Margaret Whitlam

Margaret Elaine Whitlam (née Dovey; 19 November 1919 – 17 March 2012) was an Australian social campaigner, author, and athlete. She was a representative of Australia in swimming at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney. Her husband was Gough Whitlam, the 21st prime minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975.

Early life

Born Margaret Dovey in Bondi, New South Wales, she was the daughter of Wilfred Robert "Bill" Dovey, a New South Wales Supreme Court judge and Mary Dorothy Duncan. She attended SCEGGS Darlinghurst, where she excelled at sport. Dovey began an economics degree at the University of Sydney in 1938 before transferring to social work after two years of study. She graduated with a Diploma of Social Studies, and then began working at Parramatta District Hospital. Her husband was elected to federal parliament in 1952 and became federal opposition leader and parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party in 1967. Margaret was described as "deeply and loyally in love" with her husband.

Together, they had four children: Tony (7 January 1944), who has been a barrister, federal MP and a judge; Nicholas (6 December 1945), who became a prominent merchant banker and businessman; Stephen (April 1950), a diplomat, and Caroline Whitlam (2 February 1954), who later changed her name to Catherine Dovey after she lost a job because of her family name;

Honours Whitlam was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1983 for services to the community. In 1995 she was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of New England and, in 1997, became one of the one hundred Australian National Living Treasures. In 2007 she and her husband were made national life members of the Australian Labor Party. The Whitlam family declined an offer from the Australian Government for a state funeral. A memorial service was held in St James' Church, Sydney on 23 March 2012. The Rev Andrew Sempell gave the sermon, taking love as his theme, using readings from Isaiah 43:1–5 and 1 Corinthians 13. He said: "Margaret Whitlam was indeed a gifted and talented person who used her abilities for the benefit of others, and we celebrate that." The service was attended by her widower Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, former Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd, as well as other present and past politicians.