He was sworn in at a simple ceremony, yet Mr Gorton "threw Government House officials into a slight panic by arriving eight minutes early for the ceremony".

Accompanying him at the ceremony was his wife Bettina, daughter Joanna and son Michael.

Mr Gorton's rise to role of Liberal Party leader, and subsequently prime minister, was sparked by tragedy.

All of these events were sparked by the disappearance of former prime minister Harold Holt.

For the auspol nerds, Mr Gorton remains the only senator in Australia's history to become a prime minister, but he later moved to the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, The Canberra Times reported Mrs Gorton being rather overwhelmed by the fanfare of her husband's ascension to power.

After inspecting The Lodge Mrs Gorton "returned to her home in Narrabundah to find journalists, well-wishers, flowers, chocolates and congratulatory telegrams".

"My feet are killing me," Mrs Gorton said.

"I don't know how on earth I'm going to be able to put my best foot forward, when I've hardly the strength to put one in front of the other.

"I just don't know how I'm going to cope with it.

"I hadn't even thought of being a prime minister's wife until a few days ago, and now that I am, I don't know where I'm going to get the energy for it".

See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/11658931