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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Frank Bongiorno and James Watson

In a world with democracy in decline, we have much to learn from those who rallied against Whitlam’s dismissal

Bob Hawke Gough Whitlam John Kerr Malcolm Fraser Democracy Labor Australia Coalition
Composite with black and white photo of Gough Whitlam speaking after the dismissal; underneath is an image of John Kerr's letter to Whitlam
‘For a time in 1975, Australian democracy appeared a fragile thing’: many were aware of the potential for public disorder after Gough Whitlam’s dismissal. Composite: AAP/National Library of Australia/Guardian Design

The dismissal of the Whitlam government, which occurred 50 years ago this month, remains one of the biggest deals in Australian history. There was a previous example of a state governor, Sir Philip Game, sacking a Labor government, and older instances of the British monarch dismissing ministries: Gough Whitlam recalled George III’s dismissal of the Fox-North coalition in 1783.

In 1975, few Australians seriously believed that the vice-regal dismissal of a democratically elected government was business as usual. Accordingly, alongside the relief of anti-Whitlam partisans, there was widespread shock, dismay and anger.

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