A mammoth but highly desirable task currently underway involves putting together in digital form evidence from the many blood- soaked battlegrounds in the life of Pete Steedman , a longtime Australian activist , journalist , publisher , one term politician in the Hawke Government .
See the following performance of Steedman on the television show Neil Mitchell on Sunday to get a measure of the warrior, who then , and still now, wants to change the world .
https://drive.google.com/file/
Over the years , the media dubbed him Australia's Black Knight , the ALP's Wild Child and the Lone Ranger .He was also declared Canberra politician of the year . During a well lubricated ALP debate , Steedman was the subject of " a roast " - in which he deftly wielded broadsword and mace in a verbal response. He is shown below, left , on friendly terms with visiting Canadian born American comedian ,Mort Sahl.
Described as James Dean crossed with Elvis, Steedman rose to prominence in the l960s , first as editor of Melbourne's Monash University student newspaper , Lot's Wife. He wore R.M. Williams riding boots ,Levi's, a black leather jacket, from which dangled a chain . Later he became editor of the Melbourne University's newspaper , Farrago .(See Dissent The Student Press in 1960s Australia, by Sally Percival Wood.)
Due to his strong opposition to the Vietnam War, especially the conscription of young men to fight in the crazy Asian conflict , the government considered bringing in special legislation to charge him with subversion.
Because of death threats due to his anti war stand and other pressures , he went about armed , especially at night ,when attempting to get some much needed beauty sleep in his hectic life .
This blog told the verified story of how late one night his sleep was disturbed by knocking on his door, in a kind of hideaway. Upon hearing a strange American voice calling him , Pete pounced out - with a knife , confronted the shocked caller - none other than American singer Bob Dylan ,on tour, who wanted to see him.
Made the editor of a new national publication, Broadside, in 1969 , Steedman continued his anti- war campaign , attracted a swag of talented writers and cartoonists who went on to become well known in Australia , some overseas. Michael Leunig cartoons featured in a big way, covering such subjects as the war, police brutality , ASIO.
Another Broadside illustrator ,Peter Burleigh , a contributor to this blog on occasions , his Bulldust Diary kept during an outback fishing tour, a gem, went off to London .
Life became dangerous for Steedman due to his activism.After management pulped two editions of Broadside, he decided to leave the Great South Land , travel overland to Britain . Along the way , a pointy implement tucked down a boot came in handy during a tricky situation in India .
Arriving in swinging London, Steedman took over running the Oz magazine office while his Aussie mates were facing indecency charges in the Old Bailey . In next to no time ,Steedman was shaking up the establishment. He found fault with and caused changes to the media coverage of the" Irish troubles" ; campaigned, with the support of brothel keepers, to prevent historic buildings from being demolished by developers ; ran a successful campaign to prevent a new television licence from going to a commercial group .
Before returning to Australia, Steedman ,his wife Julie, and Peter Burleigh made an overland trip in a van. Along the way, Steedman tempted fate by confronting Dictator Franco's forces in Spain . There was a tense moment late one night when they were parked in the van in Morocco and men banged at the door .
Tucked away in baggage was Pete's trusty knife-so he launched himself out the door like a madman, and scared the band , giving Burleigh time to start the van and decamp.
Back in Melbourne, he became editor of the Victorian ALP newspaper , was known as the Black Knight because of black attire , sunnies . Some unkind persons called him the Bete Noir of ALP politics. He went on to become the ALP Member for Casey in the Hawke Government ,losing it due to an electorate boundary change , not before he threatened to cook Andrew Peacock like an overdone ALP campaign sausage .
His sins include giving Gerard Henderson a run in Broadside back in l969 ,but he explains this by saying he gave everybody a run in any publications he ran -true democracy , throwing light on all aspects of an issue.
Little Darwin has seen other digital video material which shows him strongly defending universities and university newspapers from Liberal government attacks in panel discussions ; firmly opposing at an ALP conference uranium mining and selling off Qantas.
