Five decades after one of the most dramatic events in Australian political history, a leading historian is demanding the Albanese Government end the secrecy surrounding hundreds of documents related to the 1975 sacking of the Whitlam Government.
The Fight for Transparency Continues
Professor Jenny Hocking, the academic who successfully fought for the release of the controversial 'palace letters', has revealed that critical files offering new insights into The Dismissal remain hidden from public view. In an interview with the 7NEWS podcast 'The Issue', Hocking stated that the National Archives continues to withhold numerous files related to the constitutional crisis.
"There are literally hundreds of files that are still closed by our archives relating to the dismissal, hundreds — if not a thousand of Sir John Kerr's own papers that are yet to be opened," Professor Hocking revealed.
This Tuesday, November 11th, marks the 50th anniversary of Governor-General Sir John Kerr's infamous decision to sack the democratically elected Whitlam Labor Government. The event plunged Australia into its greatest constitutional crisis, creating political divisions that resonate to this day.
Australia's Greatest Constitutional Crisis
The crisis unfolded when then Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser used his control of the Senate to block money bills necessary for government expenditure. This unprecedented move aimed to force Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to call an election.
Sir John Kerr's remarkable intervention saw him use questionable powers to dismiss a sitting government, an action made even more contentious because he chose not to consult the Prime Minister beforehand. The subsequent federal election saw Malcolm Fraser's Liberals claim victory, but the manner of their ascension to power left a lasting scar on Australia's political landscape.
In 2020, after a lengthy legal battle, Professor Hocking achieved a significant victory when the High Court ruled against the National Archives and Buckingham Palace, ordering the release of 212 letters between Kerr and the Queen's private secretary, Sir Martin Charteris.
The Palace's Role Revealed
The released correspondence, spanning 1,200 pages and covering Kerr's time in office from July 1974 to December 1977, revealed the monarchy's influential role in the Dismissal.
"They owe the Australian people an apology. They were very much involved in Kerr's decision to dismiss the government," Hocking stated, describing the royal involvement as an "outrageous imposition on the Australian polity."
When asked if the Palace Letters embarrassed the monarchy, Hocking was direct: "The only thing they're embarrassed about ... is that the letters were opened. They sent a submission through Government House urging the court not to open these letters in the interest of the monarchy. Well, I think we now know why."
Sir John Kerr himself once suggested that time and proper examination of the documents would see history judge his decision more favourably. "The judgement of history in our democracy can be relied upon," he said, anticipating "an impartial final assessment" after study of all relevant records.
Yet forty-five years passed before his correspondence saw public scrutiny, and even at the half-century mark, hundreds of documents remain off-limits. "It's just not acceptable," says Professor Hocking, whose fight continues to uncover the full story behind one of Australia's most contested political episodes.
