MUSEUM OF EPIC NORTH AUSTRALIAN STRUGGLES

When  it comes to  drawing  attention to  issues  of  injustice and Western moral  bankruptcy, activist   Rob Wesley - Smith,  of  Darwin, is   truly  creative.  In  more  than  50  years  of  campaigning  for  worthy causes  he  has  used  innumerable ways  and  devices to  draw  the  media  and  the   public’s  attention  to   important  matters.  His   residence   at  Howard  Springs  is  a  veritable  museum  of  activism.   Apart  from  furled,  assorted large  banners outside,inside  there  are  scores  of  T-shirts,perhaps as many as 100 ,with slogans for a  wide range  of struggles  such  as  the   Vietnam War , the  East Timor  bloodbath, Aboriginal  landrights , civil  liberties.    He   has  a  massive  bank of  photos covering  those  campaigns  and  others.   One  snap  shows him holding  a  placard  outside  the NT Legislative Assembly, standing next  to  a  woman  who  is  dressed  like   a   colonial  governor, in  white mufti , complete   with  gloves,  helmet  and cockade ,   protesting  about  foreshore land being handed over  for  an  extension to  the  casino . A  dramatic  framed  photograph on a wall  shows  him  re-enacting  the  part of  Australian  journalist ,Roger  East, bound  and  shot, being thrown into  the  sea  by  Indonesian soldiers on  the  Dili  waterfront .  

EXTENSIVE FILES

His extensive  files  cover   the  Lindy Chamberlain case in which he  played  an active part ; pollution by  mining  at  Gove;   the  Gurindjis  of  Wattie Creek  where  Wes  provided  the  bottle  of   champagne  from  which PM Gough Whitlam and Vincent Lingiari drank at the  the historic hand over of the title to the land .

One of his spectacular “stunts” was his  avowed intention to  burn  a   dog  alive  in  a Darwin park  to  highlight  that  while  Timorese  were  being  napalmed  by   planes   provided by  the US, Australia  was  turning  a   blind  eye  to  the  inhuman treatment of  our  neighbours, yet  were outraged  that  he  planned to  torch   a  dog.  This   proposed  act  attracted  intensive  media  attention  and  a huge crowd , police , firemen   and  even a  “sniper” was  allegedly  sighted on  the  rooftop of  a nearby building the day of the event. The “ dog “ was a   toy one , and some  people  seemed  annoyed  that  it had  not  been  a  genuine  canine . The event was   branded a  Communist  stunt  and  a  letter writer  said  Wesley-Smith  should  be  sacked   from his  government job as  an  agronomist. He was in a group arrested  and charged for trying  to  run medical  supplies   from  Darwin  to  East Timor in a boat . In  recent  times  he  was presented  with   the   Grace  Kelly Medal   for  his  support  of  the  Timorese  at  a  government  ceremony  in  Dili.

In his house   are  books, maps, letters  from  such  places  as   the   White House , a   postcard  from Shirley  Shackleton  sent  from  London telling of  her  campaign to  get  the  truth   about   the   murder  of   the  Balibo Five ,which  included  her  husband, a  note  of  support  from  Noam Chomsky.  

MYSTERIOUS “LEGS” IN LONG MARCH   

Visiting  the  Wesley-Smith  abode,  Little  Darwin looked  through the  racks  of T-shirts  and  stumbled  across  what  looked like   a  pair  of  legs (below ) tucked   away  in  a  corner  against  a  background of   campaign leaflets , mainly related to  East Timor .  On   closer examination, the “legs” were  found to  be  wearing  a  hat  bearing  the  name  M.LONG and  the  sox of  the Essendon Australian  Rules  Football  Club.

Wes  used his  artistic skills  to take out a number of awards in the   annual Human Rights  Art  Competition  on behalf  of   Australians  For   Free East Timor.  The above work   was inspired  by  Indigenous  footballer  Michael Long’s  walk for  justice   from Melbourne to  Canberra, to  see  PM John Howard  .  Wes  made it  from  a  tree  stump which  had   branches which looked like legs .The   people  running  the competition  did  not  insert  a  sign  explaining  its   significance.  Taking  " the  legs" home, Wes  bought  some Essendon   football   sox  and   placed   them on  the " feet" , and attached  an  information  sticker  under the heading THE  LONG MARCH  to  make  the  artwork instantly  understandable.

 It is  a  most unusual  piece  of  Aussie Rules  memorabilia,  not  mass  produced , which you would think AFL headquarters would  like .  At  some stage   Wes  offered  it  to  the  NTAFL  when  he  heard Michael Long, winner of the  1993 Norm Smith Medal, was  coming  to Darwin, and  that  Michael  could have it , if he so wished. The  NTAFL informed him that Long did not want it ,nor did they . Now  Wes  feels  inclined  to offer this  unusual  artwork  to  Kevin  Sheedy . You would  think  that  somebody in  Darwin  with  a   modicum of  intelligence  would  realise that  this  is a unique  piece  of  Australiana, actually made locally  by a  distinguished  longtime  resident  who was closely associated  with  the  early days of  Aussie Rules in town.

 FOOTNOTE:  On the  wall  behind  the  legs is  a  card from  ABC  gardening TV identity, Peter Cundall ,  with  best  wishes  for  Wesley- Smith.  Cundall, a  passionate  activist  like Wes, served in WW11 , was  a  machine  gunner in Korea for the Australian Army , is now a  pacifist  who marched against   the invasion of Iraq  and was arrested failing to move on  from  the Tasmanian  parliament  building  when demonstrating  against  the  Gunns’ Bell Bay pulp mill,approval for which  he claimed  involved  political  corruption.