The second Whitlam ministry, formed on 19 December 1972, was replaced on 12 June 1974 by the third Whitlam ministry, which remained in place until 11 November 1975. As the Whitlam Government was returned in 1974 with only one change to the ministry, the numbering sequence for submissions and decisions was continued.
Most Cabinet business was conducted on the basis of formal submissions (which are also known as memoranda, minutes or agenda). As far as possible, submissions were circulated to all ministers prior to meetings.
After receiving Cabinet submissions, the Cabinet Office registered them and allocated a unique number. In general, the first submission received by the Cabinet Office during its term was registered as number 1, with subsequent submissions being allocated consecutive running numbers. However, the third Whitlam ministry gave emphasis to the continuity of office with the preceding second Whitlam ministry, by continuing the same numbering sequence for both submissions and decisions. The last submission considered by the second Whitlam ministry was submission 1017, while the first considered by the third Whitlam ministry was 1018.
Submissions normally consist of the departmental submission and briefing notes placed before the Cabinet by sponsoring ministers, as well as Cabinet’s decision on the submission. Each submission is filed in numerical sequence with its decision.
Once lodge, submissions could be withdrawn by their originating department or minister. This could happen because:
In such cases all copies, other than a master copy retained by the Cabinet Office, were required to be returned to the originating department. Withdrawn submissions are not always found in the folders of submissions but can usually be found in the relevant Cabinet Office 'CL' file.
The Whitlam ministry considered 626 submissions in 1974. Not all submissions were considered. Eighty-five (85) were withdrawn before being considered by Cabinet, while 14 were withdrawn after a decision was reached. The title of the submission will indicate if a submission was withdrawn. Some of these submissions are not included in the submission series A5915. This is indicated by the words 'Not included' after the title. In addition, some submission numbers were not used, or were allocated but the submission was not received. This is indicated by the words 'not used' or 'not received' in place of the submission title.
The Whitlam ministry made a total of 1264 decisions in 1974, of which 505 were made without submission.
Cabinet decisions were also allocated a unique number in sequence. However, the decision number is not the same as the submission number to which it relates. This is because decisions are not made in order of receipt of submissions and many decisions were made without a submission.
Although much Cabinet business was conducted on the basis of submissions, the prime minister could decide to raise, or allow a colleague to raise, a matter without submission. In such cases, Cabinet decisions are the only formal record of such deliberations and are termed ‘decisions without submission’.
Digital copies of 1974 submissions and decisions are available on this website via RecordSearch. Folders containing copies of 1974 submissions and decisions from these ministries are also available for public access in the National Archives' Canberra reading room.
In 1974 the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (Sir Edward John Bunting), the Deputy Secretary (Peter Bailey), the First Assistant Secretary, Cabinet and Legislative Programming Division (Robert Linford) or the Assistant Secretary, Cabinet (Michael Wilson and later George Brouwer) attended most Cabinet meetings as minute takers.
In general, three secretaries attended full Cabinet meetings, while two attended Cabinet committee meetings. Their role included the recording of proceedings so that minutes accurately reflecting the decisions made or conclusions reached could be prepared. These records of proceedings are referred to as Cabinet notebooks. Under section 22A of the Archives Act 1983, Cabinet notebooks are not available to the public until 50 years have lapsed since their creation, unlike other Commonwealth records that are released after 30 years.
The detailed background papers and earlier drafts of the Cabinet papers can be found on the files of the department that sponsored each Cabinet submission. These papers reveal the detailed deliberations of the Public Service on the topic and often include the opinions and guidance of the responsible Minister. These files can be identified through Archives’ finding aids, in particular our online database RecordSearch.
The Archives also holds collections of personal records deposited by people who have been closely associated with the Commonwealth Government in an official capacity, such as governors-general, prime ministers and ministers. These records may include official Commonwealth records as well as private, or personal, records. Commonwealth records in these collections are subject to the usual access conditions of the Archives Act 1983 and are available 30 years from the date of creation, subject to the exemption of material of continuing sensitivity. Access to non-Commonwealth records in personal records collections is determined by the depositor. Please consult the Archives about the access conditions that apply to personal records you wish to access.
The National Archives holds an extensive collection of Gough Whitlam’s personal records. It comprises almost 100 series of records covering the period 1952–78. Most of them were created by Mr Whitlam as Prime Minister and as a Member of Parliament. The records include subject and correspondence files, media releases and speeches, Labor Party material, photographs, audio tapes, films, invitations and press clippings. Some relate to Whitlam’s activities after he retired from politics.
Although the official records in this collection are not available until 30 years after they were created, access to non-Commonwealth material within the collection may be requested 25 years from the date of creation.
Further details about Whitlam’s personal records can also be found in our collection database RecordSearch. Enter Whitlam’s Commonwealth person number (CP 99) into the field for ‘Reference numbers’, then select from the ‘Search’ drop-down menu to search ‘Series’.
Other sources of information include:
Read all about the events and issues that made the news in 1974.
The second Whitlam ministry, which commenced on 19 December 1972, remained in place until a general election on 18 May 1974. The Whitlam ministry was returned to office with only one change (the addition of The Hon. John Murray Wheeldon) and a reduced majority. The third Whitlam ministry commenced its term on 12 June 1974 and remained in place until dismissed by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, on 11 November 1975.
The third Whitlam ministry continued the practice that existed before 1956 with all members of the ministry sitting as members of Cabinet. The allocation of portfolios in 1974 is indicated below.
| Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
Whitlam, The Hon. Edward Gough, QC | Prime Minister
|
Barnard, The Hon. Lance Herbert | Deputy Prime Minister (to 12 June 1974)
|
Cairns, The Hon. James Ford | Deputy Prime Minister (from 12 June 1974)
|
Hayden, The Hon. William George | Minister for Social Security |
Crean, The Hon. Frank | Treasurer (to 11 December 1974)
|
Murphy, Senator the Hon. Lionel Keith, QC | Attorney-General
|
Willesee, Senator the Hon. Donald Robert | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
Wheeldon, The Hon. John Murray | Minister for Repatriation and Compensation (from 12 June 1974) |
McClelland, Senator the Hon. Douglas | Minister for the Media
|
Patterson, The Hon. Rex Alan | Minister for Northern Development
|
Bishop, Senator the Hon. Reginald | Minister for Repatriation (to 12 June 1974)
|
Daly, The Hon. Frederick Michael | Minister for Services and Property
|
Cameron, The Hon. Clyde Robert | Minister for Labour (to 12 June 1974)
|
Uren, The Hon. Thomas | Minister for Urban and Regional Development |
Jones, The Hon. Charles Keith | Minister for Transport |
Beazley, The Hon. Kim Edward | Minister for Education |
Stewart, The Hon. Francis Eugene | Minister for Tourism and Recreation
|
Cavanagh, Senator the Hon. James Luke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs |
Wriedt, Senator the Hon. Kenneth Shaw | Minister for Primary Industry (to 12 June 1974)
|
Bryant, The Hon. Gordon Munro, ED | Minister for the Capital Territory |
Connor, The Hon. Reginald Francis Xavier | Minister for Minerals and Energy |
Grassby, The Hon. Albert Jaime | Minister for Immigration (to 12 June 1974) |
Enderby, The Hon. Keppel Earl, QC | Minister for Manufacturing Industry (to 12 June 1974) |
Bowen, The Hon. Lionel Frost | Postmaster-General (to 12 June 1974) |
Everingham, The Hon. Douglas Nixon | Minister for Health |
Cass, The Hon. Moses Henry | Minister for the Environment and Conservation |
Morrison, The Hon. William Lawrence | Minister for Science
|
Cabinet committees were first formally established by Prime Minister Menzies in 1950. Their role was to assist Cabinet to make decisions more expeditiously and efficiently by:
The 1974 committees of the Whitlam Cabinet were:
| Cabinet committee | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
Ad Hoc Committees | Ad Hoc |
Economic Committee | EC |
Expenditures Review Committee | ERC |
Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee | FAD |
Legislation Committee | LEG |
Urban and Regional Development Committee | URD |
Welfare Committee | WEL |
Decisions made by a committee are indicated by the addition of the committee abbreviation to the decision number.
Some of the political figures in Australia in 1974 who are listed below are still active in the community. The roles and titles ascribed to them are those they held in 1974.
Beazley, The Hon. Kim Edward | MHR for Fremantle, WA
| |
Bowen, The Hon. Lionel Frost | MHR for Kingsford-Smith, NSW
| |
Cameron, The Hon. Clyde Robert | MHR for Hindmarsh, SA
| |
Cass, The Hon. Moses Henry | MHR for Maribyrnong, Vic
| |
Crean, The Hon. Frank | MHR for Melbourne Ports, Vic
| |
Enderby, The Hon. Keppel Earl, QC | MHR for the Australian Capital Territory
| |
Grassby, The Hon. Albert Jaime | MHR for Riverina, NSW
| |
Hayden, The Hon. William George | MHR for Oxley, Qld
| |
McClelland, Senator the Hon. Douglas | Senator for New South Wales
| |
Patterson, The Hon. Rex Alan | MHR for Dawson, QLD
| |
Uren, The Hon. Thomas | MHR for Reid, NSW
| |
Whitlam, The Hon. Edward Gough, QC | MHR for Werriwa, NSW
| |
Wriedt, Senator the Hon. Kenneth Shaw | Senator for Tasmania
| |
Berinson, Joseph Max | MHR for Perth, WA |
Cohen, Barry | MHR for Robertson, NSW |
Cross, Manfred Douglas | MHR for Brisbane, QLD |
Hurford, Christopher John | MHR for Adelaide, SA |
Keating, Paul John | MHR for Blaxland, NSW |
Kerin, John | MHR for Macarthur, NSW |
Lamb, Anthony Hamilton | MHR for La Trobe, Vic |
Scholes, The Hon. Gordon Glen Denton | MHR for Corio, Vic |
Anthony, The Rt Hon. John Douglas, PC | MHR for Richmond, NSW |
Chipp, The Hon. Donald Leslie | MHR for Hotham, Vic |
Cotton, Senator the Hon. Robert Carrington | Senator for New South Wales |
Fraser, The Hon. John Malcolm | MHR for Wannon, Vic |
Guilfoyle, Margaret Georgina Constance | Senator for Victoria |
Hunt, The Hon. Ralph James Dunnet | MHR for Gwydir, NSW |
Killen, The Hon. Denis James | MHR for Moreton, Qld |
MacKellar, Michael John Randal | MHR for Warringah, NSW |
Nixon, The Hon. Peter James | MHR for Gippsland, Vic |
Peacock, The Hon. Andrew Sharp | MHR for Kooyong, Vic |
Rae, Peter Elliot | Senator for Tasmania |
Sinclair, The Hon. Ian McCahon | MHR for New England, NSW |
Withers, Reginald Greive | Senator for Western Australia |
Bailey, Peter Hamilton | Deputy Secretary, Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Brouwer, George Eugene | Assistant Secretary, Cabinet |
Hewitt, Sir Cyrus Lenox, OBE | Secretary, Department of Minerals and Energy |
Lawler, Peter, OBE | Secretary, Department of the Special Minister of State |
Menadue, John | Secretary, Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Spigelman, Hon. James | Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister |
Stone, John | Deputy Secretary (Economic), Treasury |
Wilson, Michael John | Assistant Secretary, Cabinet |
The documents included in this section have been selected by Ian Hancock, the National Archives historical consultant for the 1974 Cabinet records release. Ian Hancock is a Visiting Fellow at the Dictionary of Biography, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University.
These documents have been selected to illustrate the major topics discussed by Cabinet during 1974. The documents are arranged by topic, with divisions within the topic as appropriate. Introductory notes to each subject division, prepared by Ian Hancock, highlight some of the major issues discussed by Cabinet and outline why these documents are pertinent to that topic.
The documents have been selected from the 1974 Cabinet submissions (A5915), Cabinet decisions (A5925) and related Cabinet files (A5931). The record from which the document was selected is indicated in square brackets after the document title. For example:
Letter from Prime Minister Whitlam to the Hon. J Bjelke-Petersen, 20 October 1974 [A5931, CL380; ff. 130–129]
The above document was selected from the Cabinet file ‘A5931, CL380’ and is located at folios 130–129 of this record. Additional relevant documents may be held in this file.
The documents have been copied from original archival documents. Every attempt has been made to reproduce the best possible quality image, however, sometimes the result may not be fully legible due to the poor quality of the original document. The original documents can be accessed through the Canberra reading room. Click on an image to view an enlargement, or use links in the right-hand column to download the key documents in PDF (portable document format). To view PDFs, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
| Subject | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal affairs | 1974–75 Budget | |
| Transfer of function from State governments | ||
| Child care | ||
| Cyclone Tracy | ||
| Defence | Australian Defence Force Academy | |
| Defence Budget | ||
| Economy | Pre-Budget discussions with interested parties | |
| Inflation – July | ||
| Inflation – August | ||
| The Budget | ||
| Measures to combat inflation and unemployment | ||
| Environment protection | ||
| Medibank | Implementing Medibank | |
| Advertising and naming | ||
| Urban and regional development | ||
The following table lists the key people referred to in the selected documents. Others may be identified by consulting the Australian Government Directory 1974 (Australian Government Printing Service, 1974) and the Australian Parliamentary Handbook, 19th edition (AGPS, 1975).
Barnard, The Hon. Lance Herbert, MP | Deputy Prime Minister (to 12 June 1974)
|
Beazley, The Hon. Kim Edward, MP | Minister for Education |
Bjelke-Petersen, The Hon. Johannes (Joh) | Premier of Queensland |
Bunting, Sir John, CBE | Secretary, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Cairns, The Hon. James (Jim) Ford, MP | Minister for Overseas Trade (to 11 December 1974)
|
Cameron, The Hon. Clyde Robert, MP | Minister for Labour and Immigration |
Cass, The Hon. Henry Moses (Moss), MP | Minister for the Environment and Conservation |
Castles, Mr Ian | First Assistant Secretary (Economic Division), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Cavanagh, Senator the Hon. James Luke | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs |
Cole, Mr RW (Bill) | First Assistant Secretary (General Financial and Economic Policy Division, Treasury) |
Coombs, Dr Herbert Cole (Nugget) | Consultant to the Prime Minister |
Crean, The Hon. Frank, MP | Treasurer (to 11 December 1974) |
Fraser, The Hon. John Malcolm | Former Minister for Defence (1969–71) |
Hayden, The Hon. William (Bill) George, MP | Minister for Social Security
|
Hawke, The Hon. Robert (Bob) James Lee | President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
|
Holmes, Mr Austin | Director (Priorities Review Staff), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet/Special Minister of State |
Johnson, The Hon. Leslie Royston, MP | Minister for Housing and Construction |
Martin, Sir Leslie | Professor of Physics and Dean, Faculty of Military Studies (University of NSW), Royal Military College Duntroon. |
McMahon, The Rt Hon. William, CH, MP | Prime Minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972 |
Menadue, Mr John | Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Morosi, Ms Junie | Private Secretary to the Hon. Jim Cairns |
Munro, Mr Donald Jasper | Deputy Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Murphy, Senator the Hon. Lionel Keith, QC | Leader of the Government in the Senate
|
Patterson, The Hon. Rex Alan, MP | Minister for Northern Development
|
Phillips, Sir John, KBE | Chairman, Reserve Bank of Australia |
Reid, Ms Elizabeth | Adviser to the Prime Minister |
Spigelman, Mr James (Jim) | Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister |
Stone, Mr John | Deputy Secretary (Economic), Treasury |
Stretton, Major-General Sir Allan, CBE, AO | Director-General, National Disasters Organisation |
Tange, Sir Arthur, CBE | Secretary, Department of Defence |
Uren, The Hon. Tom, MP | Minister for Urban and Regional Development |
Whitlam, The Hon. Edward Gough, QC, MP | Prime Minister of Australia |
The documents included in this section were selected by Ian Hancock, from records of the Department of the Treasury that relate to the event commonly referred to as the ‘Loans Affair’.
The documents were drawn from the following Department of Treasury files:
A571, 1974/96 Part 1 | Middle East loan offer to the Department of Minerals and Energy, Part 1; 9–12 December 1974. |
A571, 1974/96 Part 2 | Middle East loan offer to the Department of Minerals and Energy, Part 2; 13–16 December 1974. |
A571, 1974/96 Part 3 | Middle East loan offer to the Department of Minerals and Energy, Part 3; 17–20 December 1974–75. |
A571, 1974/96 Part 4 | Middle East loan offer to the Department of Minerals and Energy, Part 4; 21 December 1974–75. |
A571, 1975/38 Part 1 | Unsolicited loan offer – G [George] Harris, 1974–75 |
The record from which the document was selected is indicated in square brackets after the document title. For example:
‘Letter from Sir Lenox Hewitt to Mr Tiraty Hassaram Khemlani’, 12 November 1974 [A571, 1974/96 Part 1; f. 89]
The above document was selected from the Treasury file ‘A571, 1974/96 Part 1’ and is located at folio 89 of the record. Additional relevant documents may be held in this file.
Other Commonwealth Government departments, including the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, may also hold additional relevant records.
The documents have been copied from original archival documents. Every attempt has been made to reproduce the best possible quality image from these documents. However, sometimes the result may not be fully legible due to the poor quality of the original document.
Click on an image to view an enlargement or use the links in the right-hand column to download the key documents in PDF (portable document format). To view PDFs, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
| Subject | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Loans Affair: The Treasury files | Treasury warnings and the Federal Executive Council Minute | |
| Treasury triumphant | ||
| Straws in the wind | ||
The following table lists the key people referred to in the selected documents. Others may be identified by consulting the Australian Government Directory 1974 (Australian Government Printing Service, 1974) and the Australian Parliamentary Handbook, 19th edition (AGPS, 1975).
Bailey, Mr AP | Assistant Secretary (Revenue, Loans and Investment Division), Treasury, and Acting First Secretary, (Revenue, Loans and Investment Division), Treasury |
Cairns, The Hon. James (Jim) Ford, MP | Minister for Overseas Trade (to 11 December 1974) Treasurer (from 11 December 1974) Acting Prime Minister (14 December 1974 – 21 January 1975) |
Cameron, The Hon. Clyde Robert, MP | Minister for Labour and Immigration |
Connor, The Hon. Reginald (Rex), MP | Minister for Minerals and Energy |
Crean, The Hon. Frank, MP | Treasurer (to 11 December 1974) |
Daniel, Mr R | Deputy Secretary (Supply and General), Treasury |
Dean, Mr RH | Minister for Finance, British Government, United Kingdom |
Freney, Mr RQ | Private Secretary to the Treasurer |
Hardman, Mr RJ | Chief Finance Officer (Revenue, Loans and Investment Division, Special Projects Section), Treasury |
Hay, Mr I | Chief Finance Officer (Revenue, Loans and Investment Division, Loans Section), Treasury |
Hewitt, Sir Cyrus Lenox, OBE | Secretary, Department of Minerals and Energy |
Johnson, Mr HB | Clerk, Treasury |
Kerr, The Hon. Sir John, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC | Governor-General of Australia |
Khemlani, Mr Tiraty Hassaram | Manager, Dalamal and Sons (Commodities) Ltd (firm of overseas agents and merchants based in London, UK) |
Lynch, The Hon. Phillip Reginald, MP | Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
Mallyon, Mr James Stuart | Chief Manager (Banking and Finance Department), Reserve Bank of Australia |
Moore, Mr AG | Acting Assistant Secretary (Revenue, Loans and Investment Division), Treasury |
Moore, Mr JD | First Assistant Secretary (Financial Institutions Division), Treasury |
Murphy, Senator the Hon. Lionel Keith, QC | Leader of the Government in the Senate Attorney-General Minister for Customs and Excise |
Phillips, Sir John, KBE | Chairman, Reserve Bank of Australia |
Prowse, Mr ARG | First Assistant Secretary (Revenue Loans and Investment Division), Treasury |
Rose, Mr Denis | Senior Assistant Secretary (Advisings Division), Attorney-General’s Department |
Selby, Miss Julia | Clerk, Treasury |
Stone, Mr John | Deputy Secretary (Economic), Treasury |
Townsend, Mr RN | Deputy Secretary, Department of Minerals and Energy and Acting Secretary, Department of Minerals and Energy |
Wheeler, Sir Frederick, CBE | Secretary, Treasury |
Whitlam, The Hon. Edward Gough, QC, MP | Prime Minister of Australia |
Wilson, Sir Roland | Chairman, Commonwealth Banking Corporation |
