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One of the most iconic photos of former PM Gough Whitlam taken with singer Little Pattie during the ALP 'It's Time' campaign for the 1972 Federal Election. Source: News Corp Australia
THE mood began as sombre as the suits and long faces of the men and women who shuffled into the room to the strains of Adagio in G Minor, the string number usually reserved for depiction of the most harrowing of war movie scenes.
But for the 220 official guests who attended Australia House in central London this evening the memorial service for Gough Whitlam was anything but, as politicians past and present recounted lively anecdotes of the former prime minister.
And in case there was any doubt whose night it was, a life-size image of the big man glowered from the podium as praised was heaped on the Labor leader who served just one term and died seven weeks ago aged 98 but had long been credited with changing the nation.
Australia House decided to hold a belated service in its grand Exhibition Hall after what was described as overwhelming demand for the diplomatic post to formally recognise the former leader’s achievements beyond a condolence book.
Former Liberal Foreign Minister now Australian High Commissioner to the UK Alexander Downer delighted as he revealed anecdotes from the days his own father Liberal MP Alick Downer engaged with Whitlam who Downer Jr described as an inspiring figure that dramatically reformed a party before making great contributions to the nation.
He couldn’t resist raising the spectre of the 1975 Dismissal but said it was testament to the man that he would later befriend his nemesis Malcolm Fraser and find common ground on social justice and republic issues.
Politicians past and present recounted lively anecdotes of the former prime minister Gough Whitlam at the London memorial. Picture: News Corp. Source: Supplied
Former longstanding minister in both the Hawke and Keating ministries and now Commonwealth War Graves Commissioner Ros Kelly credited Whitlam with instilling the quiet confidence, belief of achievement and “can-do attitude†she has particularly identified in the faces of Australians living in London.
She said she hadn’t thought about it until after he died but now credits Whitlam with ensuring in 1980 she was the second Labor woman ever to be elected to the House of Representatives.
“The Whitlam government believed in equality for women and set about creating legislation and policies to achieve equality of opportunities,†she said before listing his achievements including his “greatest gift of all — free tertiary education†which actress Cate Blanchett mentioned in Whitlam’s funeral only to be slapped down later by former PM John Howard as an outrageous nonsense.
Former Keating Government MP Bob McMullan also attended as did former British High Commissioner to Australia Baroness Liddell and current British Shadow Minister for Commonwealth Affairs John Spellar.
Britain’s Labour Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman Douglas Alexander said he was privileged to be asked to formally speak on behalf of the British Labour Party for a man whose influence went beyond the national borders of Australia.
The national anthem was sung at the service by London Royal Opera House soprano and Queenslander Kiandra Howarth with Royal College of Music Lisa Bucknell performing a Bach cello prelude at the one hour service before many of the guests adjourned to a nearby pub to celebrate in the style they said would make another Labor great (Bob Hawke) proud.