McEwen ministry

The McEwen ministry was the 43rd ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 18th prime minister, John McEwen. The McEwen ministry succeeded the Second Holt ministry, which dissolved on 19 December 1967 following the disappearance of former prime minister Harold Holt – the third and most recent occasion where a sitting prime minister died in office. Since McEwen was the head of the Country Party, it was a caretaker ministry until the senior partner in the Coalition, the Liberal Party, could [1968 Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party of Australia leadership election|elect] a new leader. John Gorton was ultimately elected on 9 January 1968, and he was sworn in as prime minister along with his ministry the following day.
As of 1 May 2025, Ian Sinclair is the last surviving member of the McEwen ministry; Sinclair is also the last surviving minister of the Menzies, Holt, Gorton, and McMahon governments, as well as the First Fraser ministry. James Forbes, who died in 2019, was the last surviving Liberal minister, and Allen Fairhall, who died in 2006, was the last surviving Liberal Cabinet minister.