Sir John Kerr no stranger to public service gossip

Long before the idea of dismissing Gough Whitlam was a twinkle in his eye, Sir John Kerr was briefing the Queen’s then private secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, on detailed goings-on in the Australian Public Service. He was quite the dobber, writes Verona Burgess.

What a prolific gossip the controversial former Governor-General Sir John Kerr was, and not only about political scandals and constitutional quagmires.

The most excoriated GG in Australian history also saw fit to share his views of the top public servants of the day, and they were not always flattering.