November 1975: When the Australian Prime Minister was dismissed by the Governor-General

In Australian history, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s 1975 dismissal by Governor-General Sir John Kerr is seen as the nation’s greatest political and constitutional crisis. Kerr used reserve powers to sack Whitlam amid a Senate budget deadlock that threatened government funding. Whitlam’s 1972–75 term was marked by sweeping reforms, including free university education, Indigenous rights advocacy, and ending the White Australia Policy.

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For some, the dismissal of a democratically elected leader was seen as a betrayal; for others, it reflected the Constitution in action amid a Senate deadlock.

Malcolm Fraser was appointed caretaker prime minister following Gough Whitlam's dismissal in 1975. Credit: National Library of Australia

The 2020 release of palace letters revealed Kerr’s correspondence with the Queen’s private secretary, showing the dismissal had been planned for months and caught Whitlam by surprise.

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