Edward Gough Whitlam – the man who championed multiculturalism during his time in power from 1972-75 – passed away early last week.

An icon in the eyes of many immigrants, Whitlam had an unprecedented love for the Greek culture, never before seen by an Australian prime minister.

That love, on most accounts, continues to be reciprocated within the Greek Australian diaspora.
George Fountas, who served as the president of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) from 1990 to 2008, described Whitlam as a “great man” and a “great leader” when he spoke to Neos Kosmos.

“He was against racism and he was so fond of Greece,” he said.

“He was very fond of Greek history, and the Greeks – all migrants.”

Fountas was involved with Whitlam in his post-political career. He explained that Whitlam served as the patron of Melbourne’s Antipodes festival for “many years”.

“He would attend the festival in Lonsdale Street every March and he was always speaking in favour of Greece.

“I remember once he was giving a speech at the World Trade Centre in Flinders Lane and he was talking about the Parthenon Marbles and Greek history, without having anything written down.”

“He had sent me a card when they had the referendum in Australia (in 1974), written in Greek, saying ‘long live Australian democracy’. (Zito Australiani Dimokratia).”

Fountas’ sentiments were sounded throughout the country following Whitlam’s passing. Both sides of politics paid their respects, including two prominent Liberal figures. In his column for the Herald Sun, former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett said:

“… my relationship with Gough Whitlam began because of our common respect for Greece, the Greeks and the desire to have the Elgin Marbles returned to Greece from Britain. Quite simply, we were Grecophiles. We met on many occasions, in particular on Greece’s National Day March celebrations, March 26 [sic], during which Gough was received with something approaching reverence.”

And the feeling was resonated in federal parliament on the day of his passing, when an emotional Malcolm Turnbull spoke about the strong bond Whitlam shared with wife Margaret, over 70 years of marriage. The communications minister said:

“If Gough is in Olympus, I have no doubt that he’s there with Margaret … in some respects one of the things we can be happiest about today is the fact that that old couple are no longer apart.”

Whitlam has been, and will continue to be, a figure championed throughout Australia’s Greek community.

A Whitlam snapshot:

July 11, 1916
born in Kew, Victoria.
22 April, 1942
marries Margaret Elaine Dovey in Sydney (they have four children).
1942-1945
serves in the Royal Australian Air Force.
1945
joins the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
13 November, 1972
delivers his ‘It’s Time’ speech.
5 December, 1972
becomes Australia’s 21st prime minister after leading Labor to its first election victory in 23 years.
11 December, 1972
announces the withdrawal of Australian personnel from Vietnam.
15 December, 1972
the Whitlam government announces a judicial enquiry into the legal recognition of Aboriginal land rights.
19 December, 1972
upgrades the Office of Aboriginal Affairs to ministerial level.
December, 1972
introduces the Equal Pay Case for women and ends conscription.
31 October, 1973
becomes the first Australian prime minister to visit the People’s Republic of China, transforming Australia’s trading landscape.
1 January, 1974
tertiary fees abolished.
11 June, 1975
enacts the Racial Discrimination Act.
12 June, 1975
enacts the Family Law Act, providing for the Family Court of Australia.
1 July, 1975
introduces Medibank.
16 September, 1975
Papua New Guinea becomes independent of Australia.
11 November, 1975
dismissed by Governor General Sir John Kerr and Upper and Lower Houses of parliament dissolved.
31 July, 1978
resigns his parliamentary seat.
21 October, 2014
dies, aged 98.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald and National Archives of Australia.