Family Name:
Scates
Given Names:
Robert Geoffrey
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
15 April 1950
Death-date:
NA
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age:
20 years old
Location:
VIC, Elsternwick
Occupation:
Vehicle Builder
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister
Reason for Court Appearance:
[1] Refused to register for National Service
[2] Refused to attend a medical examination
[3] Refused to obey call-up notice
Court Name and Location:
[1] Unknown, Unknown
[2] Unknown Melbourne
[3] Magistrates Court, Melbourne
Court Hearing Date:
[1] 19 March 1971
[2] November 1971
[3]15 March 1972
Court Outcome:
[1] Arrested and convicted in his court absence
[2] Jailed for 7 days after refusal to enter a recognizance to attend a future medical examination
[3] Warrant for arrest after failure to attend court and subsequently sentenced to jail for 18 months
Military Event:
National Service and the Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Robert Scates was from Elsternwick in Victoria. He refused to register for the January 1970 intake for National Service. He was a member of the Austraklian Labor Party and the Draft Resisters Union. He did not attend court on the 9 March 1971. Magistrate Elvish, in his absence convicted Robert of the breach of the National Service Act and sentenced him to 7 days jail. He refused to enter into a recognizance to attend a future medical examination. On 25 April 1972 he was arrested by the Commonwealth Police in South Melbourne. He was arrested at his place of work as a Vehicle Builder. In March 1972 he had been arrested for failing to obey a call-up notice. He was bailed but did not appear in court. Magistrate WJ Cuthill ordered the cancellation of his recognizance and issued a warrant on 14 March for his arrest. Robert went underground to avoid the authorities. He was arrested and imprisoned in Pentridge during 1972. On 21 July 1972, Bob joined fellow jailed resister Ken McClelland, in a 7 day hunger strike. He served 80 days. He was released from Pentridge on 6 December 1972 along with six other draft resisters. They were pardoned by the Governor General on the recommendation of the newly elected Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Robert is currently Professor of History at the Australian National University, Canberra.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, May/ June 1970, p.4; March/ April 1971, p.11.
Canberra Times 18 November 1971, p.1; 26 April 1972, p.1; 15 March 1972, p.12; 7 December 1972, p.1; 7 December 1972, p.9.
Tharunka, 3 October 1972, p.7.
Bob Scates, Draftmen Go Free: A History of the Anti Conscription Movement in Australia, Richmond, 1968. https://commonslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Draftmen-Go-Free-Bob-Scates.pdf
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 