Whitlam Citation
Whitlam Citation
Citation by the Vice Chancellor on the occasion of the presentation of the Award of the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, to The Honorable E.G. Whitlam AC, QC.
Chancellor, distinguished guests, graduands, ladies and gentlemen.
The Board of Trustees may confer an honorary degree on any person who has an association with the University of Western Sydney, its ideals and disciplines, through an approved set of criteria.
Will the Honorable Gough Whitlam please stand.
It is an honour for me to speak on behalf of the University of Western Sydney for The Honorable Gough Whitlam.
The Board of Trustees has resolved that The Honorable Gough Whitlam be awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, for his outstanding contributions to the Greater Western Sydney community, the Australian public and the international community, as well as his powerful advocacy and unstinting support for the University of Western Sydney.
Born in Melbourne, Gough Whitlam attended schools in Sydney and Canberra. He graduated from the University of Sydney in Arts before the Pacific War and in Laws after it. In 1945, with the rank of flight lieutenant, he was the navigator of the only Empire aircrew attached to MacArthur's headquarters in Leyte and then Manila.
He became a member of the Australian Labor Party in 1945, the NSW Bar in 1947 and the House of Representatives in 1952. He served as Leader of his Party from February 1967 to December 1977, a record term. In December 1972 his party won its first Federal election since 1946 and won again in May 1974.
He was Prime Minister until 11 November 1975. He resigned from Parliament in July 1978. When Parliament resumed in August, the encyclopedic Barry Jones paid this tribute:
"He was, by universal consent, the greatest member of the present Parliament - the largest in spirit, the loftiest in aspiration, the greatest orator and the member with the widest and deepest range of interests ... Gough Whitlam was, I think, a man for all seasons, not especially for this one ... Nevertheless, in a political Lilliput, he was our Gulliver."
His political reputation, his love for Australia and its people, the depth of his knowledge, and his presence still resonate today as benchmarks for Australian political leaders.
Following his resignation, Gough Whitlam pursued a scholarly and diplomatic career. He was the first National Fellow at the Australian National University and a visiting Professor at Harvard, Ambassador to UNESCO in Paris and a member of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues and the World Heritage Committee. He has also served on the Constitutional Commission, the World Conservation Union and the University of Sydney Senate. He is an honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
An imposing knowledge and support of the arts led to appointments as the Chair of the Australia-China Council and the Council of the Australian National Gallery.
An internationalist in outlook and networks, he is a member of the Academy of Athens and has been decorated by the Governments of the Philippines, Cyprus, Greece and Italy.
The Honorable Gough Whitlam continues to play an active role in public life and has been a great friend and supporter of the University of Western Sydney.
The University of Western Sydney's Whitlam Institute was established in 2000 based on the donation of many of Gough Whitlam's private papers and on the ideals and causes which he had advocated. The Institute's charter is to strengthen public education, scholarship and applied research in the broad areas of urban and regional development.
There is no doubting Gough Whitlam's political legacy and his ongoing contribution to Australian public and political life. He is both hero and champion for the Greater West and its people.
Admission to the University's Honorary Doctorate is a rare privilege and distinction accorded to outstanding persons in our community.
Chancellor, it is with pleasure and respect that I present to you the Honorable Gough Whitlam AC, QC, for admission to the award of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, for outstanding contributions to the Community, outstanding contributions to the University, and strong advocacy and contributions towards the ideals of the University of Western Sydney.
