We’ve been gradually digitising our folders of black-and-white 35mm negatives and slides going back to both our times as students at the SA School of Art and found this series by Alison Goodwin from a protest in Adelaide in the wake of the dismissal of the Whitlam government.
Naturally the whole Dismissal was a taken in anger by our cohorts as a coup d’etat by the elites and as a big slap in the face for progressive policies and a potential return to a national conservative agenda. The cultural milieu was still quite progressive in SA with the Dustan government in power. Many grassroot community cultural social actions were evolving, encouraged and funded. Alison was involved in these such as Women’s Art Movement, the Bowden Brompton Community Playground, Childcare for Tertiary Students, etc. As part of Alison’s art study research and social interests she was recording a range of public actions such as protests and demonstrations for change — this Shame Fraser Shame Rally was a big one and a very cathartic way to express one’s rage with the coup.
There are a few more negatives we can’t find at the moment from this series that show future prime minister Bob Hawke and Dunstan speaking to the crowd. Don was always very eloquent, his words well chosen and inspiring. Hawke knew the power of his presence and that his role was to explain how it was wrong that we were dudded and allow for the anger to be expressed, to maintain the rage we all had, but it was all to be lawful and within the bounds of our democratic system. — Alison Goodwin and Roger Noakes, November 10, 2015
Shame Fraser Shame Rally marching up King William Street in Adelaide. Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan and President of the ACTU Bob Hawke in the front row, and to their right in the trench coat is the federal member for Adelaide Chris Hurford.
Demonstrators marching to Wellington Square in Adelaide during the 1975 Shame Fraser Shame Rally.
Demonstrators attending the 1975 Shame Fraser Shame Rally at Wellington Square in Adelaide.
Demonstrators marching up King William Street in Adelaide during the 1975 Shame Fraser Shame Rally. The member for Adelaide Chris Hurford is in the trench coat on the left near the rear of the van.
ACTU President Bob Hawke among the crowd of demonstrators at a Shame Fraser Shame Rally in Adelaide 1975.
ACTU President Bob Hawke and Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan at a Shame Fraser Shame Rally in Adelaide.
I may be mistaken but they all seem to be headed in the wrong direction to get to Wellington Square which is in North Adelaide, perhaps Victoria Square?
SJ@1
We marched from Wellington Square.
those were the days!!!!
#stuart johnson… your correct I think it was up King William – along North Tce – up Pultney then along Currie to Light Square… the yet to be found negatives… indicate the Square… I think Dunstan and Hawke took a short cut to the Square after North Terrace…
Look at the width of those lapels on Dunstan.
Phew!