2. Who is John Kerr?
• 24 September 1914 – 24
March 1991
• Eighteenth Governor
General of Australia
• Dismissed Whitlam on
11/11/1975
• Educated Fort Street High
school and the University of
Sydney
• Graduated with first class
honours in law
3. Career
• Admitted to the NSW bar in 1938
• Enlisted in Second AIF in 1942
• Returned to legal practice in 1948,
appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1953
• In 1974 Gough Whitlam gave Kerr the
position of Governor General
• Dismissed Whitlam Government on the 11th
of November in 1975, replacing it with
“Caretaker” Government
4. The Dismissal of Whitlam
• Whitlam Government lost control
of the Senate and therefore could
not pass Australia’s “Budget”
through the Senate
• The government had not money
to operate on and as a result, was
unable to govern
• The Whitlam Government was
dismissed and replaced by
“Caretaker” government led by
Malcom Fraser
• Controversial as a non-elected
government was running Australia
5. Social and Political Impact
• Unelected representative of the queen
removed a government
• The government removed commanded a
majority in the House of Reps
6. Similar Event – Jack Lang’s Dismissal
• Only premier of an Australian
state to be dismissed by a
state Governor
• Dismissed by Sir Philip Game
• Dismissal arose from Lang’s
defiance of the
Commonwealth
Government’s financial
agreements
8. Questions
1. What was the reason for Whitlam’s
Dismissal?
2. John Kerr was the _____ Governor General
of Australia.
3. Why was Whitlam’s dismissal so
controversial?
4. Where was John Kerr educated?
5. When was John Kerr given the role of
Governor General?
