Malcolm Turnbull became Australia’s 29th Prime Minister after beating Tony Abbott in a party room ballot.

Mr Abbott was removed from leadership of the Liberal Party by a margin of 10 votes, 54-44.

Following is a list of how the Federal leaders have changed over the past decade.

LIBERAL

* BRENDAN NELSON, Nov 2007 – Sept 2008

Following the defeat of the Howard government at the 2007 election, Brendan Nelson took the reins as opposition leader, but was deposed by Malcolm Turnbull in a spill motion in September, 2008.

* MALCOLM TURNBULL, Sept 2008 – Dec 2009

Took over as leader of the opposition from Brendan Nelson in 2008, Turnbull was ousted from the role by Tony Abbott in December 2009, losing by one vote in a leadership ballot brought on by internal division over the Rudd government’s emissions trading scheme.

* TONY ABBOTT, Dec 2009 – Sept 2015

Seized the leadership from Turnbull, led the party to the 2010 election which resulted in a hung parliament, with Labor forming government with crossbench support.

Kept the job and ran an effective opposition, becoming prime minister when he defeated Kevin Rudd in September, 2013.

Survived a move to spill the leadership in February 2015 and pledged to do better, but internal turmoil and gaffes continued.

Turnbull challenged on Monday, saying it was clear the Abbott government “is not successful in providing the economic leadership that we need”.

* MALCOLM TURNBULL, Sept 2015 – ??

Successfully challenged Abbott for the leadership, winning the ballot 54-44.

LABOR

* KIM BEAZLEY, Jan 2005 – Dec 2006

Beazley took over as federal Labor leader from Mark Latham, who resigned in January 2005.

It was Beazley’s second turn as opposition leader, having led Labor against John Howard from 1996 to 2001.

Kevin Rudd challenged in December, 2006, the start of a series of ALP machinations.

* KEVIN RUDD, Dec 2006 – June 2010

After toppling Beazley, Rudd swept to power in the 2007 federal election, ending John Howard’s long reign as prime minister.

However, by 2010 Rudd was unpopular and his government was beset by leaks and tales of dysfunction.

Rudd stepped aside and his deputy PM Julia Gillard was elected as leader to become Australia’s first female prime minister.

* JULIA GILLARD, June 2010 – June 2013

Gillard took over as PM declaring she would get the Labor government back on track.

With Rudd on the back bench, leadership rumbles never went away and in June, 2013, facing her own plunge in the polls and a looming election, Gillard called a leadership spill that was won by Rudd.

* KEVIN RUDD, June 2013 – Sept 2013

Rudd subsequently lost the 2013 election to Tony Abbott and stepped down as leader, then retired from politics.

* CHRIS BOWEN, Sept 2013 – Oct 2013

Following the 2013 election defeat, Bowen served as interim leader of the Labor Party during an unprecedented month-long process to select a new leader.

* BILL SHORTEN, Oct 2013 – present

Bill Shorten helped end Rudd’s prime ministership when he backed Gillard in 2010 and then switched his support to Rudd in 2013 to end Gillard’s tenure.

Following the 2013 election defeat, Shorten beat Anthony Albanese to the ALP leadership in a process that involved votes from both public members of the party and parliamentary members.