Whitlam Salon event
On 21 March 2024, Varuna and the Whitlam Institute (within Western Sydney University) held a very special Salon event at 32 Albert Street, Cabramatta, the former family home of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
The Salon was held to coincide with the inaugural Whitlam Essay Residency, a partnership between Varuna and the Whitlam Institute, with support from Western Sydney Creative, Western Sydney University’s arts and culture decadal strategy.
The occasion was a celebration of the first six writers to stay at the house - Dr Farjana Mahbuba, Dr Kath Kenny, Kim Huynh, Heather Taylor Johnson, Deborah Prospero, and Dr Jessica White.
During the course of the night, Farjana, Kath, Kim and Deborah delivered short but incredibly moving and inspiring presentations to an enraptured audience which included the daughter of Gough Whitlam, Catherine Dovey, chair of Whitlam Institute The Hon. John Faulkner and Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Professor Barney Glover, among other members of our Western Sydney literary community.
The four essayists shared glimpses of their works in progress, each sparked by their own unique experience of being in the house and the discovery of personal and intertwined histories to the Whitlam Era.
Photo credit: Sally Tsoutas
