Description: (16th Prime Minister of Australia (1945 - 1949))
Joseph Benedict Chifley, an Australian politician and former train driver, served as the 16th prime minister of Australia from 1945 to 1949. A member of the Australian Labor Party, he held positions such as Treasurer and Minister for Postwar Reconstruction. Chifley played a key role in leading Australia's post-war reconstruction efforts, overseeing the implementation of social reforms and nation-building projects like expanding the welfare state, increasing post-war immigration, and establishing institutions such as the Australian National University and the Snowy Mountains Scheme.