The Dismissal: remembering the 11th November 1975

 At 1:00pm on the 11^th November 1975[i] the then Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr dismissed the Whitlam Government following a series of dramatic events including a double dissolution in 1974 and a budgetary supply crisis.  The Whitlam government remains the only federal government in Australian history to have been dismissed by the representative of the head of state.

Debate and contention still surrounds the Dismissal.  At the time it was a rallying point for passionate protest across the nation and it divided opinion on both Australian democracy and the functioning of the parliament.

Sir John Kerr the Governor-General, an officer appointed by the Queen, was pilloried for his action which resulted in the sacking of a prime minister duly elected by the Australian people.  The action polarised the nation as many disagreed with the ability of the Senate to block the effective functioning of an elected government.  Others supported the process used to remove the government which broke the parliamentary deadlock and instigated the December 1975 election as a use of constitutional powers, where democratic means had failed to succeed.

The Dismissal chart

The legacy of this momentous event in Australian history continues to be a significant memory for many who came of age in the 1970’s.  Having come across a verified time for the event, I decided to look at the chart of the moment to see what the astrology has to say of the moment.

The chart of the Dismissal has a First Quarter Moon in Aquarius conjunct the Ascendant.  A First Quarter Moon describes a time when the seeds which have been planted are viable and visible; a time where one sees the first indications of  uniqueness.

At 25 Aquarius, the Ascendant is disposited by Saturn as well as being in the terms[ii] of Saturn.  This suggests authority and control as well as existing hierarchies and tradition are the dominant matters.  Saturn, lord of the Ascendant is debilitated in Leo in the cadent Sixth house.  The impact of the action by an officer of the government, the Governor-General is represented by the detrimented Saturn, suggests that it is not orthodox and unexpected but flawed in some way. Its impact did reveal flaws in both government and representations.

The square of Saturn to the Mercury and Uranus conjunction underscores the challenge and undermining of a structure or authority through unusual means.  The action itself was not illegal in any sense as the Governor-General used his “reserve powers” [iii], which allowed him to dismiss a Prime Minister who he believed could no longer command the confidence of Parliament.  However, critics argued that Kerr’s actions were a fundamental threat to parliamentary democracy, as an unelected official sacked a government that had been elected by the people.  A Governor-General had only once before used these reserve powers over sixty years previously to deny the calling of an election.[iv]      

The Moon in Aquarius on the Ascendant describes the important role of the popular voice and opinion which was manifested in demonstrations, public protests and condemnations from politicians, the media, public figures and the general population.  So vociferous were these that Kerr came under physical threat as he negotiated his public appearances amid teeming throngs.  The Moon’s square to the Nodal axis simply emphasises the feeling of crisis and also marks a turning point in Australian politics. Indeed to quote Whitlam’s public reaction on the steps of Parliament when handed the Dismissal papers, he said “Well may we say ‘God save the Queen’ – because nothing will save the governor general.” [v]  

We see the Sun sitting conjunct the MC and North Node representing the then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.  The dispositor of the Scorpio Sun is a Mars in Cancer retrograde in the Fifth house.  Mars is in its Fall and its backward movement is descriptive of the Prime minister’s position: a Fall from grace and an inability to move forward.  As a consequence of the Dismissal, the leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser was appointed caretaker Prime Minister and an election was called to be held four weeks later which the Liberal-Country Party Opposition won.  

Saturn sextiles Venus in its domicile in Libra in the Eighth house, and Venus is the lord of the IC which represents the Opposition so Venus delivers ‘victory’ but in the Eighth, and there are repercussions.  Venus also squares the Mars in Fall and although Malcolm Fraser gained the highest office in government, his tenure as well as his legacy was tainted by that famous day in November, 1975.  Indeed, in extraordinary revelations, not least from political scientist Jenny Hocking, her research has shed further light on just how closely Kerr colluded with Malcolm Fraser before 11 November – and how keenly he apparently kept Buckingham Palace in the loop.[vi]   Fraser also counter-signed the Dismissal papers and Whitlam  referred to him as “Kerr’s cur” [vii]

Historian John Blaxland, meanwhile, in his most recent instalment of the official history of Asio, has illuminated further just how distrustful and contemptuous (and potentially undermining) of Whitlam’s government the United States Government and the Central Intelligence Agency were.[viii]

Impact and legacy

If we look at the bi-wheel to see how the Dismissal impacted on the political and social landscape as represented by the Australian Referendum chart[ix] we see several important points:

Saturn of the Dismissal chart sits on the Referendum Ascendant highlighting the Saturnian impact brought to bear on the nation.  Saturn’s controlling might or suppressing action represented by the  Governor-General describes how the Dismissal was perceived by the electorate.  The action on that day in November 1975 set off a wave of anger, confusion and a sense of betrayal perhaps reflected in the Scorpio MC.

In the words of the current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese who was a twelve year old at that time, the announcement of the government’s Dismissal came as a blow.

“What I remember most of all from those days is the sense of dismay,” he said.           

“After years of drift, a new sense of confidence and purpose and ambition.  A new sense of a distinctly, proudly Australian identity.  More equal, more open, more at home in our region, more comfortable with ourselves, and a deeper belief in our people’s capacity. ” [x]

Mars in the Dismissal chart sits in the Eleventh house of the Referendum illustrating the very destructive effect this had on the Parliament and its representatives on both sides of the House.

The MC-IC of the Dismissal chart is the reverse of the Referendum chart and the lord of the Referendum MC  is Venus in Cancer.  More importantly the South Node sits in the degree of the Referendum MC suggesting a loss or a letting go of collective expectations.  The Taurus MC describes the Australian collective expectation of stability rooted in societal need for certainty and practicality.  The Dismissal caused a deeply uncomfortable wedge between the Labor Party and the Crown as represented by the Governor General, and of course deep  divisions in the nation as certainty of elected government was seen to be undermined by outside interests or authorities.

The Dismissal Moon and Ascendant sit in the Referendum’s Seventh house of contention again emphasising how divisive the incident was and still is.  The Seventh house of the Referendum chart is ruled by Saturn and the transiting Saturn of the Dismissal chart sitting on the Referendum Ascendant is a further testimony that the collective experience was one of heavy-handedness, control and influence from what was seen as a ‘foreign’ power.  This comes from the fact that the Governor-General is the Crown’s representative in the Australian system of government and can call upon the Monarch's staff for constitutional advice about their powers, but cannot tell the Governor-General to use them.  The Palace letters confirm the Queen did not play a part in the decision and that the Crown remained neutral.[xi] 

Finally, transiting Neptune of the Dismissal chart that is transiting Neptune was at the time in the Referendum’s Fourth house conjuncting the North Node and trining the Referendum’s Sun-Mercury conjunction.  Neptune’s transit highlights the confusion and the idealism that somehow was lost as a result of the Dismissal.

To this day, fifty years later the legacy of the Dismissal continues to be a defining moment in Australian political history and has left a lasting scar on the collective memory.

Copyright Mari Garcia 22 November 2025

NOTES

[i] Source: National Archives of Australia  https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/government-and-democracy/prime-ministers-and-politicians/dismissal-prime-minister-gough-whitlam#:~:text=On%2011%20November%201975%2C%20Governor,the%20authority%20for%20this%20action  Accesed 17/11/25.

[ii] Terms used are the Egyptian terms.

[iii] The Governor-General has 2 types of power; executive power and reserve power. The Governor-General’s reserve powers are not included in the Australian Constitution. They come from the authority of the Monarch, who the Governor-General represents. The only guide to these powers is convention – tradition. This means the exact nature and scope of these powers is arguable.  Source: https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/what-are-reserve-powers  Accessed 21/11/25

[iv] The use of reserve powers by Governors-General is rare. In fact, they have only been used a handful of times. An example is in 1909 when Governor-General William Humble Ward refused to agree to an election after the government lost the support of the majority of members in the House of Representatives. Instead, he commissioned Alfred Deakin as Prime Minister and asked him to form a coalition government (the Fusion Government).  Source: https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/what-are-reserve-powers  Accessed 21/11/25

[v]Australian Government: Department of Prime Minister and Government. Whitlam, Gough: Transcript 31860.  Source: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/prime-minister/whitlam-gough Accessed 21/11/25

[vi]Paul Daley. Gough Whitlam: 40 years on, the Dismissal's bastardry still intrigues. The Guardian. 31 Oct 2015. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/postcolonial-blog/2015/oct/31/gough-whitlam-40-years-on-the-dismissals-bastardry-still-intrigues  Accessed: 21/11/25

[vii] Australian Government: Department of Prime Minister and Government. Whitlam, Gough: Transcript 31860.  Source: https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/prime-minister/whitlam-gough Accessed 21/11/25

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] This chart is based on the referendum conducted in 1900 and is set for the opening of the polls in the last state/colony to cast its vote for federation, West Australia.

[x] Tom McIlroy Gough Whitlam’s dismissal ‘a calculated plot’ to remove elected government via partisan ambush, PM says. The Guardian. Mon 10 Nov 2025 18.30 AEDT. Last modified on Tue 11 Nov 2025 10.02 AEDT. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/nov/10/gough-whitlams-dismissal-a-calculated-plot-to-remove-elected-government-via-partisan-ambush-pm-says Accessed 21/11/25.

[xi] Matthew Doran, Elizabeth Byrne and Craig Allen. 'Palace letters' between Sir John Kerr, Queen released, revealing information about Gough Whitlam and 1975 constitutional crisis. ABC News. Tue 14 Jul 2020.  Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-14/sir-john-kerr-queen-whitlam-palace-letters-released/12452616  Accessed 21/11/25