Mr Whitlam had a distinguished
law career before entering politics in 1952 and becoming Leader of the Federal
Parliamentary Labor Party in 1967. He remained a Member of the House of
Representatives until 1978 and served as Prime Minister of Australia from
1972 to 1975. In recent years Mr Whitlam has been President d'Honneur du Conseil National Australien pour la Celebration du Bicentenaire de la Revolution Francaise, Chairman of the Australian National Gallery, an Ambassador to UNESCO and Visiting Professor in Australian Studies at Harvard University. He won the Redmond Barry Award in 1994 and the Socialist International Silver Plate of Honor in 1976. His numerous publications have dealt with government and the law.