The highly informative SBS series Australia in Colour , portraying the nation's history through film footage produced in colour for the first time , brought back many memories . One aspect covered was racial discrimination , in which a placard declared Australia failed to condemn racial discrimination, another made a call to save Malayan divers .
Few viewers would have realised that it referred to Darwin's Stayput Malays in which Northern Territory News editor , Big Jim Bowditch , played a major and daring part in the early 1960s. The event was given a dramatic title , below ,when Communist activist, the late Brian Manning , of Darwin ,described the event in the following publication.
It told how three Malay divers employed by a master pearler were ordered to leave the country after a downturn in the pearlshell industry . One of them , Darus bin Sarus, had been in Darwin for 14 years and Zainal bin Hasham , five years . A large public meeting in the Darwin Oval marched on Government House and a deputation called on Administrator Roger Nott delivering a request for the men to be allowed to stay passed on to Immigration Minister Alexander Downer and PM Robert Menzies.
The two named divers went into hiding when it seemed certain they were going to be deported . They came out of hiding and handed themselves over to a committee of prominent citizens . Editor Bowditch then flew the divers to Melbourne where support for them was strong and engaged barrister Frank Galbally to challenge the deportation order in the High Court.
Election meetings held by Immigration Minister Downer were disrupted by students who painted their faces black and raised the plight of the divers. After two weeks, they returned to Darwin, hopeful that they would be allowed to stay in Australia . On reporting to Immigration , they were advised to report daily .
The NT News was tipped off from the airport they would be arrested the very next day when they checked in and be deported immediately . Frantic efforts were made to try and contact the divers, who were out shopping. Bowditch instructed this blogger to drive down to Immigration and if the Malays were spotted to tell them to run away , that they were going to be deported.
While parked outside Immigration , I noticed the venetian blind separate at one stage and Darwin Immigration Officer , genial Les Liveris peered out . In an attempt to arrest the men , there was a massive manhunt , roadblocks , even a check of the harbour .
Late at night , to avoid any possible roadblocks, a convoy of cars slipped out of Darwin , editor Bowditch driving one with the divers aboard . Manning was in the front vehicle which would signal police ahead by pumping the brake lights.
Travelling at high speed, Bowditch's car blew a tyre and ploughed into bush on the side of the road. Nobody was hurt , but the passengers were frightened .They were taken to a farm down the track and went into hiding while Darwin was subjected to the ongoing extensive manhunt .
With May Day coming up , it was planned to highlight the case nationally . The government relented and allowed the men to stay in Darwin . Quoting Jim Bowditch , Manning said the "Stayput Malays " issue drove a big nail in the coffin of the White Australia Policy.
Manning went on to say that 10 years later, a strong campaign was launched to prevent a Darwin Filipino family being forced to leave .The musician husband decided they should leave voluntarily rather than be deported. At the time the Labor Party was holding its Hobart conference and phone calls to Bob Hawke and Gough Whitlam secured a pledge that in government the family would be allowed back to Australia .
Immigration Minister Al Grassby went to the Philippines and honoured the pledge . When asked about the White Australia Policy at the time , Grassby replied : "Give me a shovel and I'll bury it . "
