Gough Whitlam on the steps of Parliament House on 11 November 1975 as the Governor-General’s Official Secretary, David Smith, reads the proclamation dissolving parliament. Photo: National Archives of Australia.
“Well may we say ‘God save the Queen’, because nothing will save the Governor-General.”
Heard that line before? Maybe half a century ago?
The 50th anniversary of the Dismissal of Gough Whitlam’s Labor government is almost upon us, and the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House is gearing up to commemorate it in style.
On 11 November 1975, the then Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough and replaced him with Malcolm Fraser on the condition that he secured supply and went to an election.
Mr Fraser and the Coalition won the subsequent election in a landslide, and the rest, as they say, is history.
And what history it is.
The Dismissal remains the most controversial event in the nation’s political history and continues to loom large over the Australian psyche.
Old Parliament House featured prominently in the events of that fateful day, and this November it will mark this significant anniversary with a program of events, exhibitions and tours.
“The Dismissal shaped Australia’s history. Fifty years later, it remains one of the most debated moments in Australian political history,” said Chair of the Board at Old Parliament House, Barrie Cassidy.
“We’re proud to host engaging programming, encouraging conversation right here, at the place where history happened.”
MoAD will recognise the 50th anniversary with a special presentation on 11 November, but the commemoration will begin at the start of the month and continue into next year.
From November through to February 2026, MoAD will present a new exhibition titled The Dismissal: Words that made history.
It will invite visitors to look beyond the headlines and into the people, politics and power plays that defined the event.
The exhibition will bring together key documents from the period, many of which will be exhibited together for the first time, including the original letter of Dismissal handed by Sir John Kerr to Mr Whitlam.
On display also will be handwritten notes and official letters – documents that “didn’t just change a government, they changed the course of the nation”.
A free, Dismissal-themed tour will be offered daily, guiding visitors through the spaces where history unfolded.
Old Parliament House will be recognising the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal in style. Photo: MOAD.
Across a day of live-streamed speeches and panel discussions, the program will feature analysis and personal reflections from a diverse range of speakers, including two former Australian prime ministers, Paul Keating and John Howard.
And that ‘little Aussie bleeder’ Norman Gunston, who was on the steps of Parliament House that day in 1975, will also be contributing to the anniversary discussions – well, actor Garry McDonald, who created the character, will be there (and probably without the tissue paper on his face).
Among the speakers will be Niki Savva, political commentator, author, and Board Member of Old Parliament House, who was reporting for The Australian from the building on the day of the Dismissal.
“People of my generation remember exactly where they were when John Kennedy was assassinated, when man walked on the moon and when Gough Whitlam was dismissed,” Ms Sava said.
“On November 11, 1975, I was on the front steps of Parliament House listening to his speech, and hearing the crowd roar.
“It was the most momentous day in Australian political history, condemned by many and welcomed by others.
“Please join us this November 11 to hear fascinating, never-before-told stories of that day, including from inside the Governor-General’s residence, as well as from some of the key players.”
Audiences across the country and around the world can watch the events online, while visitors to the museum can view them on multiple live screens throughout Old Parliament House.
The Dismissed tour will run daily at 11 am from 1 October until 31 January 2026. Admission is free. On the anniversary itself, 11 November 2025, MoAD will host a full day of events that it says will offer fresh perspectives from people who were there.
