Howard entered office with a 45-seat majority — the second-biggest majority in Australian history , only behind Fraser 's 55-seat majority in 1975 . At the age of 56 , he was sworn in as prime minister on 11 March 1996 , ending a record 13 years of Coalition opposition . Howard departed from tradition and made his primary residence Kirribilli House in Sydney rather than The Lodge in Canberra . Early in the term Howard had championed significant new restrictions on gun ownership following the Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people had been shot dead . Achieving agreement in the face of immense opposition from within the Coalition and some State governments , was credited with significantly elevating Howard 's stature as prime minister despite a backlash from core Coalition rural constituents
Port Arthur massacre
Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
John Howard