ON a warm December night in 1972 at the Lady Bay Hotel, Dorothy Grauer celebrated Gough Whitlam’s historic election victory.
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The long-time Labor supporter enjoyed a few drinks with fellow true believers after a day of distributing how-to-vote cards across the Western District.
A black-and-white television was stationed in the corner of the now-defunct pub when Ms Grauer heard the news that Labor had enough seats to govern, defeating incumbent prime minister Billy McMahon.
“I was absolutely elated,” the 70-year-old said. “The Warrnambool area was very conservative, so most would have voted for McMahon but that election was different to the ones that came before.
“There was a real mood for change. For most of my life until that time, there was a Liberal government under Menzies and those that followed so it was a real game-changer.”
Warrnambool’s John Thompson said the Whitlam years between December 1972 and November 1975 were transformative for Australia.
“Gough was one of our greatest prime ministers,” Mr Thompson said. “Think about all the changes that he achieved — free university education, legal aid, rights for indigenous Australians. This country changed so much in three years.”
Both Ms Grauer and Mr Thompson remember where they were in 1975 when the Whitlam government was dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr.
Wannon MP Malcolm Fraser, who was in Warrnambool only days before, became caretaker prime minister, then won a landslide victory at the 1975 election.
“I was working as a shearer at a property near Dunkeld,” Mr Thompson said.
“I remember talking to the owner — a Western District grazier not unlike Malcolm Fraser — and I remember (the farmer) saying how he was appalled that an Australian prime minister could be sacked.
“There was a sense of shock across the country after what Kerr did.”
ALP South West Coast candidate Roy Reekie vividly remembers walking home from school to find his father crying in front of the television set.
“I’d never seen dad cry,” Mr Reekie said.
“He was watching the dismissal on television and all he said was ‘the bastards’ — he never swore either.”
Mr Reekie met Mr Whitlam seven years later when he was studying law at Monash University.
The former PM was a guest of honour at John Cain’s 1982 state election campaign launch on the university campus.
“I sneaked into the Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash Uni,” Mr Reekie said.
“I would have been 18 or 19 and John Cain acknowledged Gough, who was sitting literally next to me, because I was crouched in the aisle.
“Gough was the greatest Australian of my lifetime.”