RICHARDSON, Nicholas Wakefield (Nick)

Family Name:

Richardson

Given Names:

Nicholas Wakefield (Nick)

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

8 August 1951

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown, probably single

Age Range:

20 years old

Location:

ACT, Acton

Occupation:

University student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Failure to register for national service

[2] Failure to attend court

[3] Failure to attend a medical examination

[4] Failure to attend a medical examination and refusal to enter a recognizance to attend a future medical

Court Name and Location:

[1] Court of Petty Sessions, Canberra

[2] Court of Petty Sessions, Canberra

[3] Court of Petty sessions, Canberra

{4] Court of Petty Sessions, Canberra

Court Hearing Date:

[1] 2 June 1972

[2] 11 August 1972

[3] 21 September 1972

[4] 18 October 1972

Court Outcome:

[1] Convicted and fined $40

[2] Warrant issued for arrest

[3] Remanded on a bond of $100 with similar sureties

[4] Convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail for refusal to enter a recognizance

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Nicholas Richardson was from Acton, a suburb of Canberra. He was a student of the Australian National University (ANU). He opposed the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was active in protests and demonstrations against the NSA. He took part in the “Day of Rage’ held in Canberra 21 May 1971 He pleaded not guilty to a charge of ‘failure to disperse’. He gave evidence in support of Norman Page who was charged with causing an unreasonable obstruction at a protest on that day. The magistrate dismissed the charge. On 21 April 1972 a demonstration against the NSA was held at Garema Place in Canberra. Nick along with three others publicly declared themselves draft resisters. On 3 May 1972 at a Liberal Party Club meeting at the ANU, six draft resisters, including Nick, called on the Attorney General to arrest them as draft resisters. Atorney General Senator Greenwood was present at the meeting. He responded by telling them that their claims would be investigated and if true they would be charged under the NSA. Nick followed this challenge to the Atorney General with a letter to the Canberra Times mocking the ‘selective arrests’ made to minimize political damage to the government. On 26 July 1972, Nick with Elizabeth Miller were arrested and charged with having published a pamphlet titled “Don’t register for National Service. They were each remanded on bail until 1 August 1972 by Magistrate Pearson. On 25 July 1972 Magistrate Flynn convicted and fined Nick of $100 for having failed to comply with a direction under the Public Order Act on 21 May1971 during the “Day of Rage’ demonstration.

Nick refused to register for the July 1971 intake of conscripts under the NSA. On 15 May 1972 Nick was served with a summonsed to a court hearing on 2 June to answer the charge of failing to register for national service. Nick did not attend the court and was convicted and fined $40 by Magistrate Flynn in his absence. On 11 August 1972 Magistrate Nicholls ordered that warrants be issued for the arrest of Nick who failed to appear at court to answer the charge of failing to attend medical examination under the NSA. At the Court of Petty Sessions at Canberra, on 18 October 1972, Magistrate Nicholls convicted Nick for failure to attend the medical examination. He then asked him to enter into a recognizance to attend a future medical examination. Nick refused to do so. The magistrate fined Nick $60 and sentenced him to 7 days jail. It was unlikely that Nick 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:

Canberra Times, 28 May 1971, p.6; 14 October 1971, p14; 23 October 1971, p.2; 22 April 1972, p.3; 4 May 1972, p.1; 5 May 1972, p.1; 13 May 1972, p.2; 16 May 1972, p.1; 3 June1972, p.10; 14 June 1972, p.3; 27 July 1972, p.10; 12 August 1972, p.8; 22 September 1972, p.7; 19 October 1972, p.10.

Tharunka, 18 October 1972, p.6.