Anthony Albanese has denounced Gough Whitlam’s dismissal from office in 1975 as “a calculated plot, hatched by conservative forces
Articles on The Dismissal
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Michelle Grattan is one of the few remaining working journalists who witnesses The Dismissal first hand. She shares her memories of that tumultuous day.
After The Dismissal, Gough Whitlam called John Kerr’s wife, gifted linguist Anne Kerr, ‘the Lady Macbeth of Yarralumla’. Who was she – and what was her influence?
With a bold reform agenda and occasional administrative chaos, Whitlam’s three-year government had, and continues to have, a profound effect on Australian life.
The dismissal is etched into the mind of all who were there at the time, but at its 50th anniversary is its legacy really appreciated?
The coming federal election may show that Malcolm Fraser’s version of liberalism still has a place in Australia’s politics.
This new comedic musical is not just a dramatisation of the events of 1975, it is also an attempt to understand our maddening political culture.
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…
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.
Top contributors
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Professor Emerita in Constitutional Law, University of Sydney
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Emeritus Professor, Monash University
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Professor of History, President, Australian Historical Association, Macquarie University
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Adjunct Fellow, Western Sydney University
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ANU Law, Australian National University
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Dennis Altman is a Friend of The Conversation.
Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow, Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
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Honorary Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in Australian Political Studies, University of Canberra
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Lecturer, RMIT University
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Professor, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra
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Professorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Vice-Chancellor's professorial fellow, Monash University
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Lecturer in History, Flinders University