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50-706: Conscription in Australia , also known as National Service following the Second World War , has a controversial history which dates back to the implementation of compulsory military training and service in the first years of Australia 's nationhood. Military conscription for peacetime service was abolished in 1972. However, in times of war, the Defence Act 1903 allows the Governor-General of Australia to authorise conscription for service in

100-632: A broad spectrum of opposition to conscription including: The documents reveal that draft resistance and draft dodging never posed a threat to the number of conscripts required, but the public opposition by draft resisters such as John Zarb , Michael Matteson and Robert Martin had an increasingly-political effect. Conscription ended in December 1972, and the remaining seven men in Australian prisons for refusing conscription were freed in mid-to-late December 1972.ef 63,735 national servicemen served in

150-500: A draft resisters' union, active in at least two states: New South Wales and Victoria. They included men such as Bob Scates and Michael Hamel-Green. They went underground while maintaining a public presence, appeared at protests and were spirited away by the crowd before they could be arrested. In December 1972, while 'underground' as a draft resister, Barry Johnson stood as the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate in

200-889: A member of the Victorian Socialist Party , was also arrested. Anti-conscriptionist publications, in one case, even when it was read into Hansard , were seized by government censors in police raids. Other notable opponents to Conscription included the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix , Queensland Labor Premier T. J. Ryan , Vida Goldstein and the Women's Peace Army . Most trade unions actively opposed conscription. Archbishop Mannix, born in County Clare, stated that Ireland had been more wronged by Great Britain than Belgium had been by Germany. Many people thought positively of conscription as

250-689: A pacifist. That meant that the rate of success for conscientious objection applications was generally low. During the late 1960s, domestic opposition to the Vietnam War and conscription grew in Australia. In 1965, a group of concerned Australian women formed the anti-conscription organisation Save Our Sons , which was established in Sydney with other branches later formed in Wollongong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle and Adelaide. The movement protested against conscription of Australians to fight in

300-618: A provision that had been applied only once before, during World War II. The 1964 amendments applied only to the permanent military forces and excluded the Citizen Military Forces. In 1965, the Defence Act was again amended to require the CMF to serve overseas, which had not been included in the 1964 amendments. In March 1966, the government announced that national servicemen would be sent to South Vietnam to fight in units of

350-436: A sign of loyalty to Britain and thought that it would also support those men who were already fighting. However, trade unions feared that their members might be replaced by cheaper foreign or female labour and so opposed conscription. Some groups argued that the whole war was immoral, and it was unjust to force people to fight. South Africa and India were the only other participating countries not to introduce conscription during

400-803: A weekly feature, instalments 1–35 bylined "Laradale" (William W. Goddard), based on interviews with, and unpublished memoirs of, Seth "The Master" Ferry , a major figure of the Adelaide turf scene for some 50 years. Chapters from #36 were not attributed, and may have been written by Ferry himself, and the series ended peremptorily at #46 with no explanation. Goddard successfully sued the Co-operative Printing and Publishing Company, publishers of The Daily Herald for withholding part of his wages. Goddard's accounts of details of his contract were refuted by The Herald . Though some preliminary arrangements may have been made with C. W. Chandler, printing

450-673: A year or two, but continued to contribute, as "Epsilon" and "Remus", to the Herald and other newspapers. Burgoyne, a son of T. Burgoyne M.P. , was later with The West Australian , then in 1924 the founding editor of the Hobart News , daughter publication of the Adelaide News . In 1940, he was managing editor of the Perth News . Editor from 1911 to 1912 and 1916 to 1924 was Harry Kneebone , Editor from 1912 to 1914

500-573: Is Selective Service . In the United States, voluntary enrollments at the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are also known as national service. Around 100 AD, Plutarch quoted an early case for national service made by a Roman general sometime around the 5th century BC: With the politic design of preventing intestine broils by employment abroad, and in the hope that when rich as well as poor, plebeians and patricians, should be mingled again in

550-582: Is understood to be related to the decorated conscript Simon Anderson, who mysteriously disappeared in 1970. Young men who were subject to the conscription lottery also formed their own anti-conscription organisation, the Youth Campaign Against Conscription. Like Save Our Sons, it spread to other states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. It was the YCAC that imported the concept of draft-card burning from

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600-664: The Australian Labor Party to extending the geographic boundaries in which conscripts could serve to include most of the South West Pacific , and the necessary legislation was passed in January 1943. The 11th Brigade was the only CMF formation to serve outside Australian territory, however, when it formed part of Merauke Force in the Dutch East Indies in 1943 and 1944. In 1951, during

650-581: The Defence Force , provided it is approved by the Parliament of Australia within 90 days. In 1909, the Deakin government introduced an amendment to the Defence Act 1903 , the Defence Act 1909 , which allowed for a form of conscription for boys from 12 to 14 years of age and for youths of 18 to 20 years of age for the purposes of home defence. The Act, which passed with the combined support of

700-688: The Korean War , national service was introduced under the National Service Act 1951 . All Australian males aged 18 had to register for 176 days training (99 days full-time) and two years in the CMF . Later, the obligation was 140 days of training (77 days full-time) and three years' service in the CMF. In 1957 the system was changed to emphasise skill rather than numbers, then ended in 1959. The regular military forces remained voluntary. In 1964, compulsory national service for 20-year-old males

750-671: The Protectionist Party and the Australian Labor Party , did not allow soldiers to be conscripted for overseas service. Following recommendations arising from a visit to Australia by Field Marshal Kitchener to report on the country's defence readiness, the Australian Labor Party government instituted a system of compulsory military training for all males aged between 12 and 26 from 1 January 1911. John Barrett, in his study of boyhood conscription, Falling In , noted: In 1911 there were approximately 350,000 boys of an age (10–17 years) to register for compulsory training up to

800-732: The 1969 federal elections, the opposition leader, Gough Whitlam , declared that if elected, the ALP would make sure that all Australian troops in Vietnam would be home 'by Christmas'. Around then, opposition to conscription became more radical. Active non-compliers began to call themselves "draft resisters". Instead of waiting to be called up, draft resisters wrote letters to the Minister for National Service detailing their intention not to comply with conscription. Under law, that immediately rendered them liable for service. A number of these young men formed

850-898: The Army, of whom 15,381 were deployed to Vietnam. Approximately 200 were killed. National service The length and nature of national service depends on the country in question. In some instances, national service is compulsory, and citizens living abroad can be called back to their country of origin to complete it. In other cases, national service is voluntary. Many young people spend one or more years in such programmes. Compulsory military service typically requires all citizens to enroll for one or two years, usually at age 18 (later for university-level students). Most conscripting countries conscript only men, but Norway , Sweden , Israel , Eritrea , Morocco and North Korea conscript both men and women. Voluntary national service may require only three months of basic military training. The US equivalent

900-596: The Australian Labor Party parliamentary caucus and took with them a good deal of the parliamentary party's talent. They created a new National Labor Party , and Hughes survived as prime minister by forming a conservative Nationalist government, which was dependent for survival on the Commonwealth Liberal Party . The remainder of the Labor Party, under the new leader, Frank Tudor , then expelled Hughes and all of those who had followed him. Following

950-602: The Australian Regular Army and for secondment to American forces. Requirements for overseas service were detailed by the Minister for the Army, Malcolm Fraser , on 13 May 1966. Men who wished to avoid national service could join the Citizen Military Forces and serve only inside Australia, claim a student deferment or attempt a conscientious objection application. To be exempted on the basis of conscientious objection, an applicant needed to demonstrate his moral objection to "all" wars in court and to be legalised as

1000-549: The First World War. The conscription issue deeply divided Australia with large meetings held both for and against. The women's vote was seen as important, with large women's meetings and campaign information from both sides aimed at women voters. The campaigning for the first referendum was launched by Hughes at a huge overflow meeting at the Sydney Town Hall , where he outlined the government's proposals. That

1050-738: The Japanese advance on the Kokoda Track in New Guinea , then an Australian territory. The Papuan campaign of 1942 led to a significant reform in the composition of the Australian Army. During the campaign, the restriction banning CMF personnel from serving outside Australian territory hampered military planning and caused tensions between the AIF and CMF. In late 1942 and early 1943, Prime Minister John Curtin overcame opposition within

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1100-540: The United States and ushered in a new form of resistance to conscription, active non-compliance. Instead of merely not registering (passive non-compliance with the National Service Scheme), the young conscripts actively demonstrated their distaste for the government's actions by destroying their registration cards. Unlike in the United States, that was not legal and so its importance remained symbolic. There were several high-profile controversies caused by

1150-546: The Vietnam War and made the plight of men under 21, who were not yet eligible to vote, a focus of their campaign. In 1970, five Save-Our-Sons women were jailed in Melbourne for handing out anti-conscription pamphlets on government property. The group, which included Jean Maclean , Irene Miller and Jo Maclaine-Ross, was dubbed " The Fairlea Five " after Fairlea women's prison in which they were incarcerated. Barbara Miller

1200-547: The article "Influence of the IWW" that "the great bulk of the opposition to conscription is centred in Victoria". Many meetings in inner Melbourne and Sydney were disrupted by anti-conscriptionists with speakers being howled down from the audience in what The Age described as "disgraceful exhibition" and "disorderly scenes". The issue deeply divided the Labor Party, with ministers such as Hughes and George Pearce vigorously arguing

1250-655: The company publishing The Voice . The Weekly Herald was founded in October 1894, edited by Geoff Burgoyne, later leader writer for Sir Winthrop Hackett 's West Australian . George Wedd was editor from April 1895. He was later associated with the Sporting Life weekly. He was also secretary of the SA Athletics League, the Band Association of SA and Goodwood United Rifle Club. From

1300-468: The end of 1915. Since 'universal' was a misnomer, about half that number were exempted from training, or perhaps never registered, reducing the group to 175,000. There was quite extensive opposition to the so-called "boy conscription". By July 1915, there had been about 34,000 prosecutions and 7,000 detentions of trainees, parents, employers or other persons required to register. Under Labor Prime Minister Billy Hughes , full conscription for overseas service

1350-565: The first issue in 1899 the publication was named The Herald , with uninterrupted numbering, and no other substantial change. Shortly after foundation, the paper's banner was subtitled "Labor and Democratic Organ of South Australia"; in 1896 "The Official Organ of the Labor and Democratic Parties of South Australia" and from 1897 "The Official Organ of the Trades and Labor Council, United Labor Party, and Democratic Societies of S.A.". The Daily Herald

1400-455: The government's heavy-handed treatment of conscientious objectors , including William White and Simon Townsend (who later became a well-known television personality). In 1969 the Gorton administration was severely embarrassed by a renowned This Day Tonight story in which a conscientious objector, who had been on the run from police for several months, was interviewed live in the studio by

1450-477: The journalist Richard Carleton , who then posed awkward questions to the Army Minister about why TDT had been able to locate the man within hours and bring him to the studio when the federal police had been unable to capture him, and the event was made even more embarrassing for the government because the man was able to leave the studio before the police had arrived to arrest him. By 1969, public opinion

1500-457: The need for conscription for Australia to help the Allies win the war. They were supported by many within the party, including Labor's first prime minister, Chris Watson and NSW Labor Premier William Holman . Hughes denounced anti-conscriptionists as traitors and a climate of bitter sectarianism developed since most Roman Catholics opposed conscription and most others supported it. By the end of

1550-403: The numbers of objectors going to jail. That was never instituted but was widely rumoured at the time. Such work would have been menial labouring jobs in remote locations such as north and western Queensland , western New South Wales and northern South Australia. In Cabinet Submission Number 200 for 1970, Appendix 1, case studies of 17 men awaiting prosecution for failure to undertake service show

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1600-515: The same army and in the same camp, and engage in one common service for the public, it would mutually dispose them to reconciliation and friendship. Daily Herald (Adelaide) The Herald was a weekly trade union magazine published in Adelaide, South Australia between 1894 and March 1910; for the first four years titled The Weekly Herald . It was succeeded by The Daily Herald , which ran from 7 March 1910 to 16 June 1924. The 1890s

1650-529: The seat of Hotham against Minister Don Chipp . Australian government cabinet documents released by Australian National Archives in 2001 show that in 1970, the conservative government was initially concerned about the growth of conscientious objection and of outright opposition to the National Service Act . Reportedly, the cabinet considered instituting an option of alternative civilian work program for conscientious objectors in an attempt to reduce

1700-765: The split, Labor stayed out of office for ten years. After the first referendum, the government used the War Precautions Act and the Unlawful Associations Act to arrest and prosecute anti-conscriptionists such as Tom Barker , the editor of Direct Action and many other members of the Industrial Workers of the World and E. H. Coombe , who had three sons at the front, of the Daily Herald . The young John Curtin , then

1750-507: The street was a surging area of humanity". An anti-conscription stop work meeting called by five trade unions held on the Yarra Bank mid-week on 4 October attracted 15,000 people. It was passed on 21 September 1916, and mandatory registration and enrolment commenced while the first referendum campaign was underway. By 5 October, The Age reported that of 11607 men examined, 4581 were found fit, approximately 40 percent. The Age noted in

1800-655: The term of this War, outside the Commonwealth, as it now has in regard to military service within the Commonwealth? A second referendum was held on 20 December 1917 and defeated by 46% for and 54% against. This question was put to Australians: Are you in favour of the proposal of the Commonwealth Government for reinforcing the Commonwealth Forces overseas? After the failure of the first referendum, Billy Hughes and his supporters left

1850-572: The wages of those who remained. The Maritime Labour Council (MLC) was formed in Adelaide in 1886 and the following year raised a Maritime Strike Fund of £9,600, of which various workers' unions subscribed around half. When the United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia needed money to start a workers' newspaper, the Port Adelaide Seamen's Union was quick to assist with an interest-free loan. A predecessor of The Herald

1900-561: The war in November 1918, a total of 416,809 men had voluntarily enlisted in the Army, representing 38.7 percent of the white male population aged between 18 and 44. On 1 November 1929, the mandatory service provisions of the Defence Act were suspended, ending 18 years of conscription for home defence. In 1939, at the start of World War II , all unmarried men aged 21 were to be called up for three months' military training. The men could serve only in Australia or its territories. Conscription

1950-651: Was Our Commonwealth for which A. W. Rayment and Ignatius Singer wrote articles on Single Tax. Another, though later derided, was The Voice edited by John Medway Day (1838–1905) in 1892 for the Single Tax League. Labor Party organisers Devin Williams, John Abel McPherson, Henry and his brother George H. Buttery, and others, founded the Cooperative Printing and Publishing Company of S.A. Limited, with 30,000 shares of 10s., and merged with

2000-691: Was Cam Pratt, a member of a family of journalists, who was next with the West Australian , followed by the Sydney Morning Herald , publicity department of Ford Australia then with Cinesound Productions and editor of the film journal. The editor from 1914 to 1916 was Labor politician E. H. Coombe . Julian Woods , previously with the Melbourne Telegraph and The Age , and the Perth Daily News ,

2050-456: Was a period of intense industrial unrest in Australia: squatters and shippers, manufacturers, merchants and miners had all been doing very nicely in the 1880s with exports booming, but little seemed to the shearers, labourers and sailors to be "trickling down" to them. Then around 1885 demand slackened off and with falling prices, the employers felt the need to reduce their labour force, and cut

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2100-626: Was a sub-editor 1913. Harry Kneebone returned to the editor's chair in 1916, with the paper in decline. In 1910 the paper had 12 pages and cover price was 1d.; by 1924 it had 4 pages for 1½d and although the Advertiser was the same price it boasted 16 pages. The perceived poorer value resulted in a decreased circulation and reduced advertising revenue, and the paper's financial position, already shaky, became dire. A meeting of shareholders 23 June 1924 decided on immediate voluntary liquidation. Between 9 March 1918 and 1 February 1919 The Herald ran

2150-533: Was attempted during the First World War in two referendums . The first referendum was held on 28 October 1916 and narrowly rejected conscription with a margin of 49% for and 51% against. The referendum of 28 October 1916 asked Australians: Are you in favour of the Government having, in this grave emergency, the same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service, for

2200-819: Was effectively introduced in mid-1942, when all men aged 18–35 and single men aged 35–45 were required to join the Citizen Military Forces (CMF). Volunteers with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) scorned CMF conscripts as " chocolate soldiers ", or "chockos", because they were believed to melt under the conditions of battle, or it might be an allusion to George Bernard Shaw 's Arms and the Man in which Bluntschli filled his backpack with chocolate bars, rather than ammunition. However, several CMF Militia units fought under difficult conditions, suffered extremely high casualties in 1942 and slowed

2250-461: Was first contracted out to Webb & Son of 28 Grenfell Street . In January 1896 the contract was changed to Scrymgour & Sons of King William Street . A fortnight later Ralph William Webb and Henry Arthur Webb petitioned for the winding up of the Co-operative Printing and Publishing Company, producers of The Herald , on the grounds of unpaid debts. From June 1896, Trades Hall had its own printing facilities. Having decided to publish daily, it

2300-801: Was followed by a huge pro-conscription meeting at the Melbourne Town Hall on 21 September. Anti-conscriptionists, especially in Melbourne, were also able to mobilise large crowds, with a meeting filling the Exhibition Building on 20 September 1916; 30,000 people on the Yarra bank on Sunday, 15 October, and 25,000 the following week; a "parade of women promoted by the United Women's No-Conscription Committee – an immense crowd of about 60,000 people gathered at Swanston St between Guild Hall and Princes Bridge, and for upwards of an hour

2350-426: Was from 7 March 1910 published by the Cooperative Printing and Publishing Company of S.A. Limited, with offices at 117 Grenfell Street for the Labor Party. William Wedd (9 January 1845 – 10 February 1922) was the first editor, with Geoffrey Burgoyne as associate editor. The first few weeks' issues were printed by The Register , as its own presses had teething problems. Wedd was forced by ill-health to retire after

2400-481: Was introduced under the National Service Act 1964 . The selection of conscripts was made by a sortition or lottery draw based on date of birth, and conscripts were obligated to give two years of continuous full-time service, followed by a further three years on the active reserve list. The full-time service requirement was reduced to 18 months in October 1971. The Defence Act was amended May 1964 to provide that national servicemen could be obliged to serve overseas,

2450-432: Was necessary to upgrade the printing machinery. A rotary press would have been ideal, but the lead time for manufacture and shipping to Adelaide was too great, so they settled on a secondhand "Victory" web printing press , ex-Melbourne. A "state of the art" stereotyping plant and five Mergenthaler linotype compositing machines (four Model No. 1 duplex single-letter machines and one Model No. 4 machine) were sent out from

2500-455: Was turning against the war. A Gallup Poll in August showed that 55 percent of those surveyed favoured bringing Australian troops home, and only 40 percent favoured them staying. That was the first poll to show less than 50% approval for the government's policy, and all polls after August 1969 were to reveal a majority in favour of bringing the troops home. In October, during his policy speech for

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