Gough Whitlam

Born in 1916, Edward Gough Whitlam was elected to the Australian parliament in 1952 and became leader of the Labor party in 1967. Whitlam came to power as Australia's first Labor prime minister for 23 years in 1972, introducing sweeping constitutional changes and ending military conscription. He was also the first Australian premier to address the issue of Aboriginal land rights for indigenous people.

The Governor General Sir John Kerr' took the unprecedented step of sacking Whitlam on Tuesday November 11, 1975. The move shocked the nation, as Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser, ruthlessly trampled on democracy in his lust for power.

Mr Whitlam's sacking arose after the PM failed to force the budget through the Opposition-controlled Senate. It was a remarkable incident in Australian history, and much unrest ensued - most placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of Mr Fraser.

In the ensuing general election Labor was defeated though Whitlam held on to the party leadership, only to be forced to resign a year later.