1975 Aryamehr Cup
The 1975 Aryamehr Cup (Persian: جام آریامهر ۱۳۵۳) was a men's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Imperial Country Club in Tehran in Iran. It was part of the 1975 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix as a Group AA category event. The tournament was held from 20 October through 26 October 1975. Eddie Dibbs won the singles title.


1975 Aryamehr Cup, Finals, Doubles
Juan Gisbert, Sr. /  Manuel Orantes defeated  Bob Hewitt /  Frew McMillan 7–5, 6–7, 6–1, 6–4


1975 Asia Golf Circuit
The 1975 Asia Golf Circuit was the 14th season of golf tournaments that comprised the Asia Golf Circuit.


1975 Asia Golf Circuit
Despite not claiming a tournament victory during the season, Taiwan's Hsieh Min-Nan won his second overall circuit title through consistent high finishes. He prevailed by just half a point from compatriot Kuo Chie-Hsiung, who won three tournaments, as both men finished tied for nineteenth place in the season ending Sobu International Open.


1975 Asia Golf Circuit, Tournament schedule
The table below shows the 1975 Asian Golf Circuit schedule. The only scheduling change from 1974, was the Thailand and Singapore tournaments swapping places as the third and sixth legs of the circuit.


1975 Asia Golf Circuit, Final standings
The Asia Golf Circuit operated a points based system to determine the overall circuit champion, with points being awarded in each tournament to the leading players. At the end of the season, the player with the most points was declared the circuit champion, and there was a prize pool to be shared between the top players in the points table.


1975 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships
The 7th edition of the Men's Asian Amateur Boxing Championships was held from September 23–28, 1975 in Yokohama, Japan.


1975 Asian Athletics Championships
The second Asian Athletics Championships were held in 1975 in Seoul, South Korea.


1975 Asian Baseball Championship
The 1975 Asian Baseball Championship was the eleventh continental tournament held by the Baseball Federation of Asia. The tournament was held in Seoul, South Korea for the third time, and was won by the hosts for their third Asian Championship; all three times when hosting the tournament.


1975 Asian Baseball Championship
The tournament marked the first and only time Australia secured a medal in the Asian Championships—winning bronze—despite contesting the championship through to the 1993 tournament. Through 2009, Taiwan's 4th-place finish would be the last time they would not achieve a medal in the tournament. Japan (2nd) and Philippines (5th) were the other participants.


1975 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship
The 1975 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship was an international volleyball competition held in Melbourne, Australia from the 17 to 28 August 1975. It was the first edition of the Asian Volleyball Championship and saw seven teams compete in a round-robin competition with the top team qualifying through to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.


1975 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship
After eighteen matches was played, Japan took out the Asian Championship winning all six matches including their final match against South Korea who would take the silver. China took home the bronze medal.


1975 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship
The 1975 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship was the 1st Asian Championship, which took place from August 17 to August 28, 1975, in Melbourne, Australia.


1975 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
The 1975 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Texas Longhorns and the Colorado Buffaloes.


1975 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Background
A loss to #2 Texas A&M in the final game of the season meant that Texas could not claim an outright Southwest Conference title. Colorado had finished 3rd in the Big Eight Conference. This was Colorado's first bowl game under Mallory, but their fourth overall bowl appearance of the decade, and their first Bluebonnet Bowl since 1971. This was the 8th straight bowl appearance for Texas and its first Bluebonnet Bowl appearance since 1966.


1975 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Aftermath
Royal retired the following season. Colorado went to the Orange Bowl that season, but lost. They did not win a bowl game until 1991. Texas returned to the Bluebonnet Bowl three times, and Colorado returned once.


1975 Atlanta Braves season
The 1975 Atlanta Braves season was the tenth season in Atlanta along with the 105th season as a franchise overall and the 100th in the National League.


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
The 1974 Braves had thrived under manager Clyde King upon his appointment July 24, going 38–25 to finish the year 14 games above .500. But the 1975 club fell under the break-even mark May 23 and never recovered. They were 58–76 (.433) and 311⁄2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds when King was fired on August 29, 1975. With only a handful of games left in the season, special scout Connie Ryan, a veteran former Braves' infielder and coach, was named to finish out the string, and the club performed even more poorly under Ryan, at 9–18.


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
For 1976, GM Eddie Robinson promised to hire a "firebrand" to replace the scholarly King, and in October he selected Dave Bristol as the team's new skipper. Bristol, 42, had been the third-base coach of the Montreal Expos from 1973–1975 and had previously compiled a poor record (144–209, .408) with the 1970–1972 Milwaukee Brewers.


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
But he was hailed as an unsung contributor to "the Big Red Machine" Cincinnati dynasty, when, as Sparky Anderson's predecessor, he inserted into the lineup many of the players—like Johnny Bench, Lee May, Tommy Helms, and Gary Nolan—who proved to be key contributors to the Cincinnati championship clubs of the early 1970s. Bristol also had led the Reds to first division finishes in each of his three full seasons (1967–1969) as manager.


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
Said Helms upon Bristol's hiring by the Braves: "[Bristol] has a way of letting the players know how to win and what it's like to win. He's fiery and he's tough, but he's a ballplayer's man."


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1975 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1975 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1975 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's tenth year in the National Football League (NFL). With the first overall pick of the NFL draft, the Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartkowski out of the University of California. However, the pick would do them no good as the Falcons slumped to another miserable 4–10 record and missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season. This was also the first and only full season for head coach Marion Campbell until the 1980s, as he was hired to coach the final 6 games of the previous season and was fired 5 games into the following season.


1975 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1975 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament was held in Chapel Hill, NC from April 24th through April 27th. NC State won the tournament and earned the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the 1975 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1975 Atlantic hurricane season featured the first tropical storm to be upgraded to a hurricane based solely on satellite imagery – Hurricane Doris. The season officially began on June 1 and lasted until November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was near average, with nine tropical storms forming, of which six became hurricanes. Three of those six became major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The first system, Tropical Depression One, developed on June 24.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season
Tropical Storm Amy in July caused minor beach erosion and coastal flooding from North Carolina to New Jersey, and killed one person when a ship capsized offshore North Carolina. Hurricane Blanche brought strong winds to portions of Atlantic Canada, leaving about $6.2 million (1975 USD) in damage. Hurricane Caroline brought high tides and flooding to northeastern Mexico and Texas, with two drownings in the latter.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season
The most significant storm of the season was Hurricane Eloise, a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Florida Panhandle at peak intensity, after bringing severe flooding to the Caribbean. Eloise caused 80 fatalities, including 34 in Puerto Rico, 7 in Dominican Republic, 18 in Haiti, and 21 in the United States, with 4 in Florida. The hurricane left about $560 million in damage in the United States. Hurricane Gladys, a Category 4 hurricane, was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, but left little impact on land. Two tropical depressions also caused damage and fatalities. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of this season resulted in 87 deaths and about $564.7 million in damage.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, with the first tropical cyclone developing on June 24. Although 23 tropical depressions developed, only nine of them reached tropical storm intensity; this was near normal compared to the 1950–2000 average of 9.6 named storms. Six of these reached hurricane status, slightly above the 1950–2000 average of 5.9. Furthermore, three storms reached major hurricane status; above the 1950–2000 average of 2.3. Collectively, the cyclones of this season caused at least 84 deaths and over $564.7 million in damage. The Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on November 30, though the final cyclone became extratropical on December 13.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
Tropical cyclogenesis began in June, with the development of a tropical depression on June 24, followed by Tropical Storm Amy on June 27. Four systems originated in July, including Hurricane Blanche. After Tropical Depression Six dissipated on July 30, tropical activity went dormant for over three weeks, ending with the development of Hurricane Caroline on August 24. Another cyclone, Hurricane Doris, also formed in August. September was the most active month of the season, featuring eight tropical cyclones, including hurricanes Eloise, Faye, and Gladys. In October, four systems formed, one of which intensified into Tropical Storm Hallie. Two tropical depressions developed in November. The last system, a subtropical storm, formed on December 6 and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on December 13.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 76. Broadly speaking, ACE is a measure of the power of a tropical storm multiplied by the length of time it existed. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated for full advisories on specific tropical and subtropical systems reaching or exceeding wind speeds of 39 mph (63 km/h). Accordingly, tropical depressions are not included here. After the storm has dissipated, typically after the end of the season, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reexamines the data. These revisions can lead to a revised ACE total either upward or downward compared to the operational value.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Amy
A trough of low pressure developed into a tropical depression while just north of Grand Bahama on June 27. The depression headed generally northward and remained weak. Upon nearing the coast of the Carolinas, the depression turned sharply eastward ahead of a rapidly approaching trough. Early on June 29, the system intensified into Tropical Storm Amy offshore North Carolina. Further intensification occurred and the storm reached its peak intensity with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 981 mbar (hPa; 28.97 inHg) by July 2. During most of the storm's existence, Amy featured many subtropical characteristics – both tropical and extratropical characteristics – but was not classified as such due to the proximity to land. By July 4, the system moved southeast of Newfoundland before becoming extratropical. The remnants continued rapidly northeastward and soon dissipated.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Amy
The main effects from Amy were rough seas, reaching up to 15 ft (4.6 m) in height, that were felt from North Carolina to New Jersey, inflicting minor coastal flooding and beach erosion. The storm also brought generally light rainfall to land, peaking at 5.87 in (149 mm) in Belhaven, North Carolina. Offshore North Carolina, a schooner carrying four people capsized on June 30, resulting in the death of the father of the other three crew members. They remained at sea for roughly 15 days before being rescued by a Greek merchant ship.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Blanche
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on July 14. The system remained weak for about a week, before convection began increasing significantly on July 21. After wind shear decreased, the wave managed to develop into a tropical depression on July 24 about 355 miles (570 km) northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It moved northwestward until early on July 26, when an approaching cold front and associated trough caused the depression to turn northeastward. Around that time, the cyclone intensified into Tropical Storm Blanche.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Blanche
A weakening cold front and baroclinic forces created an environment favorable for intensifying, allowing Blanche to become a Category 1 hurricane on July 27. Slightly further deepening occurred, with the storm peaking with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 980 mbar (29 inHg). Before 12:00 UTC on July 28, Blanche made landfall in Barrington, Nova Scotia, with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The system quickly transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, which soon dissipated.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Blanche
In Atlantic Canada, the remnants of Blanche produced high winds gusts up to 70 mph (110 km/h), along with moderate rainfall, peaking at 3.1 in (79 mm) in Chatham, New Brunswick. The strong winds knocked over two mobile homes and destroyed a slaughterhouse, which was under construction. Additionally, trees and power lines were downed, leaving between 500 and 1,000 customers without electricity. The electrical corporation in Nova Scotia suffered about $196,600 in damage. Telephone services were also interrupted. The A. Murray MacKay Bridge was closed after an oil rig broke loose and threatened to strike the bridge. In Prince Edward Island, flights to and from the Charlottetown Airport were canceled, as was ferry service to Nova Scotia. In the province, many homes and businesses lost telephone service. Overall, damage in Canada reached about $6.2 million.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Six
Tropical Depression Six developed from a trough of low pressure in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico about 60 mi (95 km) southwest of Cape San Blas, Florida, on July 27. The depression moved west-northwestward and strengthened slightly to reach winds of 35 mph (55 km/h), but remained below tropical storm intensity and made landfall in eastern Louisiana. Once inland, the depression slowly weakened and re-curved northwestward on July 30 into Mississippi. Around that time, the depression dissipated. The remnants persisted at least until August 3, at which time it was situated over Arkansas.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Six
The tropical depression dropped heavy rainfall, with some areas of the Florida Panhandle experiencing more than 20 in (510 mm) of precipitation, with a maximum total of 20.84 in (529 mm) observed in DeFuniak Springs. Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, and Walton were hardest hit. Numerous roads were flooded and closed, with $3.2 million in damage to that infrastructure. About 500 homes suffered flood damage, 22 of which were destroyed. Damage is estimated to have reached $8.5 million in the state of Florida alone.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Six
In southern Alabama, overflowing rivers flooded several businesses and homes in Brewton and East Brewton. Damage in Alabama totaled approximately $300,000. In Mississippi, about 50 families in the vicinity of the Biloxi River were evacuated as the river threatened to exceed its banks, while at least 70 families fled their homes in Moss Point. Water entered about a dozen homes there. Further north, about 100 residences were evacuated in Canton, where some businesses suffered water damage. A total of 12 homes in Vicksburg were flooded. The storm left three fatalities, with two in Florida and one in Alabama.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Caroline
A tropical wave that emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on August 15 developed into a tropical depression about 200 mi (320 km) north of Hispaniola on August 24. The depression moved west-southwestward and failed to intensify before crossing the Turks and Caicos Islands and making landfall along the northern coast in eastern Cuba on August 25. After emerging into the Caribbean Sea, the cyclone headed west-northwestward beginning on August 27. By the following day, the depression entered into the Gulf of Mexico after passing just offshore the Yucatán Peninsula.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Caroline
The system then intensified into Tropical Storm Caroline early on August 29 and hurricane by 00:00 UTC the following day. Further strengthening occurred, with the storm peaking as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 963 mbar (28.4 inHg) early on August 31. Around that time, Caroline made landfall in a rural area of Tamaulipas, located in northeastern Mexico. The system rapidly weakened and dissipated on September 1.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Caroline
In Mexico, the storm produced 10 ft (3 m) storm tides along the coast, while 5-10 in (127–254 mm) of rain fell inland. Flooding rains forced 1,000 people to evacuate and left moderate damage to homes and businesses. The precipitation ended an eight-month drought that was affecting inland portions of northern Mexico and decreasing the area's corn production. Along the coast, several small villages sustained significant damage from the hurricane's storm surge. Portions of south Texas also experienced heavy rainfall, with 11.93 in (303 mm) at Port Isabel. Brownsville broke a record for the highest amount of precipitation observed on a day in August. Two deaths occurred from drowning in Galveston.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Doris
A low pressure area developed within a frontal band over the central Atlantic on August 27. At 12:00 UTC on the following day, the system developed into a subtropical storm while situated 930 mi (1,500 km) southwest of the Azores. The subtropical classification was due to the lack of a central dense overcast (CDO), with the showers and thunderstorms mainly consisting of a strong band of convention located southeast of the center, as well as its association to the frontal band.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Doris
Because the system was out of the authorized range of reconnaissance aircraft flights, satellites and ships were used to monitor the storm's intensity and tropical status. After satellite imagery indicated that the system became more symmetrical, developed CDO, and detached from the frontal system, the cyclone was reclassified as Tropical Storm Doris on August 29.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Doris
Doris made meteorological history when, on August 31, it became the first Atlantic hurricane ever to be upgraded to hurricane intensity solely on the basis of satellite pictures, via the Dvorak technique. The cyclone then curved northward and intensified further during the next few days, becoming a Category 2 hurricane early on September 2. Based on the Dvorak technique, it is estimated that Doris peaked with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 965 mbar (28.5 inHg) shortly thereafter. By September 3, the hurricane began interacting with a non-tropical low pressure area. On the following day, Doris quickly weakened to a tropical storm and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about 830 mi (1,340 km) south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, around 06:00 UTC. The extratropical remnants weakened and then dissipated late on September 4.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Eloise
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression on September 13 to the east of the Virgin Islands. The system tracked westward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Eloise while passing to the north of Puerto Rico. Eloise briefly reached hurricane intensity soon thereafter, but weakened back to a tropical storm around landfall over Hispaniola. The cyclone emerged into open waters of the northern Caribbean Sea. After striking the northern Yucatán Peninsula, Eloise turned northward and re-intensified. In the Gulf of Mexico, the cyclone quickly deepened, becoming a Category 3 hurricane on September 23. The hurricane made landfall west of Panama City, Florida, before moving inland across Alabama and dissipating on September 24.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Eloise
The storm produced heavy rainfall throughout Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, causing extensive flooding that left severe damage 59 fatalities. Thousands of people in these areas became homeless as flood waters submerged numerous communities. As Eloise progressed westward, it affected Cuba to a lesser extent. In advance of the storm, about 100,000 residents evacuated from the Gulf Coast region. Upon making landfall in Florida, Eloise generated wind gusts of 155 mph (249 km/h), which demolished hundreds of buildings in the area. The storm's severe winds, waves, and storm surge left numerous beaches, piers, and other coastal structures heavily impaired.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Eloise
Wind-related damage extended into inland Alabama and Georgia. Further north, torrential rains along the entire East Coast of the United States created an unprecedented and far-reaching flooding event, especially into the Mid-Atlantic States. In that region, an additional 17 people died as a result of freshwater flooding from the post-tropical storm; infrastructural and geological effects were comparable to those from Hurricane Agnes three years prior. Across the United States, damage amounted to approximately $560 million. The storm killed 80 people along its entire track.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Faye
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on September 14. After detaching from the Intertropical Convergence Zone on September 18, the wave quickly developed into a tropical depression about 575 mi (925 km) west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Moving northwestward, the depression intensified, according to ships and satellite imagery, becoming Tropical Storm Faye on September 19. The cyclone then moved westward and was unable to intensify further due to increasing wind shear, before weakening to a tropical depression on September 23.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Faye
Shortly thereafter, Faye turned to the north, crossing an upper trough axis over the central Atlantic. Southwesterly flow aloft allowed the system to re-strengthen, with Faye becoming a tropical storm again on September 25. Faye accelerated to the northwest and deepened into a Category 1 hurricane early on September 26, several hours before reaching Category 2 intensity.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Faye
Around 23:00 UTC on September 26, the cyclone passed about 35 mi (55 km) east of Bermuda. Winds up to 69 mph (111 km/h) and heavy rains were recorded on the island. Up to 2.8 in (71 mm) of rain fell in Bermuda from the hurricane. Already severely impacted by flooding from Eloise days earlier, New England prepared for additional flooding from Faye. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches, resulting in more evacuations. At 00:00 UTC on September 27, the hurricane reached its maximum sustained wind speed of 105 mph (165 km/h).


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Faye
Later that day, Faye curved northeast under strong westerly flow. Although the system weakened to a Category 1 hurricane late on September 28, the storm reached its minimum barometric pressure of 977 mbar (28.9 inHg), observed by a reconnaissance aircraft. Faye then curved eastward and lost tropical characteristics, becoming extratropical at 12:00 UTC on September 29, while situated northwest of Corvo Island in the Azores.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gladys
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on September 17. The system developed into a tropical depression while located about 750 mi (1,210 km) southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on September 22. Initially, the depression remained weak, but after encountering warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Gladys on September 24. Moving west-northwestward, the storm then entered a more unfavorable environment, mainly increased wind shear. Despite this, Gladys intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on September 28. Shortly thereafter, the storm reentered an area favorable for strengthening. A well-defined eye became visible on satellite imagery by September 30.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gladys
As the storm tracked to the east of the Bahamas, a curve to the north began, at which time an anticyclone developed atop the cyclone. This subsequently allowed Gladys to rapidly intensify into a Category 4 hurricane, reaching maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 939 mbar (27.7 inHg) on October 2. Thereafter, Gladys began to weaken and passed very close to Cape Race, Newfoundland, before losing tropical characteristics on October 3 while situated about 385 mi (620 km) northeast of St. John's. Subsequently, the remnants merged with a large extratropical cyclone on October 3. Effects from the system along the East Coast of the United States were minimal, although heavy rainfall and rough seas were reported. In Newfoundland, strong winds and light precipitation were observed.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Seventeen
A tropical depression developed in the southern Gulf of Mexico about 125 mi (200 km) northwest of Campeche City in Mexico on October 14. Moving around the western periphery of a subtropical ridge, the depression intensified while moving northeast towards the central Gulf Coast of the United States due to an advancing cold front. However, the depression remained below tropical storm status, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). Early on October 17, the depression made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana. Shortly thereafter, the depression became an extratropical cyclone as it through the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, before moving offshore New England.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Seventeen
Heavy rains fell along the frontal boundary ahead of the system, with a peak total of 9.01 in (229 mm) of precipitation observed in Aimwell, Louisiana. Flooding occurred across eastern Louisiana, central Mississippi, the western Florida Panhandle, central Tennessee, western Virginia, and eastern New York. In Jackson, Mississippi, the heavy precipitation established a new daily rainfall record for October 16 and a new 24-hour rainfall record for the month of October. Eight bridges were damaged in Jackson County, Tennessee, due to the floods. Heavy rains left heavy damage to the soybean and corn crops in Hickman and Marion counties in Tennessee. Six tornadoes were reported in association with this tropical depression, including two in Alabama, two in northwest Florida, and two in North Carolina. One person died due to flooding in Mississippi.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Hallie
A frontal trough exited the East Coast of the United States on October 18. The southern portion of the system became stationary near the Bahamas; simultaneously, a cut-off upper-level low formed in the same region. The disturbance produced scattered convection, until a tropical wave merged with it on October 23. The system developed into a subtropical depression by October 24, while located about 100 mi (160 km) east of Florida. The depression drifted northward on October 25 and eventually acquired tropical characteristics by October 26.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Hallie
Due to tropical storm force winds, the system was reclassified as Tropical Storm Hallie, while situated about 100 mi (160 km) east of Charleston, South Carolina. Hallie accelerated to the northeast starting on October 26. By the following day, Hallie peaked with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Later that day, Hallie merged with a frontal zone and became extratropical offshore Virginia.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Hallie
The precursor to Hallie produced extensive cloudiness precipitation in the Bahamas. On October 27, gale warnings were issued for portions of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and small craft advisories were posted for coastal areas from Georgia to Virginia. Tides along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts were generally between 1 and 2 ft (0.30 and 0.61 m) above normal. Generally light precipitation fell, peaking at 2.55 in (65 mm) in Manteo, North Carolina. Additionally, the pressure gradient between Hallie and a high pressure area increased winds across much of the East Coast of the United States.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Two
An extratropical low pressure system developed into a subtropical storm about 615 mi (990 km) east-southeast of Newfoundland, at 12:00 UTC on December 9. The storm moved rapidly southward and intensified, reaching maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) about 24 hours later, based on observations from an unidentified ship. Shortly thereafter, sustained winds began decreasing. However, late on December 11, the storm attained its minimum barometric pressure of 985 mbar (29.1 inHg). The system began moving southeastward and then eastward. By 12:00 UTC on December 12, the cyclone weakened to a subtropical depression. Moving northward, it dissipated 24 hours later, while situated about 505 mi (815 km) south-southwest of the Azores.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
In addition to the named storms and notable tropical depressions, several other minor tropical depressions developed during the season. On June 24, the first tropical depression developed over the central Atlantic. It tracked westward for two days, before executing a counter-clockwise loop. By June 28, the system had completed the loop and was tracking north. The depression dissipated on June 29 about 305 mi (490 km) southeast of Sable Island, an island located southeast of Nova Scotia. A third tropical depression formed northeast of the Bahamas on July 4.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
Tracking northeastward, the system did not intensify and was last noted over open waters midday on July 5. On July 24, the fifth tropical depression of the season formed over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Deep convection associated with the system persisted around the center of circulation. Forecasters anticipated the depression would intensify into a tropical storm before landfall. A reconnaissance mission into the cyclone found 50 mph (85 km/h) winds; however, due to the interaction with land, the NHC did not upgrade the depression. Not long after forming, the depression struck Tampico, Tamaulipas. A barometric pressure of 1007 mbar (hPa; 29.74 inHg) was recorded in the city, along with sustained winds of 37 mph (60 km/h). The system was no longer monitored by the NHC after landfall and quickly dissipated on July 26.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
On September 3, two tropical depressions developed near Cabo Verde. The westernmost, designated Tropical Depression Eight, tracked generally westward and eventually dissipated near the Lesser Antilles on September 9. The easternmost, Tropical Depression Nine, also moved westward and dissipated on September 6. Another tropical depression developed near Bermuda on September 11. Initially, the depression drifted northeastward but later accelerated and dissipated by September 14. Tropical Depression Fifteen developed near the Gulf of Honduras on September 25 and tracked slowly westward. By September 28, the depression made landfall in northern Belize before dissipating two days later.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
A tropical depression developed to the west of the Canary Islands on October 3, moving northwestward and then northeastward before dissipating southwest of the Azores on October 5. Tropical Depression Eighteen formed on October 27 over the southwestern Caribbean Sea and tracked northwest. After turning nearly due west, the depression briefly made landfall near the Nicaragua–Honduras border and made another landfall in southern Belize shortly before dissipating on October 29. On November 8, a tropical depression developed off the coast of Honduras. Moving north-northwestward, the system gradually intensified.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
Between November 9 and 10, reconnaissance missions into the depression found winds of 40 mph (65 km/h); however, the NHC did not upgrade it to a tropical storm, because weaken occurred shortly thereafter. Over the following few days, the system gradually turned southward and made landfall in the southwestern edge of the Yucatán Peninsula on November 12, shortly before dissipating. In late November, another tropical depression formed over the central Atlantic. A short-lived system, it formed on November 29 and dissipated on December 1.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1975. Storms were named Amy, Caroline, Doris, Eloise and Faye for the first time in 1975. The name Eloise was later retired. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.


1975 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of the storms in the 1975 Atlantic hurricane season. It mentions all of the season's storms and their names, landfall(s), peak intensities, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of such being a traffic accident or landslide), but are still related to that storm. The damage and death totals in this list include impacts when the storm was a precursor wave or post-tropical low, and all of the damage figures are in 1975 USD.


1975 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1975 Auburn Tigers football team achieved an overall record of 3–6–2 and 1–4–1 in the SEC in Ralph "Shug" Jordan's last year as head coach at Auburn after 25 years; however, the official record improved to 4–6–1 (2–4) when Mississippi State forfeited its tie that year due to NCAA imposed sanctions.


1975 Auburn Tigers football team
Three players were named to the All-SEC first team for 1975: Chuck Fletcher (offensive tackle), Rick Telhieard (defensive tackle), and Clyde Baumgartner (special teams).


1975 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1975 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Australian Formula 1 cars and Australian Formula 2 cars. The championship winner was awarded the 1975 CAMS "Gold Star". The title, which was the nineteenth Australian Drivers' Championship, was won by John McCormack driving an Elfin MR6 Repco-Holden.


1975 Australian Drivers' Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis to the first six placegetters at each round. Only holders of a current and valid full General Competition License issued by CAMS were eligible.


1975 Australian Drivers' Championship, Championship results
Note: New Zealander Graeme Lawrence placed fourth in the Surfers Paradise round but was not eligible to score championship points.


1975 Australian Drivers' Championship, Championship name
Contemporary publications used various names for the championship including Australian Formula 1 Championship, Australian Drivers' Championship  and Australian National Formula One Championship. CAMS uses the term Australian Drivers' Championship in its historical documentation  and this term has been used in this article.


1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship
The 1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Racing Cars complying with Australian Formula 2 regulations. It was the ninth Australian Formula 2 Championship to be awarded by CAMS. The championship was won by Geoff Brabham, driving a Birrana 274 Ford.


1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship, Calendar
The championship was contested over a seven round series with one race per round.


1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six place-getters at each round.


1975 Australian Grand Prix
The 1975 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars, held on a very wet track at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway in Queensland, Australia on 31 August 1975. It was the fortieth Australian Grand Prix and was also Round 1 of the 1975 Australian Drivers' Championship.


1975 Australian Grand Prix
1974 Australian Grand Prix winner Max Stewart won his second AGP ahead of John Leffler and Ray Winter.


1975 Australian Manufacturers' Championship
The 1975 Australian Manufacturers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for vehicles manufacturers. The championship was contested over a five round series.


1975 Australian Manufacturers' Championship
Each round was a single race of 250 km distance or greater, open to Group C Touring Cars. Cars competed in four classes based on engine capacity:


1975 Australian Manufacturers' Championship
For all rounds other than the Bathurst round, championship points were awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first nine places in each class. For the Bathurst round, championship points were awarded on an 18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 basis for the first nine places in each class. Additional points were awarded at all rounds on a 4-3-2-1 basis for the first four outright places. Only the highest placed vehicle from each manufacturer was eligible to score points at any given round.


1975 Australian Manufacturers' Championship, Results
Note: Only models which contributed to a manufacturer’s points total are shown in the above table.


1975 Australian Open
The 1975 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts at the Kooyong Stadium in Melbourne in Australia and was held from 21 December 1974 to 1 January 1975. It was the 63rd edition of the Australian Open and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. The singles titles were won by Australians John Newcombe and Evonne Goolagong.


1975 Australian Open, Seniors, Men's doubles
John Alexander /  Philip Dent defeated  Bob Carmichael /  Allan Stone, 6–3, 7–6


1975 Australian Open, Seniors, Women's doubles
Evonne Goolagong /  Peggy Michel defeated  Olga Morozova /  Margaret Court, 7–6, 7–6


1975 Australian Open – Men's Doubles
Ross Case and Geoff Masters were the defending champions and second seeds, but they lost to unseeded West Germans Harald Elschenbroich and Rolf Gehring in the first round.


1975 Australian Open – Men's Doubles
In an all-Australian final on home soil (for the fourth year in a row), the third seeds John Alexander and Phil Dent defeated the fifth seeds Bob Carmichael and Allan Stone to win the title, 6–3, 7–6. This was Alexander's first Grand Slam title (he would later win the 1982 Australian Open with John Fitzgerald) and Dent's first and only Grand Slam title.


1975 Australian Open – Men's Singles
Second-seeded John Newcombe defeated defending champion Jimmy Connors 7–5, 3–6, 6–4, 7–6(9–7) in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1975 Australian Open. Newcombe became the first man in the Open Era to win the Australian Open saving match points en route against Tony Roche in the Semi-final.


1975 Australian Open – Men's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. John Newcombe is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1975 Australian Open – Women's Singles
Third-seeded Evonne Goolagong defeated Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–2 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1975 Australian Open.


1975 Australian Professional Championship
The 1975 Australian Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place in August 1975.


1975 Australian Professional Championship
Eddie Charlton won the tournament defeating Dennis Wheelwright 31–10 in the final.


1975 Australian Rally Championship
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by 124.185.196.100 (talk) at 17:30, 5 April 2020 (→Round Seven – Alpine Rally). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1975 Australian Rally Championship
The 1975 Australian Rally Championship was a series of seven rallying events held across Australia. It was the eighth season in the history of the competition.


1975 Australian Rally Championship
Ross Dunkerton and navigator John Large in the Datsun 240Z were the winners of the 1975 Championship.


1975 Australian Rally Championship, Season review
The eighth Australian Rally Championship was once again held over seven events across Australia. This season consisted of two events each for Victoria and New South Wales, and one each in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The 1975 season saw domination of the Datsun 240Z's, with Dunkerton and Large winning convincingly (three wins, two seconds and a third) from McLeod and Mortimer.


1975 Australian Rally Championship, The Rallies
The seven events of the 1975 season were as follows.


1975 Australian Sports Car Championship
The 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group A Sports Cars and Group D Production Sports Cars. The championship was contested over a single race staged at the Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia on 30 November 1975. The race was run over 30 laps of the 4.76 km circuit, a total race distance of 143 km. It was the seventh Australian Sports Car Championship, and the only one in the twenty-year history of the title to be contested over a single race rather than over a series of races.


1975 Australian Sports Car Championship
The championship was won by Garrie Cooper, driving an Elfin MS7.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars. The championship began at Symmons Plains and ended at Lakeside after seven rounds. It was the 16th Australian Touring Car Championship.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship
The Championship was won by Colin Bond driving a Holden Torana.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1975 championship was one of the most controversial in the history of the title with series leader Allan Grice disqualified from the fifth round at Surfers Paradise for a technical infringement. He continued racing under appeal, but the penalty was upheld and Grice lost all points gained from the final three rounds. Reigning champion Peter Brock parted company with the Holden Dealer Team before the series began and raced in a privately funded Holden Torana during the season.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship
Colin Bond, driving a Holden Torana for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team took victory at the opening round at Symmons Plains Raceway, and end of season wins at Adelaide International Raceway and Lakeside International Raceway saw Bond move past Grice and Bob Morris on points to win the championship. 2000cc class competitor Christine Gibson, driving a factory supported Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, led the series mid-season after taking four class wins, but had disqualification problems of her own and Bond regained the points advantage by season's end. Gibson's effort however remains to this day (2014) the best performance by a woman in Australian Touring Car Championship history.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship, Drivers
The following drivers competed in the 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship, Calendar
The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over a seven-round series with one race per round.


1975 Australian Touring Car Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the first six positions in each class at each round. Bonus points were awarded on a 4–3–2–1 basis for the first four outright positions at each round.


1975 Australian Tourist Trophy
The 1975 Australian Tourist Trophy was a motor race staged at the Calder circuit in Victoria, Australia on 25 May 1975. The race was open to Production Sports Cars and was recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as an Australian national title race. It was the thirteenth Australian Tourist Trophy and the first to be awarded since 1968. The race, which was contested over two heats, was won by Peter Warren driving a Bolwell Nagari.


1975 Australian Tourist Trophy, Report
The first heat was won by Peter Warren and the second by Steve Webb, both driving Bolwell Nagaris. Warren and Paul Trevathan (MGB) finished equal on points after the two heats and the outright win was awarded to Warren based on his faster combined heat times, as per the race regulations.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis
The 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, also known simply as the Dismissal, culminated on 11 November 1975 with the dismissal from office of the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, who then commissioned the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser of the Liberal Party, as caretaker Prime Minister. It has been described as the greatest political and constitutional crisis in Australian history.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis
Whitlam's Labor government had been elected in 1972 with a small majority in the House of Representatives, but with the balance of power in the Senate held by the Democratic Labor Party, who usually supported the Liberal-Country Opposition. The 1974 election resulted in little change. While the Whitlam Government introduced many new policies and programmes, it was also rocked by scandals and political miscalculations. In October 1975, the Opposition used its control of the Senate to defer passage of appropriation bills needed to finance government expenditure, which had already been passed by the House of Representatives.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis
The Opposition stated that they would continue to block supply unless Whitlam called an election for the House of Representatives, and urged Kerr to dismiss Whitlam unless he agreed to their demand. Whitlam believed that Kerr would not dismiss him, and Kerr did nothing to make him believe that he might be dismissed.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis
On 11 November 1975, Whitlam intended to call a half-Senate election in an attempt to break the deadlock. When he went to seek Kerr's approval for the election, Kerr instead dismissed him as Prime Minister and shortly thereafter installed Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. Acting quickly before all ALP parliamentarians became aware of the change of government, Fraser and his allies were able to secure passage of the appropriation bills, and Kerr dissolved Parliament for a double dissolution election. Fraser and his government were elected with a massive majority in the election held the following month.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis
The events of the Dismissal led to only minor constitutional change. The Senate retained its power to block supply, and the Governor-General the power to dismiss government ministers. However, these powers have not since been used to force a government from office. Kerr was widely criticised by Labor supporters for his actions, resigned early as Governor-General, and lived much of his remaining life abroad.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
As established by the Constitution of Australia, the Parliament of Australia is composed of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, together with the Queen. The monarch is represented through the Governor-General, who has the executive power granted in the Constitution, as well as rarely exercised reserve powers. The reserve powers are those exercised by the Governor-General without requiring advice, which is usually signified by the phrase "Governor-General in Council".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
Under The Australian Constitution the Governor-General acts 'with the advice of the Federal Executive Council' in the appointment of government ministers, although ministers serve at his pleasure, and the Executive Council is appointed by the Governor-General alone. The Governor-General is ordinarily bound by convention to act only upon the advice of the government and the Prime Minister, but can act independently and against advice in exercising the reserve powers. The Governor-General can be removed by the Queen on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister. As Liberal Party leader Malcolm Fraser, who would play a large part in the crisis, put it, "The Queen has tenure, and she couldn't be sacked. But a Governor-General holds office at pleasure, and if he ceases to please then he can be removed by a Prime Minister".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
As in most Westminster system parliaments, Australia's government is ordinarily formed by the party enjoying the confidence of the lower House of Parliament, the House of Representatives. However, Australia's Parliament also has a powerful upper house, the Senate, which must pass any legislation initiated by the House of Representatives if it is to become law. The composition of the Senate, in which each state has an equal number of senators regardless of that state's population, was originally designed to attract the Australian colonies into one Federation.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
The Constitution forbids the Senate from originating or amending a money bill, but places no limitation on the Senate's ability to defeat one. In 1970, Gough Whitlam, as Leader of the Opposition, stated of a budget bill, "Let me make it clear at the outset that our opposition to this Budget is no mere formality. We intend to press our opposition by all available means on all related measures in both Houses. If the motion is defeated, we will vote against the Bills here and in the Senate. Our purpose is to destroy this Budget and destroy the Government which has sponsored it".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
The federal Senate had never blocked supply before 1975, even when it had been controlled by the opposition. In 1947, in response to the federal Chifley Government’s attempt to nationalise the banks, the coalition controlled upper house of the Parliament of Victoria blocked the state budget in order to force a premature election. Labor Premier John Cain called a snap election and was defeated.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
Prior to the 1975 crisis, the Governor-General's power to dismiss a Prime Minister against the incumbent's will under Section 64 of the Constitution had never been exercised. However, in 1904 Labour Prime Minister Chris Watson advised an early election, but Governor-General Lord Northcote refused, triggering Watson's resignation and the appointment of Opposition Leader George Reid as Prime Minister. Twice since Federation, conflicts between state premiers and state governors, who perform analogous functions to the Prime Minister and Governor-General respectively at the state level, had resulted in the departure of one or the other.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
In 1916, New South Wales Premier William Holman was expelled from the Australian Labor Party for supporting conscription. He managed to hold on to power with the aid of opposition parties and consulted the Governor, Sir Gerald Strickland, proposing to pass legislation to extend the term of the lower house of the state legislature by a year. When Strickland objected, stating that such a course was unfair to Labor, Holman had him replaced.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
In 1932 the New South Wales Labor Premier, Jack Lang, refused to pay money owed to the Federal government, which froze the state's bank accounts, causing Lang to order that payments to the state government be only in cash. The governor, Sir Philip Game, wrote to Lang, warning him that ministers were breaking the law, and that if they continued, he would have to obtain ministers who could carry on government within legal bounds. Lang replied that he would not resign, and Game dismissed his government and commissioned the Leader of the Opposition, Bertram Stevens, to form a caretaker government pending a new election, in which Labor was defeated.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Constitutional
Among the powers granted to the Governor-General is the power to dissolve both houses of Parliament under Section 57 of the Constitution in the event that the House of Representatives twice passes a bill at least three months apart and the Senate refuses to pass it. In both instances where those circumstances arose prior to the Whitlam Government, in 1914 and 1951, the Governor-General dissolved Parliament for a "double dissolution" election on the advice of the Prime Minister.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Political
Gough Whitlam's Labor government was elected in 1972 after 23 years of rule by a coalition formed by the Liberal and Country parties. The ALP Government enjoyed a nine-seat majority in the House of Representatives, but did not control the Senate, which had been elected in 1967 and 1970 (as Senate elections were then out of synchronisation with House of Representatives elections). In accordance with pre-election promises, it instituted a large number of policy changes, and offered much legislation. The Opposition, which still controlled the Senate, allowed some Government bills to pass the Senate, and blocked others.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Political
In April 1974, faced with attempts by the Opposition under Billy Snedden to block supply (appropriation bills) in the Senate, Whitlam obtained the concurrence of the Governor-General, Sir Paul Hasluck, to a double dissolution. Labor was returned at the election on 18 May with a reduced House majority of five seats. The Coalition and Labor each had 29 Senate seats, with the balance of power held by two independents. Snedden later told author Graham Freudenberg when being interviewed for the book A Certain Grandeur – Gough Whitlam in Politics:  "The pressure [to block supply] was on me from Anthony. We thought you had a chance of getting control of the Senate at the half-Senate election or at least enough to get a redistribution through. With a gerrymander, you'd be in forever."


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Political
Hasluck had been Governor-General since 1969, and his term was shortly due to expire. Whitlam wanted him to remain a further two years, but Hasluck declined, citing his wife's refusal to remain at Yarralumla longer than the originally agreed five years. Whitlam offered the post to businessman Ken Myer, who turned it down. Whitlam then offered the position to his Treasurer, Frank Crean, and his own deputy Lance Barnard, neither of whom was keen to move on from parliament. Finally, Whitlam turned to his fifth choice, Sir John Kerr, the Chief Justice of New South Wales.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Political
Kerr was reluctant to give up the Chief Justiceship, in which he intended to remain another ten years, for the Governor-General's post, which traditionally lasted five years. At Kerr's request, Whitlam informally agreed that if both men were still in office in five years, Kerr would be reappointed. Whitlam also secured legislation to address Kerr's financial concerns about the position, including authorising a pension for the Governor-General or his widow. The Leader of the Opposition, Billy Snedden, was enthusiastic about the appointment and also agreed to reappoint Kerr in five years, were he Prime Minister at the time. Kerr then agreed to take the post, was duly appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, and was sworn in on 11 July 1974.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Political
Six of the bills that had been the subject of the double dissolution were introduced in Parliament a third time and, as expected, were again rejected by the Senate. Section 57 of the Constitution provides that, after a double dissolution election, if bills that had been rejected twice by the Senate in the previous parliament were again passed by the House and again rejected by the Senate, they could then be put to a joint sitting of both houses. On 30 July, Whitlam gained Kerr's agreement for a joint sitting, which was set for 6–7 August 1974. The joint sitting, the only one in Australia's history under Section 57, passed all six bills, including the enabling legislation for Medibank.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
In December 1974, Whitlam was anxious to find new sources of money to finance his development plans. After a meeting at the Prime Minister's residence, The Lodge, Whitlam and three of his ministers (Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Jim Cairns, Attorney-General Senator Lionel Murphy, and Minister for Minerals and Energy Rex Connor) signed a letter of authority for Connor to borrow up to US$4 billion. This letter was described by author and journalist Alan Reid as the "death warrant of the Whitlam ALP government".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
Connor and other ministers had made contact with a hitherto obscure Pakistani financier, Tirath Khemlani, as early as November 1974. Khemlani was said to have contacts in the newly enriched Arab oil nations. None of the efforts to secure a loan, whether through Khemlani or by other routes, bore fruit, but, as information about the "Loans Affair" trickled out, the government lost support.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
In February 1975, Whitlam decided to appoint Senator Murphy a justice of the High Court of Australia, even though Murphy's Senate seat would not be up for election if a half-Senate election were held. Under proportional representation, Labor could win three of the five New South Wales seats, but if Murphy's seat was also contested, it was most unlikely to win four out of six. Thus, appointing Murphy would almost certainly cost the ALP a Senate seat at the next half-Senate election. Whitlam appointed Murphy anyway.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
By convention, senators appointed by the state legislature to fill casual vacancies were from the same political party as the former senator. The New South Wales premier, Tom Lewis, a member of the Liberal Party, felt that this convention only applied to vacancies caused by deaths or ill-health, and arranged for the legislature to elect Cleaver Bunton, former mayor of Albury and an independent.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
By March 1975, many Liberal parliamentarians felt that Snedden was doing an inadequate job as Leader of the Opposition and that Whitlam was dominating him in the House of Representatives. Malcolm Fraser challenged Snedden for the leadership on 21 March, and defeated him by 37 votes to 27. At a press conference after winning the leadership, Fraser stated:


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
The question of supply—let me deal with it this way. I generally believe if a government is elected to power in the lower House and has the numbers and can maintain the numbers in the lower House, it is entitled to expect that it will govern for the three-year term unless quite extraordinary events intervene ...


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
Having said that ... if we do make up our minds at some stage that the Government is so reprehensible that an Opposition must use whatever power is available to it, then I'd want to find a situation in which Mr Whitlam woke up one morning finding the decision had been made and finding that he had been caught with his pants well and truly down.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
Whitlam's original deputy prime minister, Lance Barnard, had been challenged and defeated for his post by Cairns in June 1974 shortly after the May 1974 election. Whitlam then offered Barnard a diplomatic post; in early 1975 Barnard agreed to this. If the appointment went through, Barnard's resignation from the House of Representatives would trigger a by-election in his Tasmanian electorate of Bass.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
ALP officials felt that, given the party's weakened state, Barnard should remain in Parliament and be given no preferment if he resigned; party president and future Prime Minister Bob Hawke described the decision to appoint Barnard as "an act of lunacy". Barnard had been losing support over the last several elections, and the Liberals needed only a swing of 4% to take Bass off Labor. The Liberals had a candidate, Kevin Newman, who had been nursing the electorate; Labor had no candidate selected and a bitter preselection in the offing. Barnard resigned and was appointed the ambassador to Sweden. The election on 28 June proved a disaster for Labor, with Newman winning the seat on a swing of over 17%.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
The next week, Whitlam fired Cairns for misleading Parliament regarding the Loans Affair amid innuendo about his relationship with his Principal Private Secretary, Junie Morosi. He was replaced as deputy by Frank Crean. At the time of Cairns' dismissal, one Senate seat was vacant, following the death on 30 June of Queensland ALP Senator Bertie Milliner. The state Labor party nominated Mal Colston, who was the highest unelected candidate on the party's Queensland list in 1974. This resulted in deadlock in Brisbane; the unicameral Queensland legislature twice voted against Colston, and the party refused to submit any alternative candidates.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
Queensland Country Party Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen had evidence that Colston, a schoolteacher by trade, had set a school on fire during a labour dispute, though the police had refused to prosecute. After the legislature voted Colston down a second time, Bjelke-Petersen instructed his majority in the legislature to elect a low-level union official, Albert Field, who had contacted his office and expressed a willingness to serve. In interviews, Field made it clear he would not support Whitlam. Field was expelled from the ALP for standing against Colston, and Labor senators boycotted his swearing-in.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
Whitlam argued that because of the vacancies being filled as they were, the Senate was "corrupted" and "tainted", with the Opposition enjoying a majority they did not win at the ballot box. When Labor learned that Field had not given the required three weeks' notice to the Queensland Department of Education, it challenged his appointment in the High Court, arguing that he was still technically a public servant–and thus ineligible to serve in the Senate.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Background, Controversy and vacancies
With Field on leave throughout the remainder of the crisis, the Coalition refused to provide a "pair" to account for his absence, giving it an effective majority of 30–29 in the Senate. Whitlam remarked that if Milliner had not died or had he been replaced by a [pro Whitlam] senator, the crisis would not have happened.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
On 10 October, the High Court ruled that the act passed at the joint sitting that gave the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory two senators each was valid. A half-Senate election needed to be held by June 1976; most senators-elect would take their seats on 1 July, but the territorial senators and those filling Field's and Bunton's seats would take their places at once. The ruling meant that it was possible for the ALP to gain a temporary majority in the Senate, at least until 1 July 1976.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
To do so, the ALP would have to win Field's and Bunton's seats, and one seat in each territory, and have the second ACT seat fall to either a Labor candidate or an independent, former Liberal Prime Minister John Gorton, now estranged from his party. If this happened, Labor would have an effective 33–31 margin, would be able to pass supply if that was still an issue, and also could pass electoral redistribution laws (which had been passed by the House, though twice defeated by the Senate) that would give it an advantage at the next election.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
The journalist and author Alan Reid described the position of the Government and Opposition as the crisis became acute in mid-October:


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
While it was possibly an overstatement to describe the 1975 position as a choice between evils, neither of the two major political groupings reached the 15 October 1975 crunch position with completely clean hands. Fraser and the Liberal-CP senators ... lacked the numbers to defer the Budget until the arrival in the Senate of Albert Patrick Field, whose arrival was not due to any decision by the Australian voters but to a decision by one of the rulers, the Whitlam-hating Bjelke-Petersen ... Whitlam for his part had decided even before the Budget was deferred to embark upon the bold, Cromwellian project of changing the Australian Constitution, not through the vote of the mass electorate ... but through prodigious personal exertions backed by the support of his parliamentary followers.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
In the wake of the High Court ruling, and with the appropriation bills due to be considered by the Senate on 16 October, Fraser was undecided whether to block supply. His biographer, Philip Ayres, contends that, had there been no further government scandals, he would not have done so. Khemlani, however, had alleged – contrary to government statements – that Connor had never revoked his authority to obtain loans and had been in regular contact with him even into mid-1975. On 13 October, the Melbourne Herald printed documents in support of Khemlani's allegations, and on the following day, Connor resigned.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
Fraser determined to block supply, convened a shadow cabinet meeting and received the unanimous support of the Coalition frontbench. At a press conference, Fraser cited the poor state of the economy and the continuing scandals as reasons for his decision. Without the passage of fresh appropriations, supply would be exhausted on 30 November.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
On 15 October the Governor of Queensland, Sir Colin Hannah, gave a speech denigrating the Whitlam Government, in violation of the convention that state governors remain neutral. Hannah held a dormant commission as Administrator of the Commonwealth to act as Governor-General in the event of Kerr's death, resignation, or absence from Australia. Whitlam immediately contacted Buckingham Palace to arrange for Hannah's dormant commission to be revoked, a process which took ten days to complete.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
Although Whitlam later alleged that he never contemplated dismissing Kerr during the crisis, on 16 October, while speaking with Kerr and visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, he told Kerr that if the crisis continued, "It could be a question of whether I get to the Queen first for your recall, or whether you get in first with my dismissal". Kerr saw the statement as a threat; Whitlam later stated the comment was "flippant" and designed to turn the conversation to another subject.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
On 16 and 17 October, the Senate, with the unanimous support of the Coalition majority, deferred the appropriation bills. The Coalition took the position that Kerr could dismiss Whitlam if the Government could not secure supply. Whitlam's former solicitor-general Bob Ellicott, now a Liberal member of the House, issued a legal opinion on 16 October stating that the Governor-General had the power to dismiss Whitlam, and should do so forthwith if Whitlam could not state how he would obtain supply. Ellicott indicated that Whitlam was treating Kerr as if he had no discretion but to follow prime ministerial advice, when in fact the Governor-General could and should dismiss a ministry unable to secure supply. Ellicott stated that Kerr


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Deferral of supply
should ask the Prime Minister if the Government is prepared to advise him to dissolve the House of Representatives and the Senate or the House of Representatives alone as a means of assuring that the disagreement between the two Houses is resolved. If the Prime Minister refuses to do either, it is then open to the Governor-General to dismiss his present Ministers and seek others who are prepared to give him the only proper advice open. This he should proceed to do.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Kerr's major confidante and secret adviser regarding the dismissal was a member of the High Court and friend of Kerr, Sir Anthony Mason whose role was not revealed until 2012 when Whitlam's biographer Jenny Hocking detailed Kerr's archival record of their extensive consultations. Kerr described Mason as playing 'a most significant part in my thinking' and wrote of confiding in Mason 'to fortify myself for the action I was to take'.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Mason's role included drafting a letter of dismissal for Kerr and he also claimed to have advised Kerr that he should 'as a matter of fairness' warn Whitlam of his intention to dismiss him, which Kerr refused to do. Mason writes that his discussions with Kerr began in August 1975 and concluded on the afternoon of 11 November 1975. He declined Kerr's requests to allow his role to be publicly known. Kerr rang Whitlam on Sunday 19 October, asking permission to consult with the Chief Justice of the High Court, Sir Garfield Barwick, concerning the crisis.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Whitlam advised Kerr not to do so, noting that no Governor-General had consulted with a Chief Justice under similar circumstances since 1914, when Australia was at a much earlier stage of her constitutional development. Whitlam also noted that in all of the recent unsuccessful High Court challenges to Whitlam government legislation, Barwick had been in the minority in finding against the government. On 21 October, Kerr phoned Whitlam regarding the Ellicott opinion, and asked, "It's all bullshit, isn't it?". Whitlam agreed with Kerr's view. Kerr then requested that the Government provide him with a written legal opinion rebutting Ellicott's views.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Kerr would receive no written advice from the Government until 6 November. Journalist and author Paul Kelly, who wrote two books on the crisis, paints this delay as a major mistake by Whitlam, given Kerr's judicial background. Kerr also asked on 21 October for Whitlam's permission to interview Fraser, which the Prime Minister readily granted, and the two men met that night. Fraser told Kerr that the Opposition were determined to block supply.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Fraser indicated that the Opposition's decision to defer the appropriation bills, rather than defeating them, was a tactical decision, since then the bills would remain in the control of the Senate and could be passed at any time. He stated that the Coalition agreed with the Ellicott opinion, and proposed to continue deferring supply while it awaited events. The media were not told of the substance of the conversation, and instead reported that Kerr had reprimanded Fraser for blocking supply, causing the Governor-General's office to issue a denial.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Throughout the crisis, Kerr did not tell Whitlam of his increasing concerns, nor did he suggest that he might dismiss Whitlam. He believed nothing he said would influence Whitlam, and feared that, if Whitlam perceived him as a possible opponent, the Prime Minister would procure his dismissal from the Queen. Accordingly, though Kerr dealt with Whitlam in an affable manner, he did not confide his thinking to the Prime Minister. Labor Senator Tony Mulvihill later related that "Whitlam would come back to each caucus meeting and say, 'I saw His Excellency ... No worry. He's got to do it his way.' ... at no time did he hint that the Governor-General was frowning."


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
There was intense public interest and concern at the stalemate, and Fraser and his Liberals acted to shore up support. Liberal frontbenchers worked to build unity for the tactic in state organisations. The former longtime Premier of South Australia Sir Thomas Playford was speaking out against the blocking of supply, causing South Australia Senator Don Jessop to waver in his support for the tactic. Fraser was able to co-ordinate a wave of communications from party members which served to neutralise both men.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Fraser sought the backing of the retired longtime Liberal Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, and went to see Menzies in person, taking with him a 1947 statement by Menzies supporting the blocking of supply in the upper house of the Victorian Parliament. He did not have to use the paper; Menzies stated that he found the tactic distasteful, but in this case necessary. The former Prime Minister issued a statement in support of Fraser's tactics.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Consultations and negotiations
Kerr invited Whitlam and Minister for Labour Senator Jim McClelland to lunch on 30 October, immediately preceding an Executive Council meeting. At that meal, Kerr proposed a possible compromise. If the Opposition were to allow supply to pass, Whitlam would not advise a half-Senate election until May or June 1976, and the Senate would not convene until 1 July, thus obviating the threat of a possible temporary Labor majority. Whitlam, who was determined to destroy both Fraser's leadership and the Senate's right to block supply, refused any compromise.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Because of the federal nature of our Constitution and because of its provisions the Senate undoubtedly has constitutional power to refuse or defer supply to the Government. Because of the principles of responsible government a Prime Minister who cannot obtain supply, including money for carrying on the ordinary services of government, must either advise a general election or resign. If he refuses to do this I have the authority and indeed the duty under the Constitution to withdraw his Commission as Prime Minister. The position in Australia is quite different from a position in the United Kingdom.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Here the confidence of both Houses on supply is necessary to ensure its provision. In the United Kingdom the confidence of the House of Commons alone is necessary. But both here and in the United Kingdom the duty of the Prime Minister is the same in a most important aspect – if he cannot get supply he must resign or advise an election.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Fraser chaired a summit of leaders of the Coalition parties on 2 November. The resulting communiqué urged the Coalition senators to continue deferring supply. It also threatened, should Kerr grant Whitlam a half-Senate election, that the Coalition state premiers would advise their governors not to issue writs, thus blocking the election from taking place in the four states with non-Labor premiers. After the meeting, Fraser proposed a compromise: that the Opposition would concede supply if Whitlam agreed to hold a House of Representatives election at the same time as the half-Senate election. Whitlam rejected the idea.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
On 22 October, Whitlam had asked the Attorney-General, Kep Enderby, to have a paper drafted rebutting the Ellicott opinion for presentation to Kerr. Enderby delegated this task to the Solicitor-General, Maurice Byers, and other officials. On 6 November, Enderby was to see Kerr to give him a legal opinion regarding the Government's alternative plans in case supply ran out. Vouchers were to be issued to Commonwealth employees and contractors instead of cheques, to be redeemed from banks after the crisis ended—transactions which were to be rejected by major banks as "tainted with illegality".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Enderby decided to present Kerr with the rebuttal to Ellicott. When Enderby reviewed the document, he found that, while it argued for the Government's position, it recognised both that the Senate had the constitutional right to block supply, and that the reserve powers were still extant—matters with which Enderby did not agree. He presented Kerr with the rebuttal, but crossed out Byers' signature on it and told Kerr of his disagreement. Enderby told Kerr that the Byers rebuttal was "background" for formal written advice, to be presented by Whitlam. Later that day, Kerr met with Fraser again. The Opposition leader told him that if Kerr did not dismiss Whitlam, the Opposition planned to criticise him in Parliament for failing to carry out his duty.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Kerr concluded on 6 November that neither Government nor Opposition would yield and had received advice that day from Treasurer Bill Hayden that supply would run out on 27 November. The Governor-General decided that, as Whitlam could not secure supply, and would not resign or advise an election for the House of Representatives, he would have to sack him. As Kerr feared that Whitlam might advise the Queen to dismiss him, he considered it important that Whitlam be given no hint of the impending action.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
Kerr later stated that were Whitlam to seek his dismissal, it would involve the Queen in politics. Seeking confirmation of his decision, he contacted Chief Justice Barwick, met with him and asked for his views of a dismissal of Whitlam. Barwick furnished him with written advice containing his view that a Governor-General could and should dismiss a Prime Minister who was unable to obtain supply. Barwick specified that the Prime Minister should also not have refused either to resign or to advise a general election, with which Kerr agreed.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Deadlock, Decision
On 9 November, Fraser contacted Whitlam and invited him to negotiations with the Coalition aimed at settling the dispute. Whitlam agreed, and a meeting was set for 9 am on Tuesday 11 November, at Parliament House. That Tuesday was also the deadline for an election to be called if it were to be held before Christmas. Both Government and Opposition leaders were in Melbourne on the night of 10 November for the Lord Mayor's banquet. To ensure the Opposition leaders could reach Canberra in time for the meeting, Whitlam brought them back in his VIP aircraft, which arrived in Canberra at midnight.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
At 9 a.m. on 11 November, Whitlam, together with deputy prime minister Frank Crean and Leader of the House Fred Daly, met with Fraser and Country Party leader Doug Anthony. No compromise could be reached. Whitlam informed the Coalition leaders that he would be advising Kerr to hold a half-Senate election on 13 December, and he would not be seeking interim supply for the period before the election. Thinking it unlikely that Kerr would grant the election without supply, Fraser warned Whitlam that the Governor-General might make up his own mind about the matter.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
Whitlam was dismissive and after the meeting broke, telephoned Kerr to tell him that he needed an appointment to advise him to hold a half-Senate election. Both men were busy in the morning, Kerr with Remembrance Day commemorations, and Whitlam with a caucus meeting and a censure motion in the House which the Opposition had submitted. The two discussed a meeting for 1:00 p.m., though Kerr's office later called Whitlam's and confirmed the time as 12:45. Word of this change did not reach the Prime Minister. Whitlam announced the request for a half-Senate election to his caucus, which approved it.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
After hearing from Whitlam, Kerr called Fraser. According to Fraser, Kerr asked him whether he, if commissioned Prime Minister, could secure supply, would immediately thereafter advise a double-dissolution election, and would refrain from new policies and investigations of the Whitlam Government pending the election. Fraser stated that he agreed. Kerr denied the exchange took place via telephone, though both men agree those questions were asked later in the day before Kerr commissioned Fraser as Prime Minister. According to Kerr, Fraser was supposed to come to Yarralumla at 1.00 pm.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
Whitlam was delayed in leaving Parliament House, while Fraser left slightly early, with the result that Fraser arrived at Yarralumla first. He was taken into an anteroom, and his car was moved. Whitlam maintained that the purpose in moving Fraser's car was to ensure that the Prime Minister was not tipped off by seeing it, stating, "Had I known Mr. Fraser was already there, I would not have set foot in Yarralumla". Kelly doubted Whitlam would have recognised Fraser's car, which was an ordinary Ford LTD from the car pool. According to Fraser biographer Philip Ayres, "A white car pulled up at the front would signify nothing in particular—it would simply be in the way".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
Whitlam arrived just before 1:00 p.m. and was taken to Kerr's office by an aide. He brought with him the formal letter advising a half-Senate election, and after the two men were seated, attempted to give it to Kerr. According to Kerr, he interrupted Whitlam and asked if, as a result of the failure to find a compromise between party leaders, he intended to govern without parliamentary supply, to which the Prime Minister answered, "Yes".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
In their accounts of their meeting, both men agree that Kerr then told Whitlam about the decision to withdraw his commission as Prime Minister under Section 64 of the Constitution. Kerr later wrote that at this point Whitlam got to his feet, looked at the office's phones, and stated, "I must get in touch with the Palace at once".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
According to Kerr, this indicated that Whitlam would not try to negotiate with him about a general election but contact the Queen for his recall, which gave him the final reason to carry out the dismissal; he answered that it was too late to get in touch with the Palace because Whitlam was not Prime Minister any more. Whitlam, however, later disputed that such words were spoken, and stated that he asked Kerr whether he had consulted the Palace, to which Kerr replied that he did not need to, and that he had the advice of Barwick.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
Both accounts agree that Kerr then handed Whitlam a letter of dismissal and statement of reasons, stating that they would both have to live with this, to which Whitlam replied, "You certainly will". The dismissal concluded with Kerr wishing Whitlam luck in the election, and offering his hand, which the former Prime Minister took.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Meeting at Yarralumla
After Whitlam left, Kerr called Fraser in, informed him of the dismissal, and asked if he would form a caretaker government, to which Fraser agreed. Fraser later stated that his overwhelming sensation at the news was relief. Fraser left to return to Parliament House, where he conferred with Coalition leaders, while Kerr joined the luncheon party that had been waiting for him, apologising to his guests and offering the excuse that he had been busy dismissing the Government.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Parliamentary strategy
Whitlam returned to the Prime Minister's residence, The Lodge, where he had lunch. When his aides arrived, he informed them of his sacking. Whitlam drafted a resolution for the House, expressing confidence in his Government. No ALP Senate leaders were at The Lodge, nor did Whitlam and his party contact any when they drove back to Parliament House, confining their strategy to the House of Representatives.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Parliamentary strategy
Prior to Whitlam's dismissal, the Labor leadership decided to introduce a motion that the Senate pass the appropriation bills. With ALP senators unaware of Whitlam's sacking, that plan went ahead. Senator Doug McClelland, manager of the ALP Government's business in the Senate, informed Coalition Senate leader Reg Withers of Labor's intent at about 1.30 pm. Withers then attended a leadership meeting where he learned of Fraser's appointment and assured the new Prime Minister he could secure supply. When the Senate convened, the ALP Senate leader, Ken Wriedt, made the motion to pass the appropriation bills.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Parliamentary strategy
As Wriedt did so, he was told that the government had been sacked, which he initially refused to believe. Authoritative word did not reach Wriedt until 2.15 pm, by which time it was too late to withdraw the motion and instead obstruct his party's appropriation bill to hinder Fraser. At 2.24 pm, Labor's appropriation bills passed the Senate, fulfilling Fraser's first promise of providing supply.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Parliamentary strategy
In the House, desultory debate on Fraser's censure motion ended with it being amended by the ALP majority into a condemnation of Fraser and passed on a party line vote. By 2.34 pm, when Fraser rose and announced that he had been commissioned as Prime Minister, word of the dismissal had spread through the House. Fraser announced his intent to advise a double dissolution, and moved that the House adjourn. His motion was defeated.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Parliamentary strategy
Fraser's new government suffered repeated defeats in the House, which passed a motion of no confidence in him, and asked the Speaker, Gordon Scholes, to urge the Governor-General to recommission Whitlam. Scholes, attempting to communicate this to the Governor-General, was initially told that an appointment might not be possible that day, but after stating that he would reconvene the House and tell them of the refusal, was given an appointment with Kerr for 4.45 pm.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Dissolution
After the appropriation bills were approved by both Houses, they were sent over to Yarralumla where Kerr gave them Royal Assent. With supply assured, Kerr then received Fraser, who advised him that 21 bills (including the electoral redistribution bills) which had been introduced since the last election fulfilled the double dissolution provisions of Section 57. Fraser asked that both Houses be dissolved for an election on 13 December. Kerr signed the proclamation dissolving Parliament, and sent his Official Secretary, David Smith, to proclaim the dissolution from the front steps of Parliament House.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Dissolution
At 4.45, Kerr received Scholes, and informed him of the dissolution. Kerr wrote that "nothing else of relevance" took place between the two men, but Scholes's account is that he accused Kerr of bad faith for making an appointment to receive the Speaker, and then not waiting to hear from him before dissolving Parliament. Whitlam later stated that it would have been wiser for Scholes to take the appropriation bills with him, rather than having them sent ahead. Kerr's action was based on the advice he had received from two High Court judges (Mason and Chief Justice Barwick) and the Crown Law Officers (Byers and Clarence Harders, the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department).


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Dissolution
As Scholes and Kerr spoke, Smith reached Parliament House. The dismissal was by then publicly known, and an angry crowd of ALP supporters had gathered, filling the steps and spilling over both into the roadway and into Parliament House itself. Many of the demonstrators were ALP staffers; others were from the Australian National University. Smith was forced to enter Parliament House through a side door and make his way to the steps from the inside. He read the proclamation, though the boos of the crowd drowned him out, and concluded with the traditional "God save the Queen". Former Prime Minister Whitlam, who had been standing behind Smith, then addressed the crowd:


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Dismissal, Dissolution
Well may we say "God save the Queen", because nothing will save the Governor-General! The Proclamation which you have just heard read by the Governor-General's Official Secretary was countersigned Malcolm Fraser, who will undoubtedly go down in Australian history from Remembrance Day 1975 as Kerr's cur. They won't silence the outskirts of Parliament House, even if the inside has been silenced for a few weeks ... Maintain your rage and enthusiasm for the campaign for the election now to be held and until polling day.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
The news that Whitlam had been dismissed spread across Australia during the afternoon, triggering immediate protest demonstrations. On 12 November, Scholes wrote to the Queen, asking her to restore Whitlam as Prime Minister. The reply from the Queen's Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, dated 17 November 1975, stated:


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
As we understand the situation here, the Australian Constitution firmly places the prerogative powers of the Crown in the hands of the Governor-General as the representative of the Queen of Australia. The only person competent to commission an Australian Prime Minister is the Governor-General, and The Queen has no part in the decisions which the Governor-General must take in accordance with the Constitution. Her Majesty, as Queen of Australia, is watching events in Canberra with close interest and attention, but it would not be proper for her to intervene in person in matters which are so clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General by the Constitution Act.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
On 12 November 1975, the First Fraser Ministry was sworn in by Kerr. By some accounts, Kerr sought reassurance at that meeting that the Coalition senators would not have given in before supply ran out, "The Senate would never have caved in, would it?" According to those accounts, Senator Margaret Guilfoyle laughed and said to a colleague, "That's all he knows". Guilfoyle later stated that, if she did make such a remark, it was not meant to imply that the Coalition senators would have broken. However, Kelly lists four Coalition senators who stated, in subsequent years, that they would have crossed the floor and voted for the appropriation bills.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
Labor believed it had a chance of winning the election, and that the dismissal would be an electoral asset for them. However, some Labor strategists believed the party was heading for a disaster, with few economic accomplishments to point to and an electorate whose emotions would have cooled before polling day. Nonetheless, Whitlam, who began campaigning almost immediately after the dismissal, was met with huge crowds wherever he went; 30,000 people overspilled the Sydney Domain for the official campaign launch on 24 November. That evening, Whitlam made a major speech at Festival Hall in Melbourne before 7,500 people and a national TV audience, calling 11 November "Fraser's day of shame—a day that will live in infamy".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
Polls were released at the end of the first week of campaigning, and showed a nine-point swing against Labor. Whitlam's campaign did not believe it at first, but additional polling made it clear that the electorate was turning against the ALP. The Coalition attacked Labor for the economic conditions, and released television commercials "The Three Dark Years" showing images from the Whitlam government scandals. The ALP campaign, which had concentrated on the issue of Whitlam's dismissal, did not begin to address the economy until its final days.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
By that time Fraser, confident of victory, was content to sit back, avoid specifics and make no mistakes. There was little violence in the campaign, but three letter bombs were placed in the post; one wounded two people in Bjelke-Petersen's office, while the other two, addressed to Kerr and Fraser, were intercepted and defused.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Campaign
During the campaign, the Kerrs purchased a Sydney apartment, as Sir John was prepared to resign in the event that the ALP triumphed. In the 13 December election, the Coalition won a record victory, with 91 seats in the House of Representatives to the ALP's 36 and a 35–27 majority in the expanded Senate.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Reactions
The dismissal is considered the greatest political and constitutional crisis in Australia's history. In 1977, the Fraser Government proposed four constitutional amendments via referendum, three of which passed—the last time that the Australian Constitution has been amended. One of the amendments requires that a senator appointed to fill a casual vacancy be from the same party as the former senator. The Senate retains the power to block supply; the Governor-General retains the power to dismiss ministers (including the Prime Minister). However, these powers have not since been used to force a government from office.


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Reactions
In the wake of the dismissal, the ALP turned its anger on Kerr. Demonstrations marked his appearances, while the remaining ALP parliamentarians boycotted his opening of the new parliament. Whitlam, now Leader of the Opposition, refused all invitations to events at Yarralumla, which the Kerrs continued to extend until his refusal of an invitation during the Queen's 1977 visit caused them to feel that no further efforts need be made. Whitlam never spoke with Kerr again. Even ALP parliamentarians who had been friends of Kerr broke off their relationships, feeling Kerr had betrayed the party and had ambushed Whitlam. Lady Kerr stated that she and her husband confronted a "new irrational scene swarming with instant enemies".


1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Aftermath, Reactions
Whitlam repeatedly castigated Kerr for his role in the dismissal. When Kerr announced his resignation as Governor-General on 14 July 1977, Whitlam commented: "How fitting that the last of the Bourbons should bow out on Bastille Day". After Kerr resigned as Governor-General, he still sought a government position, reasoning that it had been his intent to remain for ten years as Governor-General. However, Fraser's attempt to appoint Kerr as ambassador to UNESCO (a position later held by Whitlam) provoked such public outcry that the nomination was withdrawn.