Gough Whitlam

About Gough Whitlam

The Labour Prime Minister whose brief, transformative government from 1972 to 1975 ended 23 years of Liberal rule. Whitlam ended conscription, introduced free university education, established universal health insurance, and recognized Aboriginal land rights. He was dismissed by the Governor General in 1975 in a constitutional crisis that shocked the nation. The dismissal remains controversial. Whitlam was a towering figure who modernized Australia in just three years. His reforms were mostly retained by subsequent governments, vindicating his vision.