Gough Whitlam

Whitlam took over an Australian Labor Party that had been out of power since 1949, partly because its policy was set by a conference that excluded its own parliamentary leaders, mocked as the '36 faceless men'. He forced organisational reform, intervened to overhaul the Victorian branch, and pivoted the party towards suburban and middle-class voters with policies on health, schools and cities. His 1972 government created universal health insurance and abolished university fees before its dismissal in 1975.