Edward Gough Whitlam was born in Kew, Victoria, in July 1916. The son of H F E Whitlam, a former Commonwealth Crown Solicitor, he was educated at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, and Telopea Park High School and Canberra Grammar School in Canberra. He gained a Bachelor of Arts (1938) and a Bachelor of Laws (1946) from the University of Sydney. Whitlam served as a Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF during World War II (1941-45). He married Margaret Elaine Dovey (CP 929) in 1942 and joined the Australian Labor Party in 1945. Whitlam was admitted to the NSW and Federal Bar in 1947 and was a member of the NSW Bar Council from 1949 till 1953.

Whitlam's legal career was furthered when he acted as Junior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Liquor Trade (1951-52) and a Queen's Counsellor in 1962. His political career began in the 1940s. After unsuccessful in attempts to be elected to the Sutherland Shire Council (1948) and to a NSW state seat (1950), Whitlam entered Federal Parliament as the Member for Werriwa (NSW) on 29 November 1952. He retained this seat for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) until his resignation in 1978. He was a Member of the ALP Executive (1959-77) and the National Executive (1967-77). Whitlam became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in March 1960 and Leader of the Opposition in February 1967 (and again in November 1975). He served on a number of Parliamentary committees throughout his career, including: the Constitutional Review (1956-59); Standing Orders (1960-74); the New and Permanent Parliament House (1966-70); Privileges (1969-74); the Commonwealth Literary Fund Committee (1968-73); and, the Australian Constitutional Convention (1973-75).

Following the defeat of the McMahon Liberal-Country Party Coalition Government at the general election in December 1972, Whitlam became Australia’s first Labor Prime Minister since 1949. In the first two weeks of government, Whitlam and his first Deputy, Lance Barnard, held all ministries between them. Other Ministers were subsequently appointed to most of the portfolios, although Whitlam retained foreign affairs until November 1973. During his time in office Whitlam made many overseas visits; perhaps the most significant was his official visit to the People's Republic of China (October-November 1973), the first such visit by an Australian prime minister. The Whitlam government: reduced the voting age from 21 to 18; abolished the death penalty for federal crimes; established the Law Reform Commission and the Australian Legal Aid Office; fought for equal pay for Australian women undertaking work similar to that undertaken by men; and, abolished university fees. Part of Whitlam’s agenda was a series of public works. His government: founded the Department of Urban Development; gave grants to local governments for urban renewal, flood prevention, and the promotion of tourism; financed highways linking the state capitals; and, paid for standard-gauge rail lines to standardise rail links between Australia’s states.

The Liberal National Coalition held the balance of power in the Senate and began blocking the government, rejecting nineteen government bills. To counter Opposition threats to disrupt supply, Whitlam used the Senate's double defeat of six bills to trigger a double dissolution election in 1974. For the second time in the Party’s history, a Labor government was elected for a second consecutive term in office. While Labor’s majority in the House of Representative’s was reduced, the Labor Party and the Coalition attained equal numbers in the Senate, with the balance of power held by two independent senators. At a special joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, the deadlock was broken. At this session bills were passed that provided a universal health insurance (then known as Medibank) and allowed Senate representation for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

By mid-1974, the government faced a worsening economic climate. The oil crisis (which began in 1973) led to a sharp increase in prices and inflation and unemployment rose significantly. Despite rising economic pressures, the government continued to spend and sought overseas loans to finance its development plans. No loans eventuated; however, the fallout resulting from the so called ‘Loans Affair’ was politically damaging for the government. While Whitlam’s second term was subject to increasing political turbulence, his government continued to enact legislation. The Family Law Act 1975 allowed for no-fault divorce. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 led to Australia ratifying its commitment to the United Nations’ convention against racial discrimination (the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1966). Whitlam began the process of Aboriginal land reform by giving the Gurindji people of the Northern Territory title deeds to part of their traditional lands and the Whitlam government granted independence to Papua New Guinea.

In 1975 Malcolm Fraser became the Leader of the Opposition and (through alliances with independent senators) attained a majority in the Senate. In October 1975, the Liberal National Coalition blocked supply by deferring consideration of appropriation bills. Whitlam refused to call a general election and warned the Opposition that by withholding supply it was damaging the Australia’s constitution and economy. The Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, took the unprecedented step of dismissing the Whitlam Government. The 29th Parliament was dissolved and Kerr appointed Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister on 11 November 1975. At the general election on 13 December 1975, Malcolm Fraser was elected as the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam remained the Leader of the Opposition until his resignation on 31 July 1978.

After leaving federal politics, Whitlam held a variety of appointments, including: Visiting Professor in Australian Studies at Harvard University (1979); First National Fellow, Australian National University (1980-81); Australian President of the International Commission of Jurists (1981-83); Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate (1981-83 and 1986-89); Visiting Professor at Adelaide University (1983); Member of the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues (1983-86); Australian Ambassador to UNESCO (1983-86) and Member of UNESCO’s Executive Board (1985-89); Member of the Constitutional Commission (1986-88); Chairman of the Australia-China Council (1986-91); Chairman of the Australian National Gallery (1987-90); and, President d'Honeur du Counseil National Australie pour la Celebration du Bicentenaire de la Revolution Francaise (1989). Whitlam was a Founder of the Hanoi Architectural Heritage Foundation, set up in 1993, and, with his wife Margaret, was part of the successful bid team to host the Olympics in Sydney in the year 2000.

Whitlam became a Companion in the Order of Australia in 1978 and was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal on 1 January 2001.

Whitlam remained interested in politics; visiting Parliament in February 2008 to witness then Prime Minister Rudd’s apology to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders for the Stolen Generations. In 2009 Mr Whitlam became Australia’s oldest surviving former Prime Minister (surpassing the previous record holder, former Prime Minister Forde). On 21 October 2014, the Hon Edward Gough Whitlam died at the age of 98. A state memorial service was held in his honour at the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday, 5 November 2014.

Publications

Whitlam was a prolific writer of speeches, articles and books on a range of interests: government, law and constitutional law; international affairs; urban and regional development; and, literature and history. He wrote a number of books on his time as Prime Minister:

Whitlam, Gough, The truth of the matter, Penguin Books, Ringwood VIC, 1979

Whitlam, Gough, The Whitlam Government 1972-1975, Viking, Ringwood VIC, 1985

Whitlam, Gough, Abiding interests, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD, 1997

Sources

Australian Parliamentary Handbook, 19th ed Supplement (1976)

Hocking, Jenny, Gough Whitlam: His Time: the biography. Volume II, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, 2012

Lloyd, Clem, 'Edward Gough Whitlam' in M Grattan (ed), Australian Prime Ministers, (New Holland, Sydney, 2000), pp 324-353

Who's Who in Australia, 21st ed (1974), 25th ed (1985), 37th ed (2001), 40th ed (2004)

Whitlam Institute, ‘Whitlam Government Achievements’, Whitlam Institute, http://whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/achievements, accessed 22 October 2014

National Archives of Australia, Australian Prime Ministers: Whitlam, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/whitlam, accessed 22 October 2014

Australian Government: It’s an Honour, ‘Gough Whitlam’, Australian Government, Canberra, http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?breif=true&page=1&search_type=quick, accessed 22 October 2014