November 11, 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the most controversial political event in Australia’s history:  The Dismissal.

TLDR:  Gough Whitlam was sacked by Governor-General John Kerr for having earlier failed to call a half-Senate election to resolve the Senate blocking the government’s money supply bills.  Malcolm Fraser was sworn in on a caretaker basis and went to an election 33 days later, and would remain as PM until 1983 before losing to Bob Hawke.

Whitlam’s legacy – and that of Fraser’s – was defined by much more than just The Dismissal.  Both were significant public figures well after retirement and household names until their passing in 2014 and 2015 respectively.  Importantly, both rose above politics in retirement to champion many of the same social and international causes.

Directly and indirectly, they both have suburbs in Canberra that carry their name.  In Fraser’s case, the naming of the Belconnen suburb north of Charnwood and west of Spence was for Big Jim Fraser, who served as the Member for the ACT in the federal House of Representatives for almost 20 years to 1970.

But I’m sure the late Malcolm will be happy to share, and he subsquently has a bridge specifically named after him which forms part of the Majura Parkway connection to Monaro Highway, one of four bridges crossing the Molonglo.

The suburb of Whitlam is relatively new and features prominently on Canberra’s western urban fringe, sitting north of Coppins Crossing and south of William Hovell Drive.

Named specifically for Gough (although many reasoned it was also an equal tribute to his wife Margaret), it features a trove of street art of world class quality including these pieces which relate to sustainability and the importance of keeping our local waterways clean – causes both Whitlam and Fraser championed, among others, in their post-political life.