HOLLIDAY, Christopher John

Family Name:

Holliday

Given Names:

Christopher John

Gender:

Male

Birthdate:

8 March 1952

Death-date:

Marital Status:

Single

Age:

19 years old

Location:

VIC, Carlton

Occupation:

University Student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister, Objection to Vietnam War

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Failing to disperse under the Public Order Act

[2] Refusal to register for national service and attend a medical examination

Court Name and Location:

[1] Magistrates Court, Melbourne

[2] Magistrates Court, Melbourne

Court Hearing Date:

[1] 26 March 1971

[2] Late 1972

Court Outcome:

[1] Charge proved 17 November 1971 but not convicted

[2] Convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail for refusal to register and attend the mandatory medical.

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Christopher (Chris) was a 19-year-old from Carlton in Victoria but spent his teen years in Blackburn. His secondary education was at Camberwell Grammar School. He completed Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education at Melbourne University.

He refused to register for the 1972 intake of conscripts under the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He also refused to attend the mandatory medical examination and appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court in late 1972 and was convicted and sentenced to seven days jail for failure to register and attend the medical. He never served the jail sentence as the incoming Whitlam Labour government, on 6 December suspended all pending prosecutions and sentences under the NSA.

Chris was not a pacifist opposed to all war. He was opposed to the Vietnam War and he viewed it as immoral and unnecessary historically. He did not want to participate in an immoral war or contribute to unnecessary death and destruction in Vietnam.

He was active in his protests during 1971-1972. He was an active member of the Draft Resisters Union in Melbourne. He was involved in the Day of Rage held in Canberra on Friday 21 May 1971. Christopher appeared at court on the 26 May 1971 and pleaded not guilty to charge of failing to disperse, On 17 November 1971 ACT Magistrate Nicholl found the charge proved but declined to convict Christopher. He participated in the 1970-1971 Vietnam War Moratoriums, CICD vigils and other protests and demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the conscription for it.

During September 1971 a number of draft resisters came out of hiding and with other draft resisters set up a pirate radio station at the Melbourne University Union. It was called 3DR. Chris built and operated the transmitter. Commonwealth police raided the station at 5am on 29 September 1971. All evaded capture. Chris had hidden the transmitter and remained on site to witness the siege. Michael Hamel-Green and Michael Matteson were successfully hidden in a cavity in the wall of the building. During 1972 Chris took the transmitter to Sydney University where a similar pirate radio station was operated called 2DR. The transmitter was operated in Sydney inner suburbs using hydrogen filled balloons to support the antenna. These balloons had been made available by supporters in the stores department of the Melbourne Bureau of Meteorology. The transmitter was on air in the lead up to Sandy Thomas’ arrest. Meredith Bergman and Jack Mundey were two of the participants on air. Chris subsequently became part of the 3CR technical team and collaborated for several years voluntarily with Dale Butler who had built and operated the 3PR pirate radio at Monash University quite separately from 3DR at Melbourne University. The 3PR transmitter has been donated to Science Works.

After the Vietnam War period Chris taught at secondary technical schools during 1976-1987. He was then a Broadcaster Technician from 1987-2002.

Confirmatory Sources:

Canberra Times, 27 May 1971, p.10; 29 September 1971, p.3; 1 October 1971, p.3; 19 November 1971, p.6.

Tribune, 6 October 1971, p.3.

Personal Interview, Christopher Holliday, October 2024.