Another former prime minister, Stanley Bruce, had also been considered a leadership contender, but for various reasons (including his position outside of parliament as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom) he was never nominated.

[1][2] Following the death of Prime Minister and United Australia Party (UAP) leader Joseph Lyons on 7 April 1939, the United Australia Party was to hold a leadership election eleven days later to decide whom the next UAP leader and Prime Minister would be.

[4] George Fairbanks, in the Australian Quarterly, wrote of the lead-up to the leadership contest: “The next fortnight witnessed one of the most dramatic episodes in Australian politics; there was "fierce lobbying" by aspirants to the leadership, while a small group organised by Page and Casey tried desperately to stop the succession of Menzies.”[5] Page was given the assurance of then-Leader of the Opposition John Curtin (Labor) to continue with the government until the next federal election 1 year and 156 days away.

The press took a keen interest in the leadership contest, which was one of the first in which a party chose a new prime minister in an open fashion with multiple viable candidates.

[9] The Herald on 12 April stated a slight preference for Bruce, but observed that it would probably be too difficult to recall him from London and that Menzies was the only other alternative.