Conscientious Objection

This is my personal story of struggling with my conscience during the time of conscription and the Vietnam War. Selected in the first ballot during 1965 I was a bewildered and confused nineteen-year-old. I was also morally outraged. I was outraged by Australia’s invasion of Vietnam. I was outraged at the very idea of conscription. I was aghast at the very thought of belonging to the military machine. I complied with the National Service Act and sought temporary deferment to complete university studies. Upon successful completion I applied to be registered as a conscientious objector based on my long held Christian pacifism. This is my story of what happened from 1965 until 1969, and how I narrowly avoided conviction and jail for at least two years. The book is dedicated to all men and women of conscience everywhere and from any time.

The author in 1967 aged twenty-two. A passport photo. Before travelling overseas to New Zealand permission was required by the Commonwealth Department of Labour and National Service. Permission was also required to travel to India during 1966.