By Dr Robyn Smith

Tenuous connections to famous people and events are not uncommon in family histories or, for that matter, the media.

Almost every family has the equivalent of ‘my great-great grandfather was shot in the arm by Ned Kelly’. Of course, we are at liberty to accept it as fact or reject it as folklore.

It is, however, true that there is a Northern Territory link to the Whitlam dismissal of 11 November 1975, although it was not apparent at the time.

In the above historic image held by the National Archives of Australia, Sir David Smith, Official Secretary to the Governor-General, stands on the steps of Parliament House in Canberra and reads Sir John Kerr’s dismissing the government and dissolving both Houses of parliament.

Whitlam towers over him. The wigged men are the Cle

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