Gough Whitlam's birthplace facts for kids
Ngara was the house where Gough Whitlam, who became the 21st prime minister of Australia, was born. It was located at 46 Rowland Street in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The name "Ngara" comes from the Darug language of the Aboriginal people in the Sydney area. It means "to listen, hear, and think."
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Building Ngara: A Family Project
Gough Whitlam's parents, Harry Frederick ("Fred") Whitlam and Martha ("Mattie") Whitlam, got married in 1914. They bought the land for their new home in December 1914. Mattie's father, Edward, was a professional builder. He built and likely designed the house for them.
The plans for the house were ready by February 1915, and it was finished by May 1915. Ngara was a brick house built in the Edwardian style. It had a roof made of special terracotta tiles and wooden details.
Gough Whitlam's Birth and Early Home
The Whitlam family moved into Ngara around May 1915. Edward Gough Whitlam was born there on July 11, 1916. Family stories say he was born on the kitchen table!
Gough was the older of two children; he had a younger sister named Freda. His father, Fred Whitlam, worked for the government at the time. In 1917, Fred got a promotion and had to move to Sydney. So, the family sold Ngara on October 25, 1917.
Remembering Ngara: A Special Place
After leaving Ngara, the Whitlam family lived in Sydney and later in Canberra. Even though they moved, there were still connections to their first home in Kew. Biographies mention the family visiting relatives in Kew during holidays.
Later, a woman named Mrs. Swinnerton owned the house. She made sure everyone on the street knew that Ngara was Gough Whitlam's birthplace.
Efforts to Save the House
In 2014, people started a campaign to stop Ngara from being torn down. The local council had given permission for demolition because the house wasn't listed as a heritage site. However, after the public outcry, the Victorian Heritage Council stepped in. They placed a temporary order to protect the site.
Many people hoped the house would be permanently saved. But after a public hearing, Heritage Victoria decided that Ngara was not important enough to be protected forever. The local council, the City of Boroondara, also tried to protect it with a special heritage rule. However, a planning panel again said the house wasn't significant enough.
Despite this, the Boroondara Council voted in November 2015 to keep the house under heritage protection. Sadly, in May 2016, the Victorian Minister for the Environment overruled this decision. On May 13, 2016, Ngara was completely demolished.
The Ngara Institute
Even though the house is gone, its name lives on. The Ngara Institute was started in 2014. It was named after Gough Whitlam's birthplace, Ngara.
