Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast The mysterious lost footage of Whitlam's dismissal
Nov 10, 2025
Simon Smith, a curator at the National Film and Sound Archive, unravels the mystery of the lost footage from Gough Whitlam's 1975 dismissal. He discusses how technical limitations led to minimal filming that day and the bizarre vanishing of key ABC reels. Simon reveals intriguing surviving clips, like Whitlam with a megaphone and footage of his filing cabinets being packed up. The conversation highlights the effort of Channel 7 in preserving what little exists, making for a captivating exploration of a pivotal moment in Australian history.
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Film Technology Limited Coverage
- 1975 news crews used 16mm film which was expensive and required processing, so they shot sparingly and precisely.
- That technological constraint explains why little surviving footage exists from Whitlam's dismissal day.
The Iconic Fluttering Audio
- Channel 7's cameraman Bob Wilesmith filmed Whitlam's "God save the Queen" line but the audio has a distinctive flutter.
- The worn sound head on Wilesmith's camera produced the scratchy audio now used repeatedly in retrospectives.
Key Proclamation Is Filmed
- Film survives showing David Smith reading the Governor-General's proclamation with Whitlam nearby.
- Whitlam's famous line directly follows because David Smith concluded with "God save the Queen."