“It was said of Caesar Augustus that he found a Rome of brick and left it of marble. It will be said of Gough Whitlam that he found Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane unsewered, and left them fully flushed.”
From Laurie Oakes’ book Power Plays: The Real Stories of Australian Politics:
Happy 80th, Gough! Now, about your funeral
16 July 1996
Here’s a cheerful thought for Gough Whitlam as he celebrates his 80th birthday – a spectacular funeral is being planned for him. Not that anyone is in a rush, mind you. Fortunately, the great man is in such robust health that official approval of arrangements for a state funeral fit for such a legend will very likely not be required until well after Prime Minister Mark Latham, a former Whitlam staffer and protégé, moves into the Lodge. But it is best to be prepared. Something special will be called for – not at all the sort of thing that can be thrown together overnight. So an informal group of family and friends has been discussing the matter, on and off, for some years. The plans are stowed away in a file kept by the former prime minister’s eldest son, Nick. Big, wonderful, over-the-top plans, like the man himself; mostly serious, but with an element of tongue in cheek, as you’d expect.
Winston Churchill issued instructions for his own funeral. Whitlam is not that involved, even though the plans are of Churchillian proportions. In fact, apparently he goes uncharacteristically quiet when the matter of funeral arrangements is mentioned in his presence. But he has made one major contribution: his wishes on the music that should be played are part of Nick’s file.
* * * * * * *
So . . . the funeral plans. One of the pieces Whitlam has selected is Va, pensiero, the slaves’ chorus from Verdi’s opera Nabucco which gave expression to the Italian people’s aspirations for liberty and self-government. Va, pensiero became the theme song of Garibaldi’s followers during the Risorgimento – the uprising to unite Italy. The second piece he has nominated is more esoteric, but no less Whitlamesque – The March of the Consular Guard at Marengo, by an obscure French composer, celebrating one of Napoleon’s great victories. Whitlam was fascinated by Napoleon even as a child, but his sister, Freda, once told me that it was not so much the warlike side of Napoleon that appealed to young Gough as the French emperor’s civic achievements and the legal system he established.
Abraham Lincoln’s funeral is the loose model for what is being planned. The idea is that the main ceremony would be held in Sydney Town Hall, after which a catafalque bearing the coffin would proceed to the historic Mortuary Station, built in 1869 and heritage-listed. Lincoln became the first president to lie in state at the US Capitol rotunda before being carried home to Springfield, Illinois, by train, with stops along the way for people to pay their respects . . .
Not surprisingly, the funeral will be private. But I bet the memorial service on 5th November will go close to breaking records for attendance:
This evening, then, let’s charge our glasses and drink to the memory of one of Australia’s greatest-ever prime ministers. Let’s have music, dancing, merriment, and celebration of the light that has been, and the light that will come again as long as the men and women of Australia keep the faith.
(Image Credit: Australian War Memorial)
(Image Credit: Sydney Morning Herald)
(Image Credit: Bytes)
(Image Credit: News Limited (sorry))
(Image Credit: ABC)
(Image Credit: Courier Mail)
(Image Credit: SBS)
(Image Credit: ABC)
(Image Credit: Wentworth Courier)
THE PUB 
I declare this raffle open, get your numbers here and win the fortune you deserve, yes folks it’s time, it’s time for you to win, someone’s gotta win it may as well be you.
As we farewell Gough Whitlam who gave this country a sense of humanity, humility and a sense of humour (I remember) when I was young –
Reserved numbers :-
2gravel – 3, 37, 152
Razz – 26, 78, 91
Hunter – 97, 114, 129
Aguirre – 83, 86, 88
ajcanberra – 13, 84, 110
Barry J – 72, 117, 135
BK – 17, 23, 29
Logan – 41, 43, 143
brianmcisme – 11, 14, 80
BSA Bob – 64, 142, 164
Catalyst – 18, 82, 147
Florence – 46, 79, 107
foreverjanice – 66, 90, 125
gigilene – 2, 7, 112
gorgeousdunny1 – 30, 40, 51
HaveAchat – 4, 34, 141
ian – 25, 102, 103
leonetwo – 58, 148, 173
Leroy – 47, 98, 169
msadventure2 – 16, 27, 54
muskiemp – 24, 36, 99
Ned – 61, 101, 106
Syd – 68, 96, 113
obione – 118, 138, 158
orangefox – 74, 93, 128
Patriciawa – 69, 70, 71
Political Animal – 5, 28, 67
puffytmd – 57, 76, 122
meoldema – 21, 77, 144
granddragonette – 9, 124, 139
Scorpio6to2 – 19, 31, 39
shadylady51 – 48, 115, 172
socksfullofsand – 10, 12, 53
TLBD – 6, 116, 126
Gimme three of the best, Maestro!!…and a pint of Southwark..’The man’s drink!”
That memorial service should go down a treat…just ban the bastard Pyne!
Jaycee,
jaycee – 59, 81, 137
Three of the best
Geewhiz CK! Almost fully subscribed before it starts. A bit like the Medibank Private IPO.
Three more of the best. I’m sure Gough enjoyed this
Good Evening All
Thank you CKWatt for my numbers in the raffle.
Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to the identity of the young man in the mortar board?
I give you our future DPM the one and only Barnaby. Tony Burke.posted this with his regular email.
No matter how many time you read it you can’t get it to make sense.
Good evening, Ms Adventure.
Gigilene, that’s brilliant!
Fiona
A young Mark Latham?
Thanks for the Nos, CK. Now a Coopers Ale to drink to Gough would go down well.
Fiona
It’s Mark Latham.
CK & Leone,
Go to the top of the class.
Gorgeous Dunny,
Of course:
I tried to find a decent video of this, but there aren’t any, not of the whole thing. So you’ll all just have to listen.
Smacka Fitzgibbon – The Adventures of Edward Gough Whitlam
Any three numbers please.
A little-known piece, The Ballad of ’75, from Roaring Jack, introduced by a young Clive Robertson (but don’t let that put you off)
My best friend Michael Vaughan, who soldiers on gallantly with motor neuron disease, told me that he was at Gough’s 72 Campaign rally in Adelaide. It was introduced by Mick Young, featured Bob Hawke and Don Dunstan, but the star, of course, was Gough. He even enjoyed the great beginning. Pete Seegar singing The Ballad of Joe Hill. Dug this up from youtube.
This is the only clip I could find (and one you found, I guess). Better than nothing, Leone, bad as it is
Left right out – 20, 65, 120
Gigi, I sent that photo of Gough and the ‘Phillips’ girls to Fiona Phillips , the labor candidate for South Coast
Off to me mum’s. Back soon.
Lyrics for The Ballad of ’75, so you can sing along.
A song by Alistair Hulett, 1982
I remember the day I was no more than a boy
Working in an oxide plant at the back of North Fitzroy
Bert Gilchrist told the gaffer because Bert Gilchrist had the clout
He said, “They’ve given Gough the bullet and the lads are walking out”
And we walked right off that job while the gaffer held the door
And watched it on the telly in a TV rental store
It was one hell of a situation, the kind you just can’t gauge
There was Gough on the steps of parliament house saying now maintain the rage
Chorus
In the year of the double dissolution
Drinking in the streets gave way to doubt
Australia voted in a revolution
Then stood back and let the fat cats push it out
There was violence in the air as I walked back home that night
Everyone you’d meet was getting ready for the fight
Saying “If they’re out for trouble then trouble’s what they’ll get
We started out a colony do they think we’re a colony yet?”
But as the weeks went by the anger turned to mild relief
Locks were freed like magic and I watched in disbelief
To see a scam so blatent so jacked up and full of holes
And the people in their thousands endorsed it at the polls
Some said they had it coming some were closer to the mark
Who spoke about conspiracy sinister and dark
But history records it and the story will be read
How we let them take democracy and stand it on its head
ducky
Yep, found that one, but it’s just a fragment. The whole thing is much better.
LRO
Good idea!
CK
Thank you for our numbers, Razz and I have our fingers crossed.
Great post for Gough. Pity the memorial isn’t on the 11th, but I guess it wouldn’t be respectful for remembrance day, although that didn’t worry the Libs 49 years ago.
Change that to 39, sorry.
Given the decisions that were made this morning at my house, I have four weeks to find a formal outfit for two occasions. In order to support the incidents that led to that decision might I have 6, 13 and 42 (or whatever multiples thereof available) to go with my general incredulity!
Thanks CKWatts
Gough in China:
GD and fiona
As it happens I’m just about to walk to the local for a Coopers Pale or four.
Curioz – 42, 52, 60
If I understand correctly I gave you 10 x 6 and 4 x 13, I hope that fits in with the parameters of your request.
Another great version of the song for another workers’ legend
Evening all.
Any three numbers please, CK.
Did I ever tell you guys that many years ago – back round ’73 – I was the secretary for a working group at a Physics Education Conference at Edinburgh that Joan Baez’s father was the Chair for. Not at all to my surprise, he was a great guy to work with. No, I never got to meet Joan but I have spent many hours listening to her wonderful voice.
Interesting website from the Open Australia Foundation, where this blog-post explains the How they vote for you website.
Certainly gives me some ammunition for my dead tree missals to my local member. Handy!
Jaeger – 35, 161, 174
Curioz
Sounds like you have some celebrating to do.
Warner 101 not out. Australia 1/151.
Gough’s birth year:
Thanks CK, they will do nicely.
Now for a cup of tea and to be reminded of the glorious observation
And on days like today, it is also a cup of celebration!
Any three numbers pleeeese and a large one of these
fresh from
kaffeeklatscher – 15, 87, 104