On December 2 1972, after 23 years in opposition, Gough Whitlam led the Labor party back to government. What followed was three tumultuous years of crisis and transformation, after which Australia would…
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Articles on The Dismissal
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While many of the letters are quite candid, their release after so many years is hardly damaging, and the efforts to keep them secret for so long are again shown to be absurd.
Most Australians have known no British sovereign other than the queen. Without her, questions about a republic will again come to the fore.
In this extract from Jenny Hocking’s new book, Buckingham Palace becomes alarmed when Sir John Kerr agitates for the release of the so-called “palace letters” to bolster his version of events.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Geoff Kitney on a life in journalism and the contemporary media landscape.
Michelle Grattan sits down with veteran journalist Geoff Kitney to discuss his career.
In the midst of our present crisis, this week’s release of the Palace letters has taken us back to the debate about another crisis, massive at the time and of lasting significance but rather put into perspective…
The letters confirm the worst fears of those who viewed Governor-General John Kerr’s sacking of the Whitlam government as a constitutional coup.
There are many questions regarding The Dismissal that can still be debated. But the queen simply advised the governor-general to follow the constitution, which is as she should have done.
After a long court battle, Australians are finally about to learn more about one of the most pivotal episodes in our political and constitutional history.
The dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975 is our story, and we have a right to know it in full.
However, the win does not necessarily mean the public will have access to the letters - much now rests on what the National Archives does next.
The continued embargo on documents relating to the dismissal of the Whitlam government point to the lingering imperial power that comes from an incomplete severance of colonial ties.
The Dismissal soured politicians’ taste for brinkmanship. It revealed the likely consequence of a loss of political legitimacy.
Is the Dismissal a moment that will become even more significant if the push for Australia to become a republic gains momentum?
The way in which Bob Wilesmith’s footage has come to dominate Australians’ recollection of The Dismissal is a story of prescience, luck and the limitations of the TV news technology of the day.
Sir John Kerr probably made his own decision to dismiss the Whitlam government much earlier than he acknowledged publicly while alive – but he came to this conclusion in discussion with others.
In comments reported in a new book to mark the 40th anniversary of the dismissal of Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott offer sharply differing views.
Malcolm Fraser used to argue that he had not changed his political position, but he had in significant ways. This personal evolution was a wonderful quality in the former prime minister.
Malcolm Fraser’s record in public life was remarkable, ensuring he’d be remembered not only for his role in The Dismissal, but for how far apart he and the party he once led came to be.
Former prime minister Gough Whitlam has died at the age of 98. His family said in a short statement that he died this morning. “A loving and generous father, he was a source of inspiration to us and our…
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