John Kerr (governor-general)

The Right Honourable Sir John Kerr AK GCMG GCVO QC
Kerr in 1965
18th Governor-General of Australia
In office 11 July 1974 – 8 December 1977
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Gough Whitlam Malcolm Fraser
Preceded by	Sir Paul Hasluck
Succeeded by	Sir Zelman Cowen
Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales
In office 30 August 1973 – 1 July 1974
Governor	Sir Roden Cutler
Preceded by	Sir Leslie Herron
Succeeded by	Sir Laurence Street
13th Chief Justice of New South Wales
In office 23 May 1972 – 27 June 1974
Nominated by	Sir Robert Askin
Preceded by	Sir Leslie Herron
Succeeded by	Sir Laurence Street
Personal details
Born	(1914-09-24)24 September 1914 Balmain, Sydney
Died	24 March 1991(1991-03-24) (aged 76) St Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales
Cause of death	Brain tumour
Resting place	Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor (1948–1955)
Spouses	Alison Worstead ​ ​ (m. 1938; died 1974)​ Anne Robson ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	Gabrielle Kristin Philip and 2 stepchildren from his second wife's first marriage
Education	Fort Street High School
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Profession	Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Citizen Military Forces Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1942–1949
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs
Battles/wars	World War II

Sir John Robert Kerr, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC (24 September 1914 – 24 March 1991) was an Australian barrister and judge who served as the 18th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1974 to 1977. He is primarily known for his involvement in the 1975 constitutional crisis, which culminated in his decision to dismiss the incumbent prime minister Gough Whitlam and appoint Malcolm Fraser as his replacement, which led to unprecedented actions in Australian federal politics.

Kerr was born in Sydney to working-class parents. He won scholarships to Fort Street Boys' High School and the University of Sydney, where he studied law. His legal career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he served with the Australian Army's Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs (DORCA) and attained the rank of colonel. After the war's end he became the inaugural head of the Australian School of Pacific Administration. Kerr returned to the bar in 1949 and became one of Sydney's leading industrial lawyers. He joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was briefly an endorsed candidate for the 1951 federal election. He let his membership lapse after the party split of 1955.

Kerr served terms as president of the New South Wales Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia. He was appointed to the Commonwealth Industrial Court in 1966, later serving on territory supreme courts and as Chief Justice of New South Wales (1972–1974). On the nomination of ALP prime minister Gough Whitlam, Kerr was appointed governor-general in July 1974. The Whitlam government did not hold a majority in the Senate, and following a series of controversies in 1975, most notably the Loans Affair, the Liberal opposition leader Malcolm Fraser called on the Senate (where his coalition had a majority) to defer consideration of the supply bills in an attempt to force an early election. Kerr regarded the situation as untenable, believing the prime minister was obliged to either resign or call a general election, which Whitlam was unwilling to do.

On 11 November 1975, Kerr used his reserve powers as governor-general to dismiss Whitlam and his ministry, appointing Fraser to lead a caretaker government. He immediately granted Fraser's request for a double dissolution, leading to a federal election that saw Whitlam and the ALP defeated in a landslide. The dismissal of the government sparked demonstrations from Whitlam's supporters, with the anger directed at Kerr a major factor in his early retirement in December 1977 and subsequent withdrawal from public life. The propriety, legality and wisdom of his actions surrounding the dismissal have been subject to considerable debate and analysis.