106))
- **Political party:** United Australia Party (1931–1939); Australian Labor Party (1909–1931) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P102))
- **Spouse:** Enid Lyons ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P26))
- **Positions held:** Minister for Defence (20 November 1937 – 29 November 1937); Minister for Veterans' Affairs (8 November 1935 – 6 February 1936); Vice-President of the Executive Council (6 November 1935 – 29 November 1937); Minister for Health (6 November 1935 – 29 November 1937); Prime Minister of Australia (6 January 1932 – 7 April 1939); Treasurer of Australia (6 January 1932 – 2 October 1935); Australian Minister for Agriculture (6 January 1932 – 2 October 1935); Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts (22 October 1929 – 4 February 1931); Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (22 October 1929 – 4 February 1931); member of the Australian House of Representatives (12 October 1929 – 7 April 1939); Leader of the Opposition (1928–1929); Premier of Tasmania (25 October 1925 – 15 June 1928); Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly (30 April 1909 – 13 September 1929) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P39))
- **Awards:** Companion of Honour; Farrer Memorial Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966#P166))

## Questions

**When was Joseph Lyons born?**  
Joseph Lyons was born on 15 September 1879 in Stanley.

**What positions has Joseph Lyons held?**  
Positions held by Joseph Lyons include: Minister for Defence (1937–1937); Minister for Veterans' Affairs (1935–1936); Vice-President of the Executive Council (1935–1937); Minister for Health (1935–1937); Prime Minister of Australia (1932–1939).

## Related

- [John Curtin](https://diginpl.com/people/john-curtin)
- [Ben Chifley](https://diginpl.com/people/ben-chifley)
- [Robert Menzies](https://diginpl.com/people/robert-menzies)
- [Malcolm Fraser](https://diginpl.com/people/malcolm-fraser)
- [Joseph Cook](https://diginpl.com/people/joseph-cook)
- [William McMahon](https://diginpl.com/people/william-mcmahon)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Joseph Lyons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lyons) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): जोसेफ लायोन्स](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AB_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q370966](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370966) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Joseph Lyons 1932-01 (cropped).jpg by Fairfax (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Lyons_1932-01_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Joseph Lyons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Joseph Lyons 1932-01 (cropped).jpg — Fairfax, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Joseph Lyons". DigiNepal. Last updated 10 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/joseph-lyons. Retrieved 10 November 2026.