ID 0030
Commonwealth Government of Australia beginning 19 December 1972 - period in office of Prime minister Whitlam, Edward Gough ending on 11 November 1975
Period in office of prime minister (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)
Prime minister
Whitlam, Edward Gough
Date of beginning of period in office
19 December 1972
Date of end of period in office
11 November 1975
Reason for end of preceding period in office
Loss of general election
Reason for end of this government
Prime minister dismissed by governor general
Number of days in office
1,057
Parliamentary support during period
Party affiliation of prime minister at start of period
Australian Labor Party
If coalition government
Coalition partner 1
Coalition partner 1
--none--
Coalition partner 2
--none--
Coalition partner 3
--none--
Coalition partner 4
--none--
Party support in parliament at beginning of period
Majority
If change in parliamentary support during period
--none--
If further change during period
--none--
Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)
Total number of ministers
27
Number from party of prime minister
27
Number from coalition party 1
0
Number from coalition party 2
0
Number from upper house
6
Number who are women
0
House of Representatives elections contested as prime minister or after which became prime minister (see Glossary entry for 'after election')
| Election | Prime minister at election | Prime minister's party | Prime minister after election | Prime minister's party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM 18 May 1974 | Edward Gough Whitlam | Australian Labor Party | Edward Gough Whitlam | Australian Labor Party |
| COM 2 December 1972 | William McMahon | Liberal Party | Edward Gough Whitlam | Australian Labor Party |
Previous period in this series for COM | Next period in this series for COM
Notes
Whitlam formed a ministry of 2 people from 5/12/1972 until 19/12/1972. Any portfolios included in that ministry but not this are found in the added portfolios entries. For details of all Commonwealth prime ministers, see Michelle Grattan (editor) Australian Prime Ministers (Sydney: New Holland, 2000).
Sources
Colin A Hughes, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1965-1974, Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1977 (ISBN 0708113400).