After a four-year legal battle by the historian Jenny Hocking, the National Archives of Australia releases letters between the monarch and the governor general, Sir John Kerr. Follow live updates
1.17am BST
David Fricker says “no one document is going to be the single answer to everything”, but he points to a few letters that he says hold historical significance.
On 12 September, a few months before the November dismissal, Kerr wrote to the Queen discussing the reserve powers of the governor general – ie, his ability to dismiss the prime minister. He wrote:
My role will need some careful thought.
1.13am BST
And now David Fricker takes us through what the letters will include.
While everyone is focused on the dismissal, he says there is a lot of other material in them. They cover the entirety of his tenure as governor general, from 1974 to 1977:
There’s a few other things going own in Australia through 1974 to 1977. He provided many explanations and analyses of political developments in Australia. He was a very chatty correspondent.
Continue reading…After a four-year legal battle by the historian Jenny Hocking, the National Archives of Australia releases letters between the monarch and the governor general, Sir John Kerr. Follow live updates 1.17am BSTDavid Fricker says “no one document is going to be the single answer to everything”, but he points to a few letters that he says hold historical significance.On 12 September, a few months before the November dismissal, Kerr wrote to the Queen discussing the reserve powers of the governor general – ie, his ability to dismiss the prime minister. He wrote: My role will need some careful thought. 1.13am BSTAnd now David Fricker takes us through what the letters will include. While everyone is focused on the dismissal, he says there is a lot of other material in them. They cover the entirety of his tenure as governor general, from 1974 to 1977:There’s a few other things going own in Australia through 1974 to 1977. He provided many explanations and analyses of political developments in Australia. He was a very chatty correspondent. Continue reading…