'The approach of Gough Whitlam in 1972 was, to paraphrase Ted Hughes' observation of T.S. Eliot, like standing on the dock and watching the Queen Mary coming at you – very slowly. These reflections on his life, prompted by heart-felt speeches on both sides of the House when he died, remind us that a giant walked among us. And a central theme is that the Whitlam years marked a Before and an After in Australian life. ...'