Whitlam appeared at the National Press Club to launch his book on the dismissal, The Truth of the Matter.
It was a classic Whitlam appearance, replete with witticisms and barbs at his opponents.
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The Dismissal led to calls for a new Constitution.
On the first anniversary of Whitlam’s sacking, Australians For A Constitutional Democracy held a series of rallies around Australia.
These pictures are from the rally held in the Melbourne Town Hall. Historian Manning Clark, Law academic Gareth Evans, writer Donald Horne and trade unionist John Halfpenny were among those who spoke.
This is a selection of audio clips from the 1975 Federal Election campaign.
The clips were first broadcast on radio and television programs during the election.
This is the the Sydney Morning Herald’s editorial on the morning after the dismissal of the Whitlam government.
Unlike The Age in Melbourne, the Herald supported Kerr’s decision.
The editorial appeared on page one of the newspaper. An image and the full text is shown below.
Text of editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald, November 12, 1975.
Cutting the knot
It is for the people now to decide the issue which the two leaders have failed to settle – The Governor-General.
Image of an article by Peter Bowers in the Sydney Morning Herald on November 12, 1975.
Decades on, the editorial in The Age newspaper on November 12, 1975, remains one of the clearest statements of the arguments against Sir John Kerr’s actions the previous day.
Editorial, The Age, November 12, 1975.
Sir John was wrong
Yesterday was the most extraordinary in the political life of this nation. It was also one of the most regrettable. The decision of the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, to dismiss the Whitlam Government was, we believe, a triumph of narrow legalism over common sense and popular feeling. We do not deny that Sir John had been placed in an appallingly difficult position by two stubborn men. We accept that he had a legal power to do as he did, and that he acted in good faith. But we believe he was wrong. We are not convinced the decision he took was the only one open to him, or that it was necessary to take it now. He has certainly not explained himself adequately.
Whitlam was dismissed as Prime Minister at 1pm on November 11. The Parliament was dissolved at around 4.45pm.
After delivering his famous speech on the steps of Parliament House, Whitlam held a press conference.
WHITLAM: Clearly the great issue, almost the sole issue of this campaign will be whether the Government which the people elected with a majority in the House of Representatives will be allowed to govern from now on. The whole of this system is under challenge as we see. Now up till the very last division in the House of Representatives where, we have always believed, governments should be made and unmade. We won that division by a majority of ten votes; sixty-four for us, fifty-four for the others. And during this campaign the overwhelming issue will be, are we to have three year Governments in Australia; is the Party which gets a majority in the House of Representatives to be allowed to govern? That is, it’s the future of Parliamentary democracy as we have known it.
Like Whitlam, Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser did the rounds of the Sunday television shows on Sunday, October 19, 1975.
He defended the blocking of Supply on Channel 7’s This Week program. The program was hosted by Brian Naylor. The interview was conducted by Dan Webb and Tom Worland.
Fraser argued that economic circumstances and the Loans Affair scandals justified the blocking of Supply.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam maintained his refusal to call an election in separate Sunday commercial television appearances on October 19, 1975.
Whitlam appeared on Channel 7’s This Week and also on Channel 9. The transcripts of both addresses appear below.
Whitlam said he would not yield to Senate “blackmail”. He said: “There are two houses of the Federal Parliament. The government is that party or parties with a majority in the House of Representatives. There can’t be a Prime Minister or a Treasurer in the Senate. It is not the Senate’s function to decide who shall be the government of Australia.”