sir Robert Menzies

Robert Gordon Menzies was born in Victoria in 1894. He was one of five babies born in the back room of his Father's grocery store! His father James Menzies was the son of Scottish crofters who had migrated to Australia in the mid-1850's in the wake of the Victorian Gold Rush. Though his mother Kate, nee Sampson, he inherited a link with Cornwall; his grandfather, John Sampson, was a miner from Penzance who came to Ballarat Victoria to seek his fortune on the gold-fields. Menzies's father was born in Ballarat in August 1862. He went early to work to help support his widowed mother and her family. He became a coach painter, and in the early days of the newly invented H. V. Mackay 'sunshine' Harvester, is known to have painted the first the first of these machines made in Ballarat.

Courtesy of The Menzies Foundation

Courtesy of:

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5557/menzies.html

When he was twelve Robert went to live with his grandmother and grandfather in the larger town of Ballarat. He was very good at his school work and he came first in the state in his exams when he was thirteen. When he was a law student at Melbourne University, Robert again excelled and graduated in first class honors in 1916.
Although he was a brilliant lawyer, he became more interested in politics. He was first elected as a member of Victoria's State Parliament. Later he entered Federal politics as a senior member of the "United Australian Party". 0n the 26th of April 1939, Robert Gordon Menzies was elected to the position of Prime Minister on the 26th April 1939 on the death of the Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
Robert Menzies still has the record for being the longest serving Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister for seventeen years! When Robert Menzies past away the age of 83, with his funeral being attended by world leaders including royalty.