James Henry "Jim" Scullin (18 September 1876 – 28 January 1953) was an
Australian Labor Party politician and the ninth
Prime Minister of Australia. Scullin led Labor to government at the
1929 election. The
Wall Street Crash of 1929 transpired just two days after his swearing in, which would herald the beginning of the
Great Depression in Australia. Scullin's administration would soon be overwhelmed by the economic crisis, with interpersonal and policy disagreements causing a three-way split of his party that would bring down the government in late 1931. Despite his chaotic term of office, Scullin remained a leading figure in the Labor movement throughout his lifetime, and served as an
éminence grise in various capacities for the party until his retirement in 1949.