Throwing light on our history

Forty-five years after former governor-general Sir John Kerr’s dismissal of the Whitlam government, Australians will finally gain access to the full picture of our greatest political and constitutional crisis. Friday’s High Court ruling, that letters between the Queen and Sir John Kerr about the dismissal should be released, was in the public interest. The Australian has long argued that letters written by the governor-general to the Queen concerning official duties should be classified as public records.

Time will tell whether the 211 letters have been concealing any real secrets or whether they cast new light on the dismissal. The Queen’s view of Sir John Kerr’s action has remained a mystery.

Historian Jenny Hocking has been tenacious in her pursuit of the letters. As Troy Bramston, co-author with Paul Kelly of the award-winning book, The Dismissal: In The Queen’s Name, wrote on Saturday, the letters will test Prof Hocking’s extraordinary claim that the Queen knew in advance of Sir John’s plan and approved it. This is not supported by documentary evidence or testimony from key players. The letters should settle the issue once and for all.