GOULD, Alan David

Family Name:

Gould

Given Names:

Alan David

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

Unknown, possibly 1949

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown, probably single

Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

ACT, Deakin

Occupation:

University Student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister, anti-conscription

Reason for Court Appearance:

Failure to enter into a recognizance to attend a future medical examination

Court Name and Location:

Court of Petty Sessions, Canberra

Court Hearing Date:

23 October 1972

Court Outcome:

Convicted and 7 days jail

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Alan Gould was from Deakin in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). He was a student at the Australian National University (ANU). He was president of the Student Representative Council and Chairman of the Students for a Democratic Society. He was active in protests and demonstrations which included opposition to South African apartheid, and the rugby tour of the Springboks to Australia, and, the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was involved with the Canberra Moratoriums and was an author to a letter to the Canberra Times disowning any suggestion that Moratorium marchers were responsible for defacing the Australian War Memorial during May 1970. Alan was arrested and charged on 21 May 1971, for failing to disperse from a protest outside the ACT police station. He was fined $30 after he pleaded guilty in the Court of Petty Sessions on 9 May 1972. Alan said it was outrageous that the demonstration was dispersed in the way it was. A number of ANU draft resisters, including Alan, made a public protest at the ACT courts on 28 April 1972. During the protest they publicly declared themselves non-compliers with the NSA. This was repeated at an ANU Liberal Club meeting held 3 May 1972, The Attorney General, Senator Greenwood was also in attendance. Alan with other resisters informed Greenwood of their offences under the NSA and challenged him to arrest them. Greenwood responded that he would have their cases examined and if they had committed an offence they would be summonsed. Alan was remanded until 8 September 1971 by Magistrate Dobson on two charges arising out of a protest outside the South African Embassy on 31 August 1971. At the court hearing David pleaded guilty to the first charge of malicious damage and was fined $10 plus $14 compensation. He pleaded not guilty to the second charge of resisting arrest by Magistrate Dobson and fined him $10.

Alan had registered for national service under the NSA. However, he then decided to embark on non-compliance. He was strongly opposed to conscription. He also refused to attend the mandatory medical examination a number of times. On 5 May 1972, in the precinct of the Canberra Court of Petty Sessions he was given a notice to report for yet another medical. The letter given to him by a policeman advised Alan that if he did not attend the medical legal action would be taken. On 23 October 1972, at the Canberra Court of Petty Sessions, he was convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail. He had refused to obey the notice to attend the medical and to enter into a recognizance to attend a future medical. Alan had pleaded not guilty in relation to his refusal to obey the notices to attend the medical. He said that, I determine my life. I think the issue is who determines my life and my character. I maintain I determine my life. He went on to state that Liberal Party members or those responsible for administering the national service legislation had no right to interfere in his life without his consent. It is unknown if Alan served his 7 days jail. The government during 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, 24 April 1970, p.2; 4 September 1970, p.2; 11 September 1970, p.2; 2 September 1971, p.10; 20 September 1971, p.2; 6 October 1971, p.10; 11 February 1972, p.6; 30 March 172, p.16; 27 April 1972, p.3; 29 April 1972, p.3; 5 May 1972, p.1; 4 may 1972, p.1; 5 May 1972 p.1 6 May 1972, p.3; 28 May 1972, p.6; 14 June 1972, p.15; 31 July 1972, p.5; 24 October 1972, p.30.Tharunka, 18 October 1972p.6.