Family Name:
Gunning
Given Names:
Peter
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown, possibly1950
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
VIC, Box Hill
Occupation:
Unknown
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister, anti-conscription
Reason for Court Appearance:
Failure to register for national service
Court Name and Location:
Court of Petty Sessions, Box Hill
Court Hearing Date:
10 May 1971
Court Outcome:
Convicted and fined $100 plus $17 costs
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Peter Gunning was from Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne. He opposed the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He refused to register under the Act for the July1970 intake of conscripts. He was summonsed to the Court of Petty Sessions at Box Hill on 10 May 1971 and convicted and fined $100 plus $17 costs for his refusal to register under the NSA. It is unlikely that Peter was further 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:
Peacemaker, August/ September 1970, p.7; May/ June/ July/ August 1971, p.11.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 