Family Name:
Martin
Given Names:
Robert William
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown, possibly1949
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
SA
Occupation:
Unemployed
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister, anti-conscription and opposition to the Vietnam War
Reason for Court Appearance:
[1 Refusal to register for national service]
[2] Refusal to attend the medical examination
[3] Refusal to obey the call-up notice
Court Name and Location:
[1] Magistrates Court, Adelaide
[2] Unknown, Adelaide
[3] Unknown, Adelaide
Court Hearing Date:
[1] 23 July 1970
[2 Unknown]
[3] 25 February 1972
Court Outcome:
[1] Convicted and Fined
[2] Convicted and 7 days jail
[3] Convicted and 18 months jail
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Robert Martin was from South Australia who was unemployed when sent a notice to register for national service. He refused to register and on 23 July 1970 he was convicted and fined for this offence. He objected to conscription and what he called genocide in Indo-China. He further non-complied with the National Service Act 1964 when he refused to attend the mandatory medical examination. He was convicted and imprisoned in Adelaide Jail for 7 days. On 25 February 1972 Robert was sentenced to 18 months jail for his refusal to obey a call-up notice to attend Keswick Barracks. He voluntarily complied with the court summonsed. Robert hoped his jailing would encourage people to examine the immorality of the National service Act, and of its application so far. The first 10 days were spent at Adelaide jail and then he was moved to Yatala prison. The last 3 months of his imprisonment were spent at Cadell. At a 31 May1989 interview with Peter Donavan Robert talked of his experience at Adelaide jail. He said that he found the first week in Adelaide jail as bewildering. He recalled his experience with admission, visitors, daily routines, the food, the boredom and working in the prison garden. He recalled he did not find Adelaide jail as bad as he had thought it might be. Interestingly he thought this may have been due to preferential treatment he received from officers and inmates. In turn he thought this was because of the known support for him by the State Government of Don Dunstan. He stated that jail had made him a stronger person. On 4 June 1972 he was allowed out of prison to address a Yatala rally. He was released from prison by the newly elected Whitlam Labor Government in December 1972, having served 10 months of his sentence.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, August/ September 1970, p.7.
https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/38 date accessed 2020
Tharunka, 3 October 1972, p.7.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 