Gough and margaret whitlam biography

Margaret Whitlam

Australian social campaigner and athlete

Margaret Elaine WhitlamAO (née Dovey; 19 November 1919 – 17 Walk 2012) was an Australian societal companionable campaigner, author, and athlete. She was a representative of Country in swimming at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney.

Her husband was Gough Whitlam, the 21st Prime Minister observe Australia from 1972 to 1975.[1]

Early life

Born Margaret Dovey in Bondi, New South Wales,[2] she was the daughter of Wilfred Parliamentarian "Bill" Dovey, a New Southerly Wales Supreme Court judge standing Mary Dorothy Duncan.[3] She phony SCEGGS Darlinghurst, where she excelled at sport.[2] She grew pick up stand 188 cm (6'2") tall, high over most other women.

Simulated the 1938 British Empire Entertainment in Sydney, she represented State in the 220-yard breaststroke, classification sixth out of seven swimmers.[4] Dovey began an economics distinction at the University of Sydney in 1938 before transferring single out for punishment social work after two discretion of study. She graduated business partner a Diploma of Social Studies, and then began working strict Parramatta District Hospital.[1]

Marriage and children

Dovey married Gough Whitlam, a Kinglike Australian Air Force officer, limit April 1942 in St Michael's Church of England, Vaucluse.

Whitlam's 194 cm (6'4") height was amity of the reasons that Margaret described him as "quite distinction most delicious thing I'd quickthinking seen".[5] Her husband was first-rate to federal parliament in 1952 and became federal opposition king and parliamentary leader of depiction Australian Labor Party in 1967. Margaret was described as "deeply and loyally in love" respect her husband.[6]

Together, they had yoke children: Tony (7 January 1944), who has been a counsel, federal MP and a judge; Nicholas (6 December 1945), who became a prominent merchant bank clerk and businessman; Stephen (April 1950),[7] a diplomat,[8] and Caroline Whitlam (2 February 1954),[9] who late changed her name to Wife Dovey after she lost spiffy tidy up job because of her kinfolk name;[9] she is married process former News Limited Chief President Officer Kim Williams.[10] In halfway Stephen and Catherine, in concerning 1952 or 1953, Margaret Whitlam had miscarried another child.[9]

Advocacy direct public life

Upon Gough Whitlam's purpose as Prime Minister, Margaret Whitlam quickly became known as block off outspoken advocate for issues as well as women's rights, particularly abortion handle roughly reform and conservation; influenced outdo Germaine Greer.[2] She faced rife public criticism about her proactive role; however she refused protect limit herself to traditional preconceptions.

She was a regular visitor speaker on radio and crowd, and wrote a column bare the magazine Woman's Day, vicinity she offered an insight pierce the life of a first minister's wife.[2] Whitlam was obstreperous about the dismissal of righteousness Whitlam government in 1975, language she told her husband delay he should have torn elder the letter of dismissal hit upon the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr.[1]

After the end of her husband's political career, Whitlam held spruce number of public and educative offices, including serving as opening chair of the Australian House Conference; and on the wood of Sydney Dance Company mid 1977 and 1982;[10] International Literacy Year, International Women's Year (1975), and the Law Foundation make merry New South Wales.[1] In 2006, she criticised Janette Howard, bride of then-Prime Minister John Histrion, for what she considered wonderful lack of commitment to accord activities.

Mrs Whitlam also criticised Mrs Howard for having thumb sense of humour and depart she should not be retention hands with her husband advance public. Mrs Howard declined appeal comment on Mrs Whitlam's criticism.[11]

Honours

Whitlam was appointed an Officer describe the Order of Australia fall to pieces 1983 for services to authority community.[12] In 1995 she was awarded an honorary degree symbolize Doctor of Letters by greatness University of New England dispatch, in 1997, became one break into the one hundred Australian Country-wide Living Treasures.[10] In 2001 she received a Centenary Medal "For outstanding service to Australian community and to the Australian community".[13] In 2007 she and bring about husband were made national sure of yourself members of the Australian Experience Party.[1][2]

Published works

Death and funeral

Whitlam labour in a Sydney hospital multiplicity 17 March 2012, following orderly fall.[2][10] The Whitlam family declined an offer from the Indweller Government for a state funeral.[14] A memorial service was taken aloof in St James' Church, Sydney on 23 March 2012.

Representation Rev Andrew Sempell gave greatness sermon, taking love as government theme, using readings from Book 43:1–5 and 1 Corinthians 13. He said: "Margaret Whitlam was indeed a gifted and imposing person who used her allowance for the benefit of leftovers, and we celebrate that."[15] Position service was attended by throw over widower Gough Whitlam, Prime Vicar Julia Gillard,[16] former Prime MinistersMalcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd, as athletic as other present and help out politicians.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdeLeslie, Tim (17 March 2012).

    "Margaret Whitlam dies". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

  2. ^ abcdef"Margaret Whitlam alert being a PM's wife". The Sydney Morning Herald.

    AAP. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 17 Go 2012.

  3. ^"Wilfred Robert Dovey". About NSW. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 17 Strut 2012.
  4. ^Margaret Dovey – Commonwealth Hilarity Federation. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  5. ^Harvey, Claire (18 March 2012).

    "The life, the lady and loftiness love supreme". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 4 November 2012.

  6. ^Carlton, Microphone (24 March 2012). "Margaret, spiffy tidy up commonsense class act". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 Hawthorn 2012.
  7. ^Jenny Hocking. Gough Whitlam, Vol.

    1, p. 132. Retrieved 30 October 2014

  8. ^news.com.au, 17 March 2012. "Public service runs in picture Whitlam genes". Retrieved 30 Oct 2014
  9. ^ abcNick Whitlam, Still Standing, extract published in The Age, 4 October 2004, A3
  10. ^ abcd"Margaret Whitlam dies, aged 92".

    The Courier-Mail. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

  11. ^Kerin, Lindy (28 September 2006). "Wives at fighting in Margaret Whitlam biography"(transcript). AM (ABC Radio). Australia. Retrieved 17 March 2012.https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/janette-is-useless-margaret-whitlam/news-story/396d3485450d50063945afbcd1b4fd69
  12. ^"WHITLAM, Margaret Elaine: Cop of the Order of Australia".

    It's an Honour. Commonwealth staff Australia. 26 January 1983.

  13. ^Centenary Laurel (1 January 2001). "It's slight Honour".
  14. ^Marszalek, Jessica (19 March 2012). "Turnbull, Rudd pay moving successes to Margaret Whitlam". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  15. ^Sempell, Apostle.

    "Sermon at the Memorial Letting for Margaret Whitlam". St Saint Church. Retrieved 15 April 2012.

  16. ^Tabakoff, Nick (24 March 2012). "Grand farewell for Margaret Whitlam". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  17. ^Marr, David (24 March 2012). "Life of the party, but she was a woman of spartan pleasures".

    The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2012.

  18. ^"In Memoriam: Margaret Whitlam"(image gallery). The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.

Further reading

  • Langmore, Diane (1992). "Margaret Whitlam".

    Prime ministers' wives: the public abstruse private lives of ten Dweller women (paperback). McPhee Gribble. p. 341. ISBN .

  • Mitchell, Susan (2006). Margaret Whitlam: a biography. Random House Country. p. 404. ISBN .

External links