Bearing witness: The Dismissal

Fifty years ago I took photographs as a young press photographer. Gough Whitlam The day after the infamous dismissal of the Whitlam Government – this event is now “dismissal“.

My photograph captures Whitlam in a shocked state following the controversial dissolution of the progressive Labor Government by the then Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, on 11 November 1975.

What I’ve learned in my 50 years of photojournalism is that photographs get stronger over time. In 1975 this image was front page worthy, and rightfully so; but over the years it has become an increasingly powerful historical document.

At the turn of the 21st century, this photograph was a perfect reminder of one of the most contentious moments in Australia’s political history. When purchased in 2010 National Portrait Gallery In Canberra the portrait acquired even greater influence.

And when the great man passed away in 2014 at the age of 98, the image gained strength once again.

He’s doing it again as the 50th anniversary of his dismissal approaches.

**This photo is part of an IA. A series that looks at Australia through the eyes of award-winning photojournalist Bill McAuley.**

Bill McAuley’s 40-plus-year news career began in 1969 as a student photographer at ‘The Age’ in Melbourne.

He has several published collections including ‘Portraits of the Soul: A lifetime of images with Bill McAuley’ and ‘Last Light on Victoria Dock, 1999’. Click to see more from Bill Here.

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