Gough Whitlam memorial service: palpable feeling of adoration and warmth among mourners
Updated
Extraordinary could only describe the atmosphere
inside Sydney Town Hall, with its grand organ piping heart-wrenching
tunes, as people arrived to take a much coveted seat at the memorial
service for former prime minister Gough Whitlam.
The service for inside Sydney Town Hall, with its grand organ piping heart-wrenching
tunes, as people arrived to take a much coveted seat at the memorial
service for former prime minister Gough Whitlam.
such a gigantic presence in the landscape of Australian politics, and a
revered hero among the Labor Party and its true believers, was
extraordinary from beginning to end.
An unusual thing happened as
smartly dressed people filed in - a surprise standing ovation and
raucous applause erupted out of nowhere as people craned their necks to
see who, out of all the who's who at this grand memorial, had arrived.
It
was for Paul Keating and a surprise companion - his ex wife Anita - as
they walked down the red carpet aisle towards the front of the service
to take their seats.
There was this overwhelming, palpable feeling
of adoration and warmth, and a sense of belonging that erupted among
the crowd inside.
Former and current MPs, members of Mr Whitlam's
cabinet, dignitaries and ordinary mortals erupted in such joy and pride
- like fans of a beloved AFL football team cheering a captain and team
after a grand final win - like I had not seen at a memorial before.
It continued for Bob Hawke and Blanche d'Alpuget,
for Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and even for current Labor politicians,
beginning with Penny Wong and her partner as they walked down the aisle
of adoration.
John Howard was booed by the gigantic crowd watching on outside, but Mr Whitlam's comradeship was alive and well inside.
The
Howards sat side-by-side with his former political foe Bob Hawke and
Blanche and they chatted like any other normal old friends or family who
only catch up at funerals or weddings and are genuinely pleased to see
each other.
The last ovation was for Mr Whitlam's family, who
arrived to the sounds of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney
Philharmonia Choir.
And then to the national anthem - it was an
incredible experience knowing that seven prime ministers were in the
same room singing Advance Australia Fair with everyone.
Speakers
like Graham Freudenberg recounted numerous anecdotes, like Mr Whitlam
referring to his wife Margaret as "the other member for Werriwa".
It aroused warm laughter among the distinguished throng for a great man who reached a position most will only ever dream about.
At times it felt so much bigger than a memorial.
When
Noel Pearson spoke of "this old man's legacy with no partisan brief"
and counted off Mr Whitlam's achievements, there was great applause
inside and a great "Yes" could be heard from the masses outside.
It felt like a US presidential inauguration rather
than a farewell. It was a reminder of Mr Whitlam's value of equality and
his lasting impact still, alive in people's minds.
Many were
reduced to tears and some sang along when - as Kerry O'Brien called it -
Australia's other anthem, From Little Things Big Things Grow, was
performed by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody.
After hearing of his
supporters talk of the greatness of his achievements and his place in
history, it was then to his son Antony, where the reminder of being a
memorial service of someone's dad started to sink in.
All leaned in to listen with respect as the greatness of his father was spoken of again.
He then introduced the closing hymn Jerusalem, as a farewell to his father and his legacy.
The
ovations began again as Mr Whitlam's family, seven former prime
ministers, his cabinet and hundreds of politicians past and present
filed out of a town hall that felt luminous with heartfelt admiration
poured into one space to remember a man of conviction, who arguably
changed the landscape of Australian politics forever.
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