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Australia's first Governor-General committed what became known as the Hopetoun B
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December 19

Hopetoun Blunder: Australia's First Governor-General Picks the Wrong PM

Australia's first Governor-General committed what became known as the Hopetoun Blunder by appointing Sir William Lyne as prime minister designate, only for Lyne to fail to assemble a cabinet. The embarrassing miscalculation forced the Governor-General to turn to Edmund Barton, who successfully formed Australia's first federal government within days.

December 19, 1900

126 years ago

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