SCOTT, John

Family Name:

Scott

Given Names:

AJA (John)

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

Unknown, possibly 1949

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown probably single

Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

SA, Wanilla, Whyalla

Occupation:

Draftsman, Mechanical Engineer

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister, opposed conscription

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Failure to obey a call-up notice

[2] Continued failure to obey a call-up notice

Court Name and Location:

[1] Magistrates Court, Whyalla

[2] Magistrates Court, Adelaide

Court Hearing Date:

[1] 27 August 1971

[2] 9 February 1972

Court Outcome:

[1] Arrest warrant for failure to attend court

[2] Arrest warrant for failure to attend court

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

John Scott was from Wanilla in South Australia where his parents farmed. He was educated at a number of state primary schools and Port Lincoln High School. He held a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for BHP company at Whyalla during his draft resistance years. He complied with the Nationals Service Act 1964 (NSA) since 1968 (probably), but he refused to attend army induction at Keswick during January 1971. He was subsequently interviewed by the police and ordered to appear before the Whyalla Magistrates Court on 27 August 1971. He failed to appear and an arrest warrant was issued. A statement by him was read by another at a later Whyalla Magistrates Court hearing on 11 September 1971. John again spoke of his objections to conscription and reiterated that he would not be silenced by attempts to jail him for 2 years. He said, Young men have been and are being conscripted – for a sinister purpose. This is a degradation to young Australians and that it should be a national disgrace.John signed the statement, Yours unconscrpitually. John had the wholehearted support of his parents. His father stated that, My wife and I are proud that our son has the courage of his convictions in the stand he has taken. The verdict of history will be on his side. The future lies with the young progressives.

John was active in protests and demonstrations aimed at the repeal of the NSA. After his arrest warrant was issued, he went ‘underground’. During that time he participated a Draft Resisters Union to establish a campaign at the University of Melbourne Student Union This also involved a ‘pirate’ radio station called 3DR (Draft Resistance) John was amongst 4 draft resisters who had gone ‘underground’ and were subject to warrants who participated. The first day was on 27 September 1971. The second day, 3DR began broadcasting. The authorities ‘jammed’ the signal. On the third day a large group of supporters were present and the radio able to broadcast. On the fourth day it was known that a huge raid, of 150 police, was likely that morning. Tony Dalton and John Scott left during the night. On the eve of the raid John and Mike were interviewed and said the aim was to get rid of conscription entirely. Michael Hamel-Green and Michael Matteson who stayed were able to avoid capture and effect a daring escape. The authorities sought to arrest John during October 1971 with a raid on his parents’ farm in Wanilla. The police questioned his parents about his whereabouts.

After eluding the Commonwealth Police for 5 months john was arrested by a police officer in Adelaide, mid-January 1972. He was charged with failing to attend a call-up notice. His case was remanded to 9 February 1972 at the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Surety of $900 had been given to the court that John would appear at the hearing. However, Mrs Julianne Ellis, who had posted $300, had a cheque for $300 delivered to the court attached to a pig’s head. John, with help from his supporters reimbursed all who had provided part of the surety. He now went ‘underground’ for the second time. He commented that he had decided to forfeit his bail and not appear in court to, become a political prisoner. John said, He could see no grounds for conscription at the moment and if there was a real threat to the nation’s security the Government would have no trouble in educating the country to that fact and gain sufficient volunteers including himself. It is likely that John was never arrested for failure to obey a call-up notice and remained free until the incoming Labor Government of Gough Whitlam suspended the NSA and stopped all prosecutions under the Act in early December 1972.

Confirmatory Sources:

Port Lincoln Times, 7 October 1971, p.1; 14 October 1971, p.7; 20 January 1072, p.7; 17 February 1972, p.3.

Tribune, 4 August 1971, p.3; 29 September, p.10; 6 October 1971, p.3; 25 January 1972, p.12; 15 February 1972, p.11; 14 March 1972, p.11.

Peacemaker, March/ April 1971, p.11; May/ June/ July/ August 1971, p.11.

Bobbie Oliver, Hell No! We Won’t Go! Resistance to Conscription in Post War Australia, Interventions, Melbourne, 2022, pp.162-163 and p. 261.