By Cheryl Griffin. On Wednesday 18 October 1916, just ten days before the first Conscription Referendum was held, 74 applications for exemption from military service were made before Police Magistrate Dr Frank Hobill Cole at Coburg Court. Thirty-four applications were granted, 31 were refused, five temporary or conditional exemptions were granted and four were adjourned. […]
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Digger Smith and the conscription debate
By Cheryl Griffin. “E’s been once wounded, somewhere in the leg…” 6906 Private Lawrence Joseph Smith enlisted on 18 July 1918 and served with the 22nd Infantry Battalion. His parents were William Smith, an overseer, and Letitia Josephine McLoughlin. He’d been born in Coburg, lived with his parents and siblings in Coke Street (later Cope […]
Adela Pankhurst, the anti-conscription movement and Pentridge Prison
By Cheryl Griffin. Not long ago, my attention was drawn to several articles relating to a crowd of ‘no conscriptionists’ who had gathered outside the Women’s Prison at Pentridge to protest the imprisonment of Adela Pankhurst, daughter of English suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and sister of Christabel and Sylvia. Estranged from her family, she had arrived […]
The Lost Honour Board
By Jim Allen On 30th June 1915 the Evelyn Observer and Bourke Record started advertising for details of local and district men who had enlisted for service in World War One. This request continued throughout 1916 for the districts of: Arthur’s Creek Kangaroo Ground Queenstown Whittlesea Eltham Kinglake Research Wonga Park Hurstbridge Panton Hill Yarra […]
Dyke Books
How did Dyke Books come about? Jean Taylor had written a book and couldn’t get it published so it was decided to set up a not-for-profit community-based feminist publishing house to publish books by, for and about lesbians, based on Jean’s previous experience with self-publishing. In 1984, after publishing four of her own books, 1976 […]
Pioneers of the Sky
By Jim Allen Not many people would be aware of two brothers who were possibly one of the greatest influences on the development of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The connection to the Eltham Shire is that one brother Ellis Charles Wackett, (1901 – 1984) is buried in Kangaroo Ground Cemetery. His nickname to […]
Deaths at Glenroy Military Hospital
Although there is no 100 percent certain method of identifying the number of deaths that occurred in the Glenroy Military Isolation Hospital, the probable figure is six. Family Notices for three of the deceased clearly identified Glenroy Hospital as the place of death; Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages however show “Cbelfield” (Campbellfield) as the district […]
Brunswick Town Hall: Anti-Fascist Demonstration and ‘Hole In One’, 1994
By Iain McIntyre. In 1994 members of the neo-nazi organisation National Action planned on holding a demonstration during a multicultural festival. Informed by the police that they would be arrested for their own safety they delayed their protest until the following week. Only able to mobilise 20 or so supporters from across the country the […]
Phoenix Street, 1933 Free speech fight
By Iain McIntyre. Unemployed activists across Victoria were severely repressed by police and right-wing paramilitaries from the beginning of the Great Depression. The head of police General Thomas Blamey, who was also the leader of the quasi-fascist White Army, used the Political Squad to violently break up street meetings and protests. Forced out of speaking […]
Pentridge Prison: Draft Resisters Protest, 1971
By Iain McIntyre. With anti-conscription sentiment and opposition to the Vietnam War reaching an all-time high, 7,775 men were balloted in and made subject to prosecution for failing to register during 1971. At the same time the Federal Government’s will to deal with draft resistance begins to falter, with only 1,089 being prosecuted in any […]