No Australian has a higher profile than the Prime Minister.

Since 1901 twenty-seven people have held the post of head of government. Their terms of office range from Frank Forde's six days to Robert Menzies' sixteen years. Three were caretakers.

Here we see the full range of characters from the laid-back to the irrational, the determined to the hapless, the idealist to the opportunist. This is the story of how driven individuals shaped Australian society for better or worse over more than a century.

Australia's prime ministers and their governments are the backbone of our democracy. Follow the path of change and development from the simple days of Edmund Barton in 1901 to the complexity and pressure of today's government.

These are the Prime Ministers, leading the nation.