Whitlam legacy endures 50 years later

Arguably Australia's most progressive prime minister, Gough Whitlam never forgot his western Sydney roots as he reshaped the nation.

His home in Cabramatta with its rich history intrinsically linked to his political life was repurchased through a $1.3 million federal grant to serve as a public asset to the community he served through the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University.

A man of the people, Mr Whitlam would invite constituents into the living or dining room to talk about their matters of concern.

He celebrated his pivotal win after decades of a conservative government on 2 December 1972 at his Cabramatta home and 50 years later, his descendants will honour his memory on Friday.

Once in power, Mr Whitlam's accrued a long list of reformist achievements included officially ending the White Australia Policy in 1973 and paving the way for a multicultural society by opening up immigration beyond Europe.

He also introduced universal health care, removed discriminatory barriers to women and mothers and he also abolished the death penalty. 

Melbourne University history professor Jenny Hocking, who wrote a biography of Whitlam after interviewing him on several occasions, says his legacy in Australian political history is significant

"More bills were rejected in the senate during the Whitlam period than had been rejected in the entire 72 years before hand," she told AAP.

But she said the breadth of his reformist agenda was realised with some 500 pieces of legislation passed despite vociferous opposition.

She said the Cabramatta home symbolised his coming of age as a politician rooted in community with his maiden speech in parliament focusing on the needs of his electorate.

Dr Hocking said his first press conference as prime minister-elect was made to throngs of supporters and journalists in the house's backyard in a makeshift scaffold.

She described his government as "transformative" with the many decisions it took, including ending military conscription to an unpopular war in Vietnam and releasing political dissidents who refused the draft.

Waging a legal battle to get her hands on crucial letters traded between Buckingham Palace and Governor-General Kerr, Dr Hocking revealed the extent of collusion that led to the Whitlam government's dismissal in November 1975.

While the constitutional crisis overshadowed his short-lived but fruitful stint as PM, Dr Hocking maintains Mr Whitlam "was without doubt the most reformist PM in our history".