Malcolm Turnbull is no longer the Prime Minister, after a leadership challenge that became uglier by the minute over the space of four days.

Peter Dutton was the initial challenger, but he was eventually toppled by Scott Morrison after a second Liberal spill.

So how did we go from a Turnbull-run country to a Morrison-led country?

Tuesday morning

The Prime Minister opens the Liberal party room meeting by calling a leadership spill, surprising most of his colleagues.

Mr Dutton challenges, but the PM narrowly wins 48 votes to 35.

The challenger resigns from his Cabinet position as home affairs minister.

Tuesday afternoon/evening

Peter Dutton moved straight to the backbench after his failed leadership bid. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

Frontbenchers and Dutton supporters Michael Sukkar, James McGrath, Angus Taylor, Zed Seselja, Michael Keenan, Steve Ciobo, Greg Hunt, Alan Tudge, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells offer to quit the ministry.

The PM declines all resignations except Senator Fierravanti-Wells, whose highly critical resignation letter accuses the party of moving too far away from its conservative base.

Wednesday morning

The PM insists the frontbenchers who offered to resign are back in his camp and maintains he has the support of most of his party room.

Key conservative Mathias Cormann holds a press conference alongside the PM and publicly declares: "I support Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister."

Mathias Cormann (left) appeared with the PM on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, he resigned. ( ABC: Matt Roberts )

A series of Cabinet ministers and Dutton supporters are seen going into and out of the PM's office.

Wednesday afternoon/evening

Senator Cormann visits the Prime Minister to tell him that five Cabinet ministers have switched support to the Dutton camp since Tuesday's meeting and advises him that "he no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of members in the Liberal Party party room".

The Finance Minister offers to resign but is rebuffed.

The Dutton camp starts circulating a petition and collecting signatures, calling for a party room meeting to resolve the leadership.

Mr McGrath, the Assistant Minister to the PM, goes to see Mr Turnbull to insist he accept his resignation from the ministry.

Thursday morning

After failing in his Tuesday morning leadership challenge, Peter Dutton told the PM he had the numbers first thing on Thursday. ( ABC News: Matthew Abbott )

Mr Sukkar and Senator Seselja also formally resign and add their names to the petition.

Mr Dutton tells the Prime Minister he has the numbers and wants to challenge him for the leadership again, but Mr Turnbull refuses the request to call a party room meeting.

Senator Cormann goes to see the PM again to reiterate what he told him on Wednesday and advise him to call a party room meeting to settle the leadership.

The senator and Cabinet ministers Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash hold a press conference to publicly reveal that they no longer support Mr Turnbull as Liberal leader.

Mathias Cormann (centre), Mitch Fifield (left) and Michaelia Cash (left top) in the back of the Senate after resigning as MPs on Thursday. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

That prompts a number of other ministers to quit, meaning 10 of the 11 Liberal frontbenchers who initially offered to resign have now forced the PM's hand.

Treasurer Scott Morrison throws his hat in the ring as a candidate for the leadership in the case of another vote.

Thursday afternoon

With the make-up of the Government in flux, Christopher Pyne moves a motion to adjourn Parliament early, which is upheld.

An hour later, Mr Turnbull fronts the media and says he will only call a new party-room meeting once he sees a letter with signatures of a majority of the party room supporting Mr Dutton. He says that meeting will happen at midday on Friday if he receives the letter.

Labor MPs waved and shouted as Liberal MPs left the House of Representatives after a shocking early adjournment. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joins the ranks of those in the running should there be another vote for Liberal leader.

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton's supporters say he has about 40 signatures.

Friday morning

Julie Bishop and Scott Morrison became new contenders for the Liberal leadership late in the game. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

With speculation swirling about who has the numbers, Queensland MP Warren Entsch says he will cast the crucial 43rd vote for a spill if it is required.

As requested by the Attorney-General, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue releases his legal advice about Mr Dutton's eligibility to sit in Parliament, saying the former home affairs minister is "not incapable" of taking his place.

Mr Dutton delivers his petition, complete with the required 43 signatures, calling for a spill to the Prime Minister's Office. Mr Turnbull calls for a party room meeting at 12:20pm.

Friday afternoon

In the party room, Liberal MPs vote 45-40 to spill the leadership positions.

Ms Bishop, Mr Morrison and Mr Dutton all nominate for the top job, but Ms Bishop is knocked out in the first round of voting.

Mr Morrison wins the second round 45-40 to become the party's leader and Australia's 30th prime minister.

Scott Morrison replaced Malcolm Turnbull as Australia's Prime Minister after a second spill. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg wins an "absolute majority" of the vote for deputy leader, in which he went up against Greg Hunt and Steve Ciobo.

In his last press conference as prime minister, Mr Turnbull hails Ms Bishop and the incoming PM, while outlining his policy successes and maligning "the insurgency" from inside his own party that "wanted to bring down the Government [and] my prime ministership".