Family Name:
Parsons
Given Names:
Michael
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
NSW
Occupation:
University Student
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister, opposition to conscription
Reason for Court Appearance:
Failure to obey a call-up notice
Court Name and Location:
Court of Petty Sessions, Sydney
Court Hearing Date:
30 November1971
Court Outcome:
Conviction and fine
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Michael was from New South Wales and a non-complier with the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was a Social Studies student at Sydney University and a Roman Catholic by religion. He was a member of the Sydney Draft Resisters Union (DRU). He refused to obey a call-up notice and was summonsed to the Court of Petty Sessions in Sydney on 30 November 1971. Magistrate Anable convicted him of this offence under the NSA and imposed a fine, in lieu of non-payment 13 days jail. On Wednesday 8 March 1972 Mike Matteson an underground draft resister spoke to a meeting on the front lawn of Sydney University. Michael was in attendance and he with Jack Page burnt their ‘draft cards’. Despite police attempts, Matteson was not able to be arrested because of the students assembled. On 1 May 1972 a meeting of approximately 1000 students met at Sydney University to debate several motions. One was to support the actions of students who prevented the arrest of Michael Matteson on 24 April 1972 and, a second to have endorsement for a National Anti-Conscription Mobilisation Michael was one of the persons who spoke in favour of the DRU motions from July 17 to 24 and had been an eye-witness to the events of 24 April last.
On 20 May 1972 a conference in Sydney of Roman Catholic priests from all states recommended the abolition of compulsory celibacy for priests. At the same meeting 25 priests out of 110, declared their support for all draft resisters. A letter was sent to the Federal Government and church leaders endorsing the resistance of young men to the NSA and their refusal to comply. A conference workshop on conscience and the law had been addressed by Michael. The letter read, We have been confronted with the problem of conscience faced by Catholic young men as a result of the present National Service Act which imposes conscription…A number of these young men, including Robert Wood, Michael Parsons, Peter Galvin, John Wollin and Chris Shanley have been led by their conscience to take a public stand as draft resisters…We wish to state our support for these young men and all draft resisters…We admire the moral courage with which they risk jail in order to oppose a law they believe is unjust. The letter continued that the young men’s objections to conscription and refusal to obey an ‘unjust law’ were based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and have the support of Catholic tradition.
On 21 May 1972, Michael presented himself for arrest outside Long Bay Prison. He was among 50 people who demonstrated against conscription for an hour. He stated that the Commonwealth Police had been informed he would be present at the demonstration. The police declined to arrest him. The protest particularly was against the selective jailing of resisters, and specifically Robert Wood, who was also a Catholic, and Brian Childs. During September 1972 the government began to accelerate summonses to those active in the DRU. It was claimed that it was an attempt to destroy resistance before the Federal election in December 1972. This included Michael. It appears the summonsed was not made and no proceedings against him were made before the NSA was suspended and all prosecutions under it stopped. This was the result of the change of the Federal Government from Co-alition to Labour on 2 December 1972.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, September/ December 1971, p.4; May/ June/ July/ August 1971, p.11.
Tribune, 9 March 1972, p.11; 23 May 1972, p.12.
Tharunka, 9 May 1972, p.3; 12 September 1972, p.11.
Canberra Times, 20 May 1972, p.1; 22 May 1972, p.3.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 