Do you know... well, probably not, as we've never met (hi, by the way) ... I had the pleasure of watching the ARIA awards in which The Whitlams were presented with the top gong by none other than Gough himself.

It was a glorious moment, only improved by the opportunity it presented to explain to my Canadian, British and German companions just who this rather imposing figure was, and what he meant to this country, and why the audience was going absolutely bananas. I think I have not often felt more proud of the accident of being born here.