BBC Online :
Former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam has died at the age of 98.
He was credited with transforming Australian society in the 1970s after 23 years of conservative government, introducing many far-reaching reforms.
But his government was plagued by resignations and the governor-general dismissed it after just three years.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described Whitlam as a “giant of his time” and said flags across Australia would fly at half-mast on Tuesday.
In a statement, Whitlam’s family said he was an “inspiration to us and our families and for millions of Australians”.
Whitlam’s reforms included introducing free university education, abolishing the death penalty and allowing non-white immigrants into Australia.
It is difficult to overestimate the influence of Gough Whitlam on the Australian political and civic landscape
