Text of former High Court Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason’s account of his discussions with Sir John Kerr. It offers an extraordinary insight into a series of discussions between then Justice Mason and Kerr. Mason disputes certain elements of Kerr’s account but largely confirms it.
Category: Barwick
Mason: The Third Man In Whitlam’s Downfall
Gough Whitlam’s biographer, Jenny Hocking, has revealed hitherto unknown details of the role played by High Court Justice Sir Anthony Mason in the Whitlam dismissal. She discusses Mason’s involvement in a video posted on Fairfax websites.
Whitlam Comments On Barwick’s Letter To Kerr
Text of Gough Whitlam’s speech to The Sydney Institute in 1997 in which he comments on Sir Garfield Barwick’s letter to Sir John Kerr.
20 Years On: Four Corners Remembers The Dismissal
YouTube video of Four Corners’ 1995 program on The Dismissal.
Twentieth Anniversary: Maintain Your Rage And Enthusiasm
On the 20th anniversary of the Dismissal, Whitlam spoke at a commemorative dinner at the now Old Parliament House in Canberra. It deals with many of the constitutional and political issues raised by the Dismissal, including the role played by the High Court Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick.
Sir Garfield Barwick’s Advice To Sir John Kerr
On Sunday, November 9, 1975, two days before he dismissed Gough Whitlam, the Governor-General met with the Chief Justice of the High Court, Sir Garfield Barwick. On November 10, Barwick, a former Liberal Party minister under Menzies, tendered this advice to Kerr about his constitutional powers. 1997: Whitlam Comments On Barwick’s Letter Text of High… Continue reading Sir Garfield Barwick’s Advice To Sir John Kerr
Ellicott Says The Governor-General Will Have To Dismiss Whitlam If Supply Is Blocked
Text of article by Robert Ellicott in the Sydney Morning Herald, October 14, 1975: “A power to be used rightly in the public interest”.