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First Whitlam Ministry
47th Ministry of Australia
The First Whitlam Ministry being sworn in by Governor-General Sir Paul Hasluck
Date formed	5 December 1972
Date dissolved	19 December 1972
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Sir Paul Hasluck
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam
Deputy Prime Minister	Lance Barnard
No. of ministers	2
Member party	Labor
Status in legislature	Majority government
Opposition party	Liberal
History
Election	2 December 1972
Legislature term	28th
Predecessor	McMahon Ministry
Successor	Second Whitlam ministry

This article is part of a series about Gough Whitlam
Early life World War II service Member for Werriwa (1952–1978) Deputy Labor leadership Labor Party spills 1967 1968 1976 May 1977 Prime Minister of Australia Term of government (1972–1975) Vietnam War withdrawal National Sewerage Program Medibank Advance Australia Fair 1973 Murphy raids 1973 referendum Gair Affair 1974 referendum Loans affair Papua independence Family Law reform Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Australian constitutional crisis Palace letters Ministries First Second Third Elections 1969 1972 1974 1975 1977 Related It's Time Birthplace
v t e

The first Whitlam Ministry (Labor) was the 47th ministry of the Government of Australia. Often known as the "two-man Ministry" or the "Duumvirate", it was led by the country's 21st Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. The first Whitlam ministry succeeded the McMahon Ministry, which dissolved on 5 December 1972 following the federal election that took place on 2 December which saw Labor defeat William McMahon's Liberal–Country Coalition. The ministry was replaced by the second Whitlam ministry on 19 December 1972.

Whitlam had just led the Australian Labor Party to victory after 23 years of Coalition rule. Historically, when Labor won government, the caucus elected the members of the ministry, with Labor Prime Ministers only having the right to allocate portfolios. Although Labor's victory was beyond doubt, counting was scheduled to continue until 15 December, two weeks after the 2 December election.

In accordance with longstanding Australian constitutional practice, the outgoing Prime Minister, William McMahon, advised the Governor-General, Sir Paul Hasluck, that he was no longer in a position to govern. Whitlam then advised Hasluck that he could form a government with his new majority. Normally, McMahon would have stayed on as a caretaker until the final results were known. However, Whitlam was unwilling to wait that long. Accordingly, soon after advising Hasluck that he could form a government, Whitlam had himself and his deputy leader, Lance Barnard, sworn in as an interim two-man government until the full ministry could be chosen. For the next two weeks, Whitlam and Barnard held 27 portfolios between them. It is the smallest ministry in Australian history.

Whitlam, who died in 2014, was the last surviving member of the first Whitlam ministry, having outlived Barnard by 17 years.

Achievements

The duumvirate made 40 significant decisions in its brief tenure, including the immediate release of all draft resisters, the removal of troops from Vietnam and the recognition of Communist China.

Ministry

Party		Minister	Portrait	Portfolio
	Labor	Hon Gough Whitlam QC (1916–2014) MP for Werriwa (1952–1978)		Prime Minister Leader of the Labor Party Minister for Foreign Affairs Treasurer Attorney-General Minister for Customs and Excise Minister for Trade and Industry Minister for Shipping and Transport Minister for Education and Science Minister for Civil Aviation Minister for Housing Minister for Works Minister for External Territories Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts
		Hon Lance Barnard (1919–1997) MP for Bass (1954–1975)		Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Leader of the Labor Party Minister for Defence Minister for Supply Minister for the Army Minister for the Navy Minister for Air Postmaster-General Minister for Labour and National Service Minister for Social Services Minister for Immigration Minister for the Interior Minister for Primary Industry Minister for Repatriation Minister for Health Minister for National Development

See also

• Second Whitlam ministry
• Third Whitlam ministry

Notes

1. "Ministries and Cabinets". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
2. "Gough Whitlam: during office". www.naa.gov.au. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

v t e Ministries of the Commonwealth of Australia
20th century	Barton Deakin 1 Watson Reid Deakin 2 Fisher 1 Deakin 3 Fisher 2 Cook Fisher 3 Hughes 1 2 3 4 5 Bruce 1 2 3 Scullin Lyons 1 2 3 4 Page Menzies 1 2 3 Fadden Curtin 1 2 Forde Chifley 1 2 Menzies 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Holt 1 2 McEwen Gorton 1 2 McMahon Whitlam 1 2 3 Fraser 1 2 3 4 Hawke 1 2 3 4 Keating 1 2 Howard 1 2
21st century	Howard 3 4 Rudd 1 Gillard 1 2 Rudd 2 Abbott Turnbull 1 2 Morrison 1 2 Albanese
Current ministry

• Ministries of Elizabeth II
• Australian Commonwealth ministries
• Australian Labor Party ministries
• 1972 establishments in Australia
• 1972 disestablishments in Australia
• Cabinets established in 1972
• Cabinets disestablished in 1972
• Gough Whitlam