Fifty years ago Australia’s (Labor) prime minister, Gough Whitlam, was sacked by Australia’s governor-general, John Kerr.
It still defies belief that Mr Whitlam’s government (or any Australian government) elected by the Australian people could be dismissed by Royal Prerogative of the British Crown.
Anyway, after returning from receiving Kerr’s dismissal, Gough showed it to his wife, Margaret Whitlam, who immediately told him to ‘tear it up’.
Imagine what Australia would now have looked like if Gough had listened to Margaret’s advice?
As great an Australian PM as Gough Whitlam was for change, he missed his greatest chance.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
