Gough 1916-2014
Tuesday 21 October 2014
I met him just once, and heard him speak several times, and feel the expected sadness at his passing. Many of his accomplishments made a direct difference to me, to say nothing of their effect on so many other people.
I bought a copy of the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the National Estate when it came out in 1974, and was impressed. Gough Whitlam commissioned Justice Hope and a terrific committee (Judith Brine, Milo Dunphy, Keith Vallance, Reg Walker, Lenard Webb, Judith Wright, David Yencken) to conduct this inquiry, and their report is still impressive forty years later. This report led to the establishment of the Australian Heritage Commission, the Register of the National Estate, the development of schemes for protecting important places by legislation and funding support. I think it also encouraged more rigour and professsionalism in the field.