THE STAYPUT PORTUGUESE Continuing biog of Crusading Editor, "Big Jim" Bowditch



As  the   long  , often  tense ,  campaign   to  keep   the  Stayput  Malays  in  Australia  now depended on legal moves editor Bowditch     expected   life  would   be  less  hectic . 

 

 But  it certainly   was   not  to  be ...  Another  major   story  with   international   ramifications  was  about to break.  It would  focus  the  spotlight  on  a  European   dictator  and  once  more Big  Jim   would   be  in   the   thick  of   the    action.

The exceptional  story   began the day after the  federal election - December  10 , 1961 - when the Portuguese naval frigate  Goncalves   Zarco  arrived  in  Darwin from  Portuguese  Timor to  take  on  fuel .   The frigate  shuttled around   Portuguese  possessions  showing  the  flag   and  its crew of  140  came ashore for a  break .    Police  said  they  were   the  quietest    group  of  sailors   to  hit   port  in  many  a  year  and  caused  no  trouble .

By Peter Simon

Sailors  normally  had  a  fling  in  Darwin , but  not  the  Portuguese .   Three lowly ratings  who  were refused  shore leave in peculiar   circumstances   dashed   along  the wharf and  disappeared in  the   dark.  Police were  notified , a search was  made   , but  they  could not  be  found  ;  the  ship sailed  the next  day .  

DANCING  IN THE  RSL

 
The  background  to their disappearance   was  this   :  the    three   sailors, on  their fourth  visit  to Darwin ,  were in a  group  which included  two older   sergeants  who  went  to  the  RSL Club . There  they had been  entertained   by friendly  Australians  and   danced  with  young   girls.  When the  girls  were  reluctant to   dance with the older officers, said   to  be in  their  50s , they  became  jealous.

When the  sailors  went  back to the ship  for  tea , intending to head  back to the RSL  later in the evening , “ a jealous   sergeant” issued  instructions not to allow the three ashore again as they  were trouble makers.  Regarding this an unfair, but a  clear warning  that they were in trouble  with superior officers , meaning life would be made  very  hard   for  them , the  trio  decided to  jump ship. 

From ASIO  file on  East Timor  activist  Rob Wesley -Smith : Julio Borges , number 5, in dark glasses.

The first   Bowditch   knew of the event  was when   approached  by   an  obviously anxious , mild - mannered   Portuguese  clerk,  Julio Borges , above ,  always  neatly dressed  in  white, including long  sox .  Borges  was  an   example  of  the cosmopolitan   make up  of the  Darwin  population in  those days.  After  the war,  Borges  had worked in  the  Portuguese  Timor capital , Dili, as  a  government    draftsman . There  he  met  the Australian  Consul,  John  Whittaker  , and they  became  friends.  Whittaker  told Borges he  should go  to   Australia  because  it  was  a  young  country   with  a  future  and  that  he could  get  a  job  there.  The consul  arranged  for  Julio to  fly   to  Darwin on January  31 , l956,  aboard   an  RAAF  plane . He was  picked up at the airport by a car , taken  to  the Esplanade Hostel and   employed  by  the Department of  Works and Housing .

 Borges   visited  the  Goncalves  Zarco  when  it came  to  Darwin  and  was  drinking  with  officers  when he  was  told  that  three  of  the crew were  missing.  If  he  heard  anything  about  them  when   he  went  ashore,  the  officers  asked  him  to  let  them  know.   Borges  passed  the   news  around   about  the  missing  sailors . He was  surprised  to  receive  a  telephone  call  from  a    Spanish  friend  who  said  he  knew  where the sailors  were ,  that  they  did   not  want  to  return to the ship and  were  seeking  political  asylum . 

PLEA  FOR  HELP

Borges  explained  what he  did  on  receipt  of  this  worrying  information : “  I  think Jim  ( Bowditch ) is the  man to  handle this . If  he  can’t  do anything,  nobody  can ”.   Borges  then hurried  to  the  News, in the old tin bank building in Smith Street  .  In  a  hushed  voice ,  Borges  confided  that the  sailors  from  the  frigate  were  hiding  in  the  bush...“ Please, Jim, will  you  help  them ? ”.

 

 Bowditch  had  responded  by  slapping  his   forehead  in  disbelief , and  exclaimed   , “ Oh  shit !-It  can’t  be  true ! ” But  it  was  :  they were  Norberto Andrade ,   Jose da Costa  and   Joaquim  Teixeira  , all  in  their  early twenties.  .  Teixeira  had   an eagle and  the  name   Australia  tattooed on  his chest ; Andrade   had  India  tattooed  on an arm.

Borges  took  Bowditch to  where the sailors were hiding , in  scrub  near the   Waratahs  Football Oval,  not  far from  where  Jim  lived . Bowditch  explained  that   because  they  had  deserted  a  warship  it  would  be  hard  to   win support  for  their  cause  from  the  Australian   government.  While   there  had  been  strong community  support   for  the  Malay stayputs,  it  would    be  harder gaining    similar   backing  for  deserters.   The  sailors  insisted  that  if   they  were  sent   back  to  Portugal, then  under the rule of the dictator Dr  Salazar  , they would  be  tortured  and   probably   killed.  

Warning  against  over optimism,  Bowditch  said  he  would  do  what  he  could  to help them .  After three days, the sailors came out of hiding and ,like the Malays , asked the  Administrator , Roger Nott , for  political asylum , saying they  could not live under the fascist dictatorship  of   the Portuguese ruler, Dr Salazar . They felt certain   that  if  they  were  sent  back  to  Portugal they would  either be executed or  imprioned for a long  term .  All  three  men  gained the  impression  that Nott was  a  sincere  man .    

SOUTHERN   MEDIA  ASTONISHED 

The southern  media  was  fascinated  by the dramatic story coming  so soon after the Stayput  Malays  and  wanted to know what was  going on  in  Darwin . In  answer  to  that  question  , Melbourne Herald  Darwin  based journalist , Doug  Lockwood ,  wrote that  the    crusading  editor  of  the   NT News  was  the  reason  why  so  many  unusual  stories   were   breaking   in   Darwin.  A  report  in  a  southern   newspaper  ran  a  photograph    of  Bowditch  with  the  caption - Zeal  

When the sailors were  refused asylum  they were  arrested and lodged in Fannie Bay Gaol. The close association between  Bowditch and  lawyer  Dick Ward once  more came to the fore . Ward’s associate, Richard  Keller, began habeas corpus proceedings  in the NT Supreme Court and  deportation  was  deferred. 

The men were  allowed their  freedom  providing  they  reported  daily  to  ASIO  while their application  for   political  asylum   was  examined. Borges  said  Bowditch  had   been “  more  than  a  father ” to  the  three , buying them clothes,  giving  them  money and finding work  for them  while  campaigning  down south to keep them in  Australia. The  three men  told  Borges  they  could  not  believe  Bowditch  was “so  good   to  them . ”

 When the  High Court ruled that  the government had  the right to deport  the men  , they were shattered.  One said he rather suicide than return to Portugal where they  all  feared  being  incarcerated  in  terrible conditions .


Bowditch , however, was  not  prepared to  give in .  When  Minister  Downer  said  the  men  had  to  return  to  Portugal, they  went  back  into  hiding . Bowditch   became  involved  with   another  anti-deportation committee.  

Once more  Bowditch  was  the  centre  of  an  international  news  story.  At  times , in    company  with  reporter  Les Wilson,  Bowditch  would   drive  out  to   the  bush ,  call   out  something  in Portuguese ,  and  the  three  sailors  would  emerge.  He  would   have  a  quick  talk  to  them ,  give them  the  latest  information   and  ask  them  if  they  had  any  problems.  

The  struggle to keep them in Australia     focused  attention  on  the Portuguese  dictator , Dr Salazar.  The  International  Council  of  Jurists   produced  a   report  exposing  the  cruel  treament  of  prisoners  in  Portugal.   With   two major  news  stories  attracting   national and  international  attention ,   Bowditch  was  under  great  pressure, his  movements  watched  by   ASIO  and  others . NEXT :  The   murder .