John Grey Gorton was born in Melbourne, Victoria on the 9th September 1911 and was the second child of John Rose Gorton and Alice Sinn.  He was educated at the Headford Preparatory School of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, before attending Geelong Grammar and finally completing his education at Oxford University in England.

After graduating from Oxford he returned to Australia and managed his father's orchard in Kerang, country Victoria. 

John Gorton enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on the 8th November 1940 and trained as a fighter pilot.  He served in South Africa, Darwin, Papua, the UK and Singapore.  While in Singapore, he was severely wounded when his aircraft hit an embankment and flipped over.  Even though he had reconstructive surgery, the injuries he sustained remained with him for the rest of his life.

He entered local government when he resumed management of the family orchard in Kerang, serving as a member of the Kerang Shire Council from 1946 to 1952, and president from 1949 to 1950.

John Gorton entered federal politics in 1949 when he was elected to the Senate for the Liberal Party, serving in a number of ministerial positions throughout the Menzies and Holt goverments.  Upon Harold Holt's disappearance in 1967, John McEwen was sworn in as the interim Prime Minister.  A leadership battle followed with John Gorton being elected leader of the Liberal Party and being sworn in as the 19th Prime Minister of Australia on the 10th January 1969.  He served in this capacity until 1972, when Labour won the federal election of that year.

Sir John Grey Gorton died in Sydney on the 19th May 2002 at the age of 91. He is commemorated in the Prime Minister's Garden at Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria.