THOMAS, William Ian (Bill)

Family Name:

Thomas

Given Names:

William Ian

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

18 September 1950

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Single

Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

WA, Perth

Occupation:

University Student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister, opposition to conscription and the Vietnam War

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Refusal to attend a medical examination.

[2] Refusal to obey a call-up notice

Court Name and Location:

[1] Unknown, WA

[2] Unknown, WA

Court Hearing Date:

[1] Early 1972

[2] 3 March 1972

Court Outcome:

[1] Convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail

[2] Warrant for arrest issued

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Willam Thomas (Bill) was born 18 September at Perth, Western Australia. He adopted a stance of non-compliance with the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was educated at state primary and secondary schools. He was a student at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and studied Arts and Education. He married Katherine Fitzgerald on 19 April 1980. During his time as a draft resister, he worked as Builders Labourer and Painter and Docker. He was motivated by his opposition to conscription and to the Vietnam War. He continued with his university studies after he went ‘underground’ to evade the authorities. Bill was an external student and stayed at the home of Gary Cook’s parents in Toodyay. Gary was another draft resister who was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment in Fremantle Prison under the NSA. Bill was active in his protests against conscription and the Vietnam War. In Western Australia the focus of draft resistance was the UWA campus. Bill was part of a demonstration, despite being ‘in hiding’, which demonstrated outside the office of the Department of Labour and National Service. He was arrested with draft resisters Cook, Staples and Schapper. With their fines paid all were released except Gary Cook who was imprisoned, as previously mentioned. Whilst ‘underground’ Bill was filmed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission Television. He was ‘disguised’ in sunglasses and arrived on a motorcycle in front of a large crowd outside the Reid Library at the UWA.

During November 1972, Bill attended the end-of-year examination at the UWA. He risked being arrested as he was subject to a warrant. Another student David Parker ‘tipped’ him off that two plain-clothed Commonwealth Policemen were waiting at the exit to arrest him. His daring escape was through a small door next to a pipe organ that led to the roof. He dropped to the ground and eluded the police. In early 1972 Bill was convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail for his refusal to enter into a recognizance that he would attend a medical examination. He had already failed to attend such. He recalled his boredom in being locked in a cell with one other inmate for 16 hours a day. He was disgusted at the primitive conditions at Fremantle Prison. When he arrived there Gary Cook had served about 6 months of his sentence, they renewed their acquaintance. Bill recalled that Gary suffered badly in prison and was subjected to brutal treatment.

Bill was of the opinion that if the Government wanted to arrest him then they could have easily done so. During the later years of the Vietnam War contemporary Australian society turned against support for conscription and the Vietnam War. The Coalition government attempted in many ways to minimise the political damage of arresting and locking up many young men. So, arrests were ‘selective’ and proceedings against resisters were lengthy and drawn out. As Bill observed he could have been arrested, If they really wanted to…but they had Gary Cook in jail and that served the purpose.

Bill was elected in 1986 to the Western Australian Parliament (MLA) and served on many parliamentary committees. He was re-elected in 1993 and 1996. He did not contest the 2001 election.

Confirmatory Sources:

Bobbie Oliver, Hell No! We Won’t Go! Resistance to Conscription in Post War Australia, Interventions, Melbourne, 202, pp. 7, 154, 164, 166, 168, 169, 171, 185, 188, 205, 208 and 263.

Peacemaker, March/ April 1971, p.1; May/ June/ July/ August 1971, p.12.

Biographical Register of Ministers of Parliament of Western Australia, Mr Willian (Bill) Ian Thomas https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/E6B5D4C477413A37482577E50028A7FE?OpenDocument accessed 1 April 2024.