Following the controversial dismissal of Gough Whitlam, Australians went to the polls on December 13, 1975. The election resulted in caretaker-prime minister Malcolm Fraser being officially elected into the role.

The time had now come for Mr Fraser to move into the top office. Mr Whitlam thanked his opponent and handed over the prime minister's suite to his successor when he met Mr Fraser during the morning of December 15. Yet it took some time for the cartons of files and personal documents to be removed.

Unfortunately for the new PM not all of Whitlam's paraphernalia was removed. Among the items left behind were "Shame, Fraser Shame" stickers and a caricature of Mr Fraser.

Luckily for Mr Fraser, if he wanted to retreat from the awkward atmosphere of the prime minister's suite, he had a stylish set of wheels, having taken ownership Mr Whitlam's white Mercedes.

Meanwhile, the former prime minister was anticipating to face another challenge - this time within his own party - as Labor prepared for caucus meeting on leadership. Mr Whitlam survived the 1975 leadership spill and stayed on as opposition leader until 1977.

See more at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/11009845