Family Name:
Wright
Given Names:
David
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown, possibly 1952
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
ACT, Canberra
Occupation:
Unknown
Primary Motivation:
Draft resister
Reason for Court Appearance:
NA
Court Name and Location:
NA
Court Hearing Date:
NA
Court Outcome:
NA
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
David Wright was from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. He failed to register under the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He with three other Canberran draft resisters publicly declared themselves as such to the Attorney General, Senator Greenwood. In serving a summonsed for Nick Waterson and John Waterford, the police indicated they also had summonses for Robert Britten and David Wright. It is unknown if David was prosecuted for that offence. He also failed to attend the mandatory medical examination under the NSA. David was probably not prosecuted under the NSA. The government during 1971 and especially 1972 were reluctant to prosecute when the result would be jailing a young man. This was particularly in regard to a refusal to obey a call-up notice. This attracted 18 months’ imprisonment. The government aimed to minimize its political risk of having large numbers of young men in prison. All pending prosecutions under the NSA were stopped by the newly elected Whitlam Labor government in early December 1972.
Confirmatory Sources:
Canberra Times, 16 May 1972, p.1.
Tharunka, 18 October1972, p.6.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 