In 1927, public servants reluctantly began transferring to Canberra, leaving behind the comforts of Melbourne and Sydney. The new capital was little more than a fantasy, with dusty roads, a provisional Parliament House, and scattered houses separated by distance and pay scale. Among the arrivals was Fred Whitlam, assistant crown solicitor, who was enthusiastic about building a new capital in the bush.
Less than half a century later, Fred's son, Gough Whitlam, would stand on the front steps of Parliament House after his government was dismissed on Remembrance Day 1975. The image of Whitlam declaring that nothing would save the governor-general lives on, even among those who do not fully understand why. Fifty years after the Dismissal, the impact of Whitlam's formative years in Canberra is still felt in Australian political life.
In February 1928, 11-year-old Gough Whitlam traveled to Canberra with his mother and sister to join his father. Martha Whitlam cried throughout the journey, upset to leave Sydney. Canberra was then a dusty, sparse city of 7,700 people, with limited power and a prohibition on alcohol. The Whitlam household was teetotal, and Fred Whitlam contributed widely to civic life, becoming crown solicitor in 1936.
The Whitlam homes were notable for well-stocked libraries and hospitality. Canberra was a hive of activity under the Federal Capital Commission, an urban development project like no other. Historian Jenny Hocking says Canberra was for Whitlam a case study in the possibilities of government, showing what could be achieved through federal power and centralized planning.
Whitlam's exposure to adult conversations about international politics at home influenced him enormously. He spent four years at Telopea Park School before continuing at Canberra Grammar, where his classmates included children of top public servants. Whitlam's ambitions for greater federal involvement in cities had their genesis in his seven years of Canberra childhood and his long association with the capital.
