AUSTRALIA WARNED ABOUT EXTREMISTS -The Pete Steedman Chronicles

STEEDMAN :  Confronted many.  



What did controversial university newspaper  and  magazine editor  and  one term ALP House of Representatives Victorian politician , Pete Steedman, and prominent British authors  D .H.  Lawrence, H. G. Wells   and J. B. Priestley have in common? All  warned about fascist  and  other  extremist  groups   in  Australia . 

 

 

In   the   case  of    Lawrence , described  as  one of   the  greatest  writers  of   the   2Oth century , he  came  to  Australia  with  his  wife , Frieda , born  Baroness von  Richthofen, in 1922.  During  their   short  stay  of  three  months  here ,  Lawrence  became aware in Sydney  of   a  secret   fascist  army  formed   to  fight   Socialism  and  Communism .  This   situation  which prompted   his   1923  novel, Kangaroo , the  fictional  nickname  of  an ex- soldier  and   lawyer  who  leads  a  fascist  paramilitary  group , the  Diggers’ Club .

It  was  subsequently claimed  that   Kangaroo  was   based on  Major General  Charles Rosenthal , a  World  War I  leader  and  right wing activist  allegedly involved  with  the  Old Guard  anti-Communist   militia set up  by  the  Bruce Government , based on  the US Government anti -subversive organisation , the  American  Protective  League .
 

In 1938 ,  the  prominent  author , historian and  science fiction writer  , H. G. Wells,  came to Australia  and  attended  sessions  of  the   Association for  the Advancement  of   Science in  Canberra .  Shortly  before  departing  the  country , he  was  a   guest   of   honour  at  a dinner  arranged by the  Australian   Fellowship  of  Writers   at  the  Wentworth  Hotel, Sydney, on January 26, 1939.  Xavier  Herbert , whose  novel  about the Northern Territory, Capricornia , had    received  the  1938 Sesquicentenary Literary  Award  ,  had   prepared a   half   hour speech to be delivered  at the  function ,  but  had  been  ordered  to  greatly  reduce  its  length,  which   angered   him. 

 

 Herbert’s brother , David , was involved in a  group which  bashed  supporters of  the  NSW  ALP Premier , Jack  Lang.  And  Xavier  was  a  member of   the  Australia First  Movement, some members , including   publisher  P.R.'"Inky"Stephenson,  imprisoned   by Security   during  WW11 .  Xavier  claimed  he  severed  connection with  Australia   First   because  he  detected  an  anti-Semitic  attitude , Sadie , his  partner, Jewish  ,  and  was  angered  by   Stephenson , a major , outspoken  person  in  the  group.  ]

In  a wide ranging  speech, Wells  criticised  Australian censorship and made  predictions    about  the  nation’s  future .   The    free  Australian citizen,   he   said ,  should   have access  to every  kind of  knowledge  there  is  in  the  world...” It is the primary factor in your  citizenship  that  this censorship  should  be swept  out of  existence .You are not a free people  until this is done . I  hear dreadful  stories  of   half  educated  policemen who decide  what is indecent  in  your books and who intercept  books, speakers and writers  at your  ports. You  are  a half-Fascist  country  until  you  get  rid of  every  form  of  censorship.”

 WELLS   ENTHRONED   IN   DARWIN

Wells   left   Australia  by  a  Dutch  KLM   plane  and   stopped  overnight in  Darwin  where  he  was a  guest  at Government House  , the   abode  of   the   NT  Administrator ,  Charles  Lydiard  Aubrey "Strawberry" Abbott , and   wife,  Hilda.  Abbott had been  in the  force which captured German New Guinea , went ashore at Gallipoli   and served in the Light  Horse Brigade , taking part in the  famous last  cavalry  charge at  Beersheba .

 A  surprise   for  Wells   would  have  been  the " great mahogany throne"  with  polished  steps  recently installed in Government  House   when  it  became the first  building  in  Darwin to  get  a septic system.   The  Administrator  , a  former  Country  Party politician ,  had  been  involved  with  right  wing  groups  in   Sydney .  During  the  Depression, Abbott  had   been  closely  connected  with   Eric  Campbell ,  a  lawyer  and  colonel  in WW1 , head   of  the  New  Guard   , in  Sydney . Consisting  mainly of  ex-Army  men, it  feared  law and  order  would  break down  under  the economic collapse of  the  Depression, the controversial bank   plans of   Premier  Lang  and  that  Communists  would overwhelm  police. 

Administrator Abbott , also the NT Police Commissioner, who wore a  white uniform  , including  a  pith helmet, bought from a Sydney tailor who supplied vice-regal gear, in a Smith's Weekly cartoon . There is a large pistol in his belt  and he holds  an  umbrella. While  one  Aborigine  is  laughing, the  other  salutes . 

 

Captain  Francis de  Groot, who slashed   the  ribbon before  NSW  Premier  Lang officially opened  the  Sydney Harbour Bridge   in 1932, was a  member of  the  New  Guard. Describing  himself  as  the virtual founder  of  the  New Guard, Eric Campbell , in his book,  The Rallying Point, Melbourne University Press, 1965, provided details of  his   involvement  with  Abbott , who he  suspected  was  connected with the  Old Guard  establishment, known  as  the   Golfinch organisation,  which  consisted of   leading  businessmen .

The  book said  Abbott  called   upon Campbell , offering   advice  and  wanting  details  of the New  Guard’s  planned  actions. Campbell wrote  of  most  pleasant association  in  which  advice  had  come from  the “  Hon. Aubrey Abbott,” whom  he  had  met in  the  early days  of  the  New  Guard. Campbell wrote  of  evenings with  Mr and Mrs Abbott  in their  Darling Point flat in Sydney  and  listed  the   names  of  key  players  in  the  New  Guard  and  the  Old  Guard .

A Goldfinch member  was   said to be  the  general manager of  the  bank of  NSW , Mr Alfred Davidson, later knighted. Campbell    said  that  when " sinister rumours" were   spread  about the  New Guard , he  at  first   had  blamed the " Langites" and   took no  notice. But " sound New Guard members"  like aviators Charles Ulm, Charles Kingsford Smith and Major Leslie Ellis  alerted  him to the   real source . Four  New  Guard " plants"  in the  Goldfinch  group reported  it  was   absolutely  definite   that  it  (  Goldfinch)  was  spreading  the  adverse rumours .

JOURNALIST  INVOKES  CROMWELL

Others  who  offered    Campbell  advice  were  said to  be   A.B. "Banjo" Paterson  and  Kiwi  journalist  Eric Baume , he  keen  for " chucking  Lang  out of  office   by   force, persuant  to  the  Cromwellian  precedent ." 

 Abbott  was   present  when   Campbell had  drinks and  a  chat   with   Major  John Scott , DSO, who  had  been asked  by  PM Stanley Bruce  to organise a   force of  500 men ,similar to  the  US government anti subversive American Protective League ,  to assist police  handle  feared  demonstrations  over possible  deportation  of   two  waterside  workers .  The  author   D.H.Lawrence  met  Scott several  times and  it  is  said  he inspired  a character in   Kangaroo. At  the  time , Scott was  an insurance broker , his father  a bank manager  and  his mother  a member of the  Street family ,  one of Australia’s  leading legal and  political  dynasties. It would be indeed interesting to  know what subjects were  discussed  between  Wells  and  the  Abbotts

Interviewed  before  he  left  Darwin for  Bali,  Wells  again  commented  briefly about censorship  in Australia and  expressed admiration for the best thing  he had seen in the nation , the extraordinary spirit of  fellowship  in  fighting   disastrous  bushfires.   Asked why he was  flying  in  a Dutch  plane rather than  a British one, he said  the  Dutch tried to keep  to their  flight  schedules. According  to  the union  run  Northern Standard , Wells  was   emphatic that  he, 72,  would  return to  Australia.  "I want to see all of  your country, especially the North," he said. "I will be back, but I can't say when."

 In  the   l961  novel,  SATURN  OVER  THE  WATER ,  Heinemann , London ,  J. B  Priestley , a  highly regarded  author,  used  a   thinly  disguised     prominent  Australian  businessman   and  members  of   Security ,  in   a    fantastic   conspiracy  about   a   power- mad   right  wing group  , the  Wavy   Eight ,   eventually  tracked  down  to  "the mountains" of   Queensland, who  are   even   prepared  to  have the   Northern   Hemisphere destroyed by nuclear war to  assert   their elitist   reign .  The  main  character,  an  artist , who  promises  his   cousin  before  she  died  he would  try and  find  out  what  happened to  her husband who went missing in Chile , travels   the   world  and on  a boat  from  Valparaiso  to  Australia    meets   the exceedingly  friendly   Australian  businessman,   a   randy  old chap ,  who  had   bought   his  peerage  in  London .

Flying from Sydney to   Melbourne , the   artist, who  booked a suite  in  the familiar sounding  Windsor Hotel,  becomes  involved  in many  tense moments ,  including  being arrested by  strange Security men  who  accuse him of  being  a  Communist. There  are car chases , a passionate   female  companion  , a   drive  through  the   repulsive   Gold Coast  and the  gaudy   Surfers’ Paradise. The   femme  in  the  chase  expresses   the  wish  that a  giant wave  would one  night  rise up  and   pull  all   the   tasteless  mess  along  the  coast  into  the  sea.  
 

THE  STEEDMAN  LINK   EXPLAINED  

 
Through  his  editorship   of  Melbourne  university  papers  in  the early  l960s,   Steedman  took  on  the  Federal Government , several  right  wing   and racist  groups, including the  Rhodesian  support organisation  and Australian League  of  Rights  ,opposed  the  Vietnam  War  and  conscription,  in  the  process  being  vilified    in    parliament , attacked  by  ASIO  agents .  Just  recently ,  shortly   after  raging  bushfires  swept  close to  his  residence  out  of   Melbourne ,  Steedman   recalled  an  evening   many  years  ago , in  which  he   had  been  held  and  bashed  in  the  house   of   a   (expletive deleted )  person    who went  on  to  become  a  prominent  right   wing  figure ,  still   influential  in   business    and  conservative  politics.

In his university days, the  conservative  government   regarded  Steedman  as  the most dangerous man in  Australia because  of  his  stance over  the Vietnam War  and discussed  bringing  in  special  legislation so  that  he  could  be  charged with  subversion.  When  in 1969  he was  editor of  the  Melbourne  based  news  magazine , Broadside ,  it  took on extreme   right  wing  groups,  censorship  and  other   major  issues.  In  respect of  censorship ,  a  Broadside cartoon , below ,  by Peter Burleigh , illustrated  the   H.G. Wells   complaint   about  people  at  ports  of  entry  being   hounded - 30  years  after  the   author  had  condemned  the  situation . The  Macnamara's  Banned  tag  is a play on  Bing Crosby's song about  the  Irish Macnamara's  Band .

 When  elected as  the  ALP  Member  for  Casey  in the  1983   first  Hawke  Government , Steedman  continued  to  fearlessly  tackle  right  wing  and   racist   organisations and individuals . He  also  opposed  any possible  ALP  government    softening  of  policies  in  relation  to  sporting and  air links with  South  Africa.
 

While  ASIO and  the Coalition  undoubtedly  kept   files  on  Steedman ,  it became  known he  kept extensive   files  on  extremist groups , including  the corrupt   Marcos regime in the Philippines ,  and  a  wide range of  other  subjects .  Steedman   commented   it   is    wise  to  know  all  you  can  about  the   enemy .   An  indication of  the  depth of  those files  was evident  when  in  parliament  in June  1984   he   drew  to the public’s attention  the  activities of  what he  termed  one of " our  most racist and anti-Semitic organisations" , the Australian  League of  Rights and  its  director, Eric Butler,  who   lived  in  Steedman’s  electorate.  Steedman  had confronted  this organisation  and  Butler  back  in   his  university days . 

 

People in rural  Australia had been conned for years  by the rhetoric of  the  League, he  charged .  Senator  Flo  Bjelke-Peterson of Queensland  had  applauded  the  aims of  the League  in a supporting   message to  one of its conferences . He    provided  parliament    with   extensive   details  of   individuals  and  organisations .

The Jewish Times, Sydney, September 20, l984 , quoted Steedman at  length  in  an article  ANTI-SEMITES  JOIN POLITICAL GROUPS . With a Canberra  dateline , it said  the  Liberal  and National Parties  were  being infiltrated  by  racists  and  anti-Semites  and neo-fascists ,  according  to   Steedman .   Leading  figures in  the  anti-Semitic League of  Rights, he said,  were   currently   touring  Victoria "whipping  up  fear and hatred  against  Aboriginals ". One  of  the  speakers  was  alleged to  be   Geoff   McDonald ,  author of  the 1982  book, Red Over Black

According to the blurb, Red Over Black  was the " chilling  and almost unbelievable  story "of the Marxist manipulation  of  the Aboriginal " land  rights" movement , told by an ex member of the Communist Party who,  as a union official  on visits to Central and Northern  Australia, had seen the Marxist  operators  and  their dupes  hard  at work advancing  Communist  strategy. 

In  the  preface, the  president of the Victorian branch  of  the RSL, Bruce Ruxton, said  he had heard  the  author  at  a  Melbourne meeting  develop  the  central theme  that  Australia’s future as a  free Western  nation was seriously  threatened  by  two movements : the use of Aboriginal " land rights "  to establish a separate Aboriginal nation  under  Communist  domination  and the  fragmentation of  a  homogeneous  Australia   by  a  breaking   down of traditional  immigration policy , and  by the  deliberate  fostering of  multiculturism, which could   only end  with  the  Balkanisation  of Australia .

The book was  highly praised by Queensland Premier  Joh Bjelke –Petersen ; Lady Phyllis  Cilento was  quoted as  saying  she  hoped McDonald’s   warning  would  be  heeded in time as her  husband , Sir Raphael, returning  from the UN , had  learned from undercover  associates of  a  Communist  long  range plan  to  alienate  Aboriginal  land  from the Australian nation  so that a fragmented  North  could be used for  subversive activities  by other  countries  as  well as  for guerrilla training  centres plus coloureds  from  other countries  ;  the Queensland   spokesman  for  the  Australia Defence League , Wing Commander Gordon  Olive ;  a   former  Communist , T.C. McGillick, who  had led a  delegation to Moscow  in 1938  who said he  knew of  the Soviet’s long term strategy  for Aboriginal  " land rights " ; a former  Queensland  Liberal Cabinet Member with  the portfolio of Aboriginal Affairs , Charles  Porter , who at the launching  of  the book  with  Premier Bjelke-Petersen , said  the author  obviously  knew  what  he  was    talking   about .

 Described as a former undercover  intelligence   agent   for  the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Patrick Walsh , was  quoted in the book   as saying : "Mr McDonald’s description of Communist strategy towards the land  rights movements is a masterpiece  of  political intelligence  and a warning   which can only be ignored at peril to the Australian nation." 

 Steedman  said  Veritas Publishing  Company, of Bullsbrook, WA, produced  "outright  racist  propaganda" . One  publication,  Race, told  how to tell the difference   between a  Jew  and  a  Christian  by  body odour. "These  books distributed  by Veritas , are part  of  a  drive   to give racism  or  raciology  as they  like to call it , a respectable   scientific  front , something  Hitler  tried  to do ," he  told parliament. Veritas listed  its   overseas  agents as  Bloomfield Books, Suffolk, England ; Dolphin Press , Krugersdorp, Transvaal , South Africa  and   Veritas Publishing  Company Ltd  in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada   and one with the same   name  and  a  box  number  in  Auckland  , New zealand 

The  Jewish Times article  quoted  Steedman as  saying  there  existed in Australia  a  network of  far Right neo-Nazi groups  hiding  behind  respectable names  who  were  whipping up  hatred   against  Aboriginals  and   Asians  to  further  their  ends.

This network went from   the  League of  Rights  through to  the Captive  Nations Week  and the World  Freedom  League  right  into the  centre  of the  Liberal  and  National  Parties. "The  links  go  to  the top , to  Joh-Bjelke  Petersen , the  Liberal  right  wing   leadership  in  Western Australia , the Country Liberal  Party members of  parliament in  the  Northern Territory  and  the  extremist  wing of   the Liberal Party in  NSW which  had  taken over the Waverley  Municipal Council ," he said . He named a  member of  the NSW Liberal Party  as having escaped  expulsion  from the  party  by a few  votes in  l980 after accusations  of his  alleged Nazi collaboration  and anti-Semitic propaganda  in German -occupied Slovenia. It was  time  the  Opposition parties  cleaned   out   their   houses, he declared.  

In answer to  a Steedman  Dorothy Dixer, the Foreign  Minister ,  Bill Hayden , later   Governor-General ,  a  newspaper  report  said   debate became "X-rated ". Steedman   asked if there had been  any unseemly  recent developments  in Australia  which  were damaging the country's reputation as  a supporter  of  racial equality. Armed  with a huge  file , Hayden  unleashed  a "well prepared monologue". 

Minister Hayden  told  the House: The Opposition  immigration spokesman, Michael Hodgman, Tasmania, was prepared to divide the  country on  immigration  and  was " Vaseline -slicked, oozing his way into the contemptible barrel of racist bigotry"and Opposition Leader  Andrew Peacock was a  man  with  a "jelly vertebrae " who had said the Opposition ran parallel   with   the  League of  Rights . The  Coalition   launched an unsuccessful  censure emotion against Hayden  for " his Intemperate and bigoted introduction of racism into  the  Parliament. "  NEXT : The  delayed  post showing how  Steedman , with legal advice from Julia Gillard , launched another  big picture plan  to spread the  sound of  music across the  land.