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The Palace Letters
- The Queen, the Governor-General, and the Plot to Dismiss Gough Whitlam
- Narrated by: Katherine Littrell
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
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Publisher's Summary
What role did the queen play in Governor-General Sir John Kerr’s plans to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, unleashing one of the most divisive episodes in Australia’s political history? And why weren’t we told?
Under the cover of being designated as private correspondence, the letters between the queen and the governor-general about the dismissal have been locked away for decades in the National Archives of Australia, and embargoed by the queen - potentially forever. This ruse has furthered the fiction that the queen and the palace had no warning of or role in Kerr’s actions.
In the face of this, Professor Jenny Hocking embarked on a four-year legal battle to force the Archives to release the letters. In 2015, she mounted a crowd-funded campaign, securing a stellar pro bono team that took her case all the way to the High Court of Australia.
Now, drawing on never-before-published material from Kerr’s archives and her submissions to the court, Hocking traces the collusion and deception behind the dismissal, and charts the secret role of High Court judges; the leader of the opposition, Malcolm Fraser; and the queen’s private secretary in fostering and supporting Kerr’s actions.
Hocking also reveals the obstruction, intrigue, and duplicity she faced, raising disturbing questions about the role of the National Archives in preventing access to its own historical material and in enforcing royal secrecy over its documents.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-10-2023
A small man seeking stature
When Sir John Kerr became Governor General of Australia he left behind his life as a senior judge in New South Wales. It was a role in which he would have been accorded considerable respect and standing by those around him. A few years later, after his dismissal of Whitlam in 1975 and as he left Yarralumla for the last time as GG, even his political allies viewed him with barely disguised distaste. More widely he was thought of with contempt or, in lighter moments, held up to ridicule.
This book tells the fascinating story of how a lengthy legal battle finally forced the Australian Archive to release the letters which do much to illuminate just what a detestable man Kerr was. A cringing monarchist forever seeking approval from Buckingham Palace, he was a weak man in thrall to deluded vanity and a public stature he thought he could occupy but could not grow into.
An essential book for anyone interested in Australian political history and, as if another one were needed, a powerful demonstration of the need for Australia to finally stand on its own two feet as a republic.
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- Milorad Mrvic
- 12-01-2023
Great elaboration on how but not on why
A riveting book uncovering the deceit and political manipulation surrounding the event to immense level of detail. However, the book dismally and shamefuly fails to display the true causes of Whitlam's dismissal, and towards the end even pretends to put responsibility on erratic, authoritarian personality of GG, which is historically so untrue. At no time the book mentions the pivotal role of the USA which gave the orders to English monarchy to orchestrate AU Prime Minister's replacement.
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- sophiek
- 24-10-2022
Disappointingly boring.
thankfully I don’t pay for this audiobook, it would have been a waste. If you read the title details then you are good, don’t bother wasting your time. I didn’t find much that was interesting. I would recommend the free podcast The eleventh by the ABC from Alex Mann. Very informative, interesting and easy to listen to.
Narration: just flat. It didn’t seem that she was interested in the story either.
Verdict: I don’t recommend this book.
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- Anonymous User
- 20-10-2022
Reignited the Rage!
The amazing true story of the role The Establishment played in Gough Whitlam's dismissal in 1975 and how decades later they fought tooth and claw with taxpayers' money to hide the correspondence that lays it bare for all to see.
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- JACQUIE
- 07-10-2022
The Truth is always..compelling
Just a massive eye opener, and a credit to the tenacity of Professor Hocking to reach the truth.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-10-2022
Brilliantly researched and articulated.
Thiis book is a phenomenal price of work on the colonial expansion of empire and the intersection of empire with the democratic functions of independent country. A structure which is bred from the Divine Right of Kings has no tole in the form and function of any democracy. This story is as old as time, yet a clear example of power privilege and the soul of many old stale, pale ,males who are still tethered to the bossom of empire. Gough was brilliant leader and this ugly ego led chapter by Kerr is symbolic of royal lies and colonial abuse still hauting Australia.
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- Shane
- 03-10-2022
narrator...
narrator pseudo American accent poor fit for uniquely Australian story involving major political turmoil
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- Anonymous User
- 25-09-2022
Australian 1975 History
Brilliant - i vaguely remember the events but the level of secrecy that the government and the palace went to has to be read/heard to believe. Thank you for everything to went through and those the helped you along the way. Recommending to everyone.
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- Lovesyoga
- 25-09-2022
Fascinating story, unevenly told
I was a kid when The Dismissal happened, and have always felt ignorant about why exactly it was so controversial. This book explains the ruse by which Buckingham Palace and the Australian Archives sought to keep the Charteris-Kerr letters locked away, and the clear role that the Palace (along with a poorly chosen Governor-General) played in dismissing a democratically elected government.
At times there is too much detail about the legal minutiae of all the applications, hearings and appeals. The narrator's accent is a little uneven (sometimes veering into Kiwi, British and even American) which is somewhat distracting.
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- Anonymous User
- 21-09-2022
Riveting book!
Prof Jenny Hocking is one of Australia's finest historians. My only issue with this audiobook was the American accent of the narrator which made the quotes from historic Australian figures jarring
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