I remember meeting Gough Whitlam and Al Grasby at the Turkish Embassy on the 29th October 1997 for their 74th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey.
The It's Time sticker is still inside my Globite School Bag that was my school bag from Kindregarten through to primary school. In 1972 I was 9 years old and stood all day at the polling booth with my parents handing out how to vote cards for the ALP. My reward was this sticker.
I walked through the doorway into the Turkish Embassy's formal lounge room on 27th October 1997 and there standing near the open fire place (which wasn't alight!) were Gough Whitlam and Al Grasby. My jaw dropped, he was only 15 feet away from me. I had no idea he would be attending.
The guy from DFAT that I was with asked if I would like to meet Gough as he saw my reaction to seeing him. This chap had been Gough's manager when Gough was an Ambassador in Rome.
So he led me over to Al and Gough, Al looked so much tinier standing next to Gough. I was awestruck! I only ever had two celebrity heroes in my child hood, Gough Whitlam and Sidney Poitier.
And that's when things went a little skew whiff.
Here's the poor DFAT chap introducing a 34 year old Federal Agent in her best suit, responsible for the Security Intelligence and Diplomatic Liaison function of the Middle East Desk at SIDL (I think Brett Jackson may have been by my side too ... my Sergeant at the time ... ) being introduced to two of the coolest Aussies ever, and this is what comes out of my mouth :
"Gough, you were bigger and more important that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny in our house when I was growing up"...
Gough's eyebrows went up, and he glanced in the direction of the DFAT chap as if to say 'who the f*ck is this nutter'....
Al just chuckled ... oh well one of those occasions where you dearly wish to be cool and fail magnificently!
I was so excited I kept the invitation for the celebration with the notation as the bottom 'met Gough Whitlam at this function' ... I'm pretty sure his invitation didn't note 'Met Ursula Tunks (Wilkinson) at this function"
I'm very sorry Al Grasby (RIP) you didn't rate a mention.
Lance Barndard's (Gough's Deputy PM during the heady days of his first Government) son Nicholas was in my AFP Recruit Class in 1989, so Lance attended our Graduation Ceremony, and he spoke with Zeek Unterrheiner, who was not quite 5 years old. Zeek had started to cheer and clap when our class walked into the auditorium, someone else in the audience told Zeek to shut up. That's when Lance spoke up and told Zeek to keep cheering for his Mum and to be proud of her.
Oh to have even a tenth of this ilk in our current governments.
Thank you Gough for your courage and your compassion and your STRENGTH OF CHARACTER.
None of us are perfect, but we're still perfect at some things.
You were an inspiring leader that gave a generation of Australians that much sought after state of mind: HOPE!
RIP Gough Whitlam.
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