David Scott Obituary

April 25th, 2012 jen Posted in David Scott, David Scott - Obituary, News from Port Phillip, Port Phillip Residents Comments Off on David Scott Obituary

Giant of social welfare, and human rights activist David Scott AO and Ordem de Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste’s Presidential Medal – see story here), passed away this week. The funeral service will be held at Christ Church , South Yarra, corner Punt and Toorak Roads, South Yarra on Saturday the 28th of April commencing at 2 pm. Flowers welcome, but donations to the Brotherhood of St Laurence will be appreciated.

This obituary was written by Richard Tanter  and circulated by email yesterday.

On the 7th of December 1975 David called an emergency meeting at the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Brunswick St, Fitzroy in response to the full scale attack by Indonesian armed forces on Dili earlier that day. The large number of people present resolved to set up the Australia-East Timor Association.”

David was well known in East Timor circles for this extraordinary commitment to the cause of self-determination for the people of East Timor from 1975 onwards. He told some of that story in his 2005 book “Last Flight Out of Dili: Memoirs of an Accidental Activist”, and more in another study of Australia and Timor Leste still to be published. Find links to chapters written by David for ‘Last Flight Out of Dili’ and omitted during publishing : All They Got Was Misery and Japan: the Reluctant Invaders. Chapters in Tetun: Japaun Relatante Invasores and  Timor Oan Hetan-terus

What may be less well-known in the wider Timor-Leste activist community is the fact that this was but one of the fields where he made an extraordinary contribution, both within Australia and beyond.

In the 1950s and 1960s David built the Brotherhood of St. Laurence into the most significant and progressive agency for social welfare and social policy in Australia. He founded Community Aid Abroad, the largest non-government aid agency and campaigner for global justice, which later became Oxfam Australia. His original vision for CAA, which was for many years a reality, was that it should be a genuinely transnational network linking people living communities in Australia with the people of communities in poorer countries, rather than a simple matter of donating money.

David was the chair of the Land Conservation Council of Victoria, and the first Commissioner for the Environment in Victoria. He also served on the Board of the State Electricity Commission, and in many other public capacities. He also played a key role over many years in the International Council on Social Welfare, and many comparable Australian welfare bodies. He was also the founder and publisher of the monthly magazine Australian Society.

One of David’s great achievements was his role, together with others, in preventing a ghastly miscarriage of justice in the case of Robert Peter Tait, who was convicted of a quite brutal murder in 1962, and sentenced to death, even though he was manifestly insane. Together with others, David led a huge public campaign against the government’s determination to hang Tait. David applied for an order that Tait be
psychiatrically assessed. The government refused, and David took the case to the Supreme Court and subsequently the High Court in an
emergency hearing which brought down an injunction against Tait’s hanging after the government challenged the authority of the High
Court. Tait sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment, and he died in a psychiatric facility. As a result of the public and legal
campaign, only one person was executed in Victoria subsequently.

Those of us who worked closely with David, and who were privileged by his friendship, valued his extraordinary combination of determination, political skill, and generosity of spirit. Social and political movements are never a matter of one individual, but there are times when the role of one person is critical. It is probably fair to say that without his central role in organising practical and political
support for the Fretelin external representatives immediately following the invasion of East Timor in December 1975 and the years
following, and his vigorous campaigning in Australia, the United States and at the United Nations, it is far less likely that the
people of Timor-Leste would have eventually gained their freedom from Indonesian colonialism.

What marked out David’s work in all these fields was a special kind of political creativity, which had a great deal to do with the way he
worked with other people building organisations. My own life was deeply affected by David in many ways that I can only begin to account
for. It is right to say that I was privileged with David’s friendship and trust and companionship in the darkest years of the movement to
support self-determination in East Timor, and in other endeavours. He had a great capacity to find people who could work with him on the
issues he felt deeply about, and to bring out the best in such people.

Richard Tanter
School of Social and Political Studies, University of Melbourne,
Senior Research Associate, Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability
http://nautilus.org/about/associates/richard-tanter/publications

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Port Phillip Mayor to visit Suai

August 30th, 2011 jen Posted in News from Port Phillip, Press Releases 1 Comment »

Mayor Cr Rachel Powning will visit Suai in East Timor next month, following last year’s resolution to renew the City of Port Phillip’s Friendship with East Timor for a further ten years.

The Mayor will meet with President Jose Ramos Horta and the Minister responsible for friendships with Australian local government Mr Arcangelo Leite to discuss how the City of Port Phillip can assist Suai/Covalima in its formation of its first municipal government, following the national elections planned for 2012.

“The experience of the last ten years has shown us we have a clear, strong and robust relationship with Suai and the district,’ said the Mayor.

“Through our Friendship, Council and our community in Port Phillip are in a good position to offer support to this fledgling nation in the area of local government, sharing knowledge about human resource management, town planning and support for the natural environment. There is so much we can do, and we are always looking for more residents in Port Phillip to get involved.

“Our strong focus continues in the area of community development. Suai is the designated location for a wharf, new airport and supply base for oil and gas development in East Timor and the local people are keen to attain new skills for potential employment.

“During my visit I will also meet with the two Friends of Suai volunteer language teachers, Lynn and Dermot Clancy who are in Suai for six months providing support to the 33 English teachers as part of a train the trainer program,” she said.

The City of Port Phillip supports small targeted projects and the Covalima Community Centre through the Friends of Suai, community reference group established in 2000. Last week, Council changed the name to Friends of Suai/Covalima, reflecting the municipal reach of the program.

The Covalima Community Centre provides opportunities for training youth and community members in computer technology and English. The centre also supports over 100 women in small livelihoods economic development.

Friends of Suai/Covalima is seeking new local people to get involved in activities to promote the Friendship for future, If you are interested please contact Pat Jessen on 9209 6777.

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Winner Walkley Book Award 2010

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Winnder Walkley Book Award 2010 Comments Off on Winner Walkley Book Award 2010

How fantastic it was to see Shirley Shackleton receive the Walkley Book Award for her book The Circle of Silence – A personal testimony before, during and after Balibo, last night in front of Australia’s finest journalists.  Shirley has been writing articles about justice and the Balibo Five’s murder and cover up in East Timor for over thirty years. She set up a scholarship for journalists to study in the U.S. which saw several of our leading journalists educated through it. The Circle of Silence tells the story of the impact of the murder of the Balibo Five on Shirley and her family and the subsequent struggle against gigantic odds to inform people in this country as well as around the world about what was going on in East Timor. The roughshod treatment she received from the Government and the television station who employed Shackleton following the journalists disappearance is eye opening stuff. Not always popular with local activists for her abrasive warts and all style,  her voice was the one that often cut through when others’ didn’t and she showed the courage of a true giant of democracy and truth putting aside the cost to her personally.  I highly recommend the book as a good read. Published by Murdoch Books.
In her speech Shirley said she ‘wanted to put down what I know to have happened so it’s on the record’.  She also called for help to pressure the Indonesian Government to send the bodies of the journalists. home. It seems at 78 Shirley still has unfinished business.

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New Mayor remains on Friends of Suai

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Mayor remains on Friends of Suai, News from Port Phillip Comments Off on New Mayor remains on Friends of Suai

It was announced today that newly elected Mayor Rachel Powning will remain on the Steering Committee of the Friends of Suai

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Friends of Suai member becomes new Mayor for Port Phillip

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Member becomes Mayor of Port Phillip, News from Port Phillip Comments Off on Friends of Suai member becomes new Mayor for Port Phillip

At the Special Meeting of Council last night, Cr Rachel Powning was elected as Mayor of the City of Port Phillip for the next year.  In keeping with many of our surrounding Councils, the decision was made not to elect a position of Deputy Mayor at this time.  The photograph above shows Ms Powning opening the Connections Across the Timor Sea Exhibition in May 2010 when she was Deputy Mayor. Mayor Powning has been an active and helpful member of the Friends of Suai Committee for the past two years and it is hoped she will be able to remain on the Committee.

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Shirley Shackleton Walkley Book Award finalist

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Shirley Shackleton, Walkley Book Award Finalist Comments Off on Shirley Shackleton Walkley Book Award finalist

Port Phillip Citizen of the Year Shirley Shackleton is enjoying a spate of attention for her years of dedication to the East Timor cause.  It was revealed recently by the Walkley Foundation that she has been shortlisted for the 2010 Walkley Book Award for her book The Circle of Silence: A Personal Testimony Before During and After Balibo (Murdoch Books).
The prestigious Walkley Awards are awarded annually for Excellence in Journalism. The Foundation website says the aim of the “Walkley Book Award celebrates excellence in non-fiction literature and long-form journalism. More than 60 books were entered this year, and the subject matter ranged from true crime, politics and war to biography and investigative journalism”.
Shirley is up against some stiff competition: Chris Hammer for The River: A Journey through the Murray-Darling Basin (Melbourne University Press) and Paul Kelly: The March of Patriots: The Struggle for Modern Australia (Melbourne University Press).
The winner will be announced at the Walkley Awards gala dinner on Thursday, December 0 at the Crown Ballroom in Melbourne. The awards ceremony will be televised on SBS.

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East Timor veteran Shirley Shackleton wins Port Phillip Award

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Friends of Suai News, News from Port Phillip, Port Phillip Residents, Shirley Shackleton, Shirley wins Port Phillip Award Comments Off on East Timor veteran Shirley Shackleton wins Port Phillip Award

East Timor veteran of solidarity, Shirley Shackleton, wife of Greg Shackleton one of the Balibo Five murdered in 1975, has just one the Port Phillip Citizen of the Year Award in a ceremony at the St Kilda Town Hall.

In a speech to the assembled citizens Shirley shrugged aside the mammoth work load as well as the determination and courage she has shown through her  involvement with the solidarity movement for East Timor for thirty five years to tell a story of civil disobedience on our home turf. Shirley reminded us of the fragility of democracy through a local story about being wrongfully arrested in Albert Park whilst protesting against the park being converted into a racetrack for the Grand Prix.  At 78, Shirley Shackleton proved she hasn’t lost any of her sharp wit and determination to lay the bald truth before us when she asked us to remember that the wealth Australians enjoy now has been won at the cost of our own Aboriginal people.   Shirley beat five other nominees for the Award including the tremendously popular Father Bob Maguire who is a Port Phillip community icon.
Shirley is one of twelve residents of Port Phillip whose work was critical to the success of the Timorese peoples’ struggle for independence. There are short introductions to them here and more about Shirley Shackleton here.
Photographs by Chris Cassar and others by Liz Milsom

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Shirley Shackleton nominated for Citizen of the Year

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Port Phillip Citizen of the Year Nomination, Port Phillip Residents, Shirley Shackleton Comments Off on Shirley Shackleton nominated for Citizen of the Year

hirley Shackleton will front up to the St Kilda Town Hall tonight to see if the Citizen of the Year Committee of the Port Phillip Council considers thirty-five years of activism to help the Timorese escape death and oppression and hold our governments accountable for their role in East Timor’s oppression, is worthy of honouring her as Port Phillip Citizen of the Year. She is up against stiff competition in the form of Father Bob Maguire a popular local identity who is almost as outspoken and blunt as Shirley. Father Bob is a local parish priest in South Melbourne who is a friend of Shirley’s. Shirley told me last night at the Australia East Timor Association Independence Dinner that she has given three sermons in Father Bob’s church over the years. Father Bob reached national audiences in Australia through John Safran’s television series and now on Triple J’s Sunday Night Safran on religion politics and Hoochies!

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President Horta honours long-time friend of East Timor: David Scott

January 18th, 2011 jen Posted in Horta Honours David Scott, Horta honours old friend David Scott, News from Port Phillip, Port Phillip Residents 1 Comment »

At a special ceremony in Melbourne last weekend, President Jose Ramos-Horta presented the Insignia Da Ordem De Timor-Leste to Port Phillip resident and long time friend of East Timor, David Scott AO in recognition of his commitment and contribution to the people of Timor-Leste.


David Scott AO has been committed to the cause of Timor-Leste for more than 30 years. His book Last Flight out of Dili: Memoirs of an Accidental Activist in the Triumph of East Timor is a personal narrative of his long involvement with Timor-Leste.  (Pluto Press) For more about David Scott and his two unpublished chapters from this book in English and Tetun read here.
David first went to Timor-Leste in 1975, just days before the Indonesian invasion and was forced to leave on the last flight out of Dili. When he left Timor his actions led to Horta escaping and he assisted Horta set up the diplomatic strategy in the U.S. in the U.N. He also was the founding member of the Australia East Timor Association that has been the source of accurate and accessible information about East Timor for all Australians from 1975  to this day. His experience ultimately led to a critical and fully documented account of Australia’s role in the events of 1974-75 which draws on extensive personal correspondence with Jose Ramos-Horta when the country was under occupation.
David has spent much of his 85 years dedicated to community service both overseas and in Australia. Through his early involvement with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Scott took on the directorship of Food for Peace in 1962 which became Community Aid Abroad (CAA). He served as National Director of CAA from 1962-70 and as the organisation’s Chair for a further 10 years from 1970-80.
In 1965, under Scott’s leadership, Community Aid Abroad began a long and cooperative association with the then UK-based aid agency Oxfam which eventually led to CAA becoming known as Oxfam Australia in 2005.
It is testament to his tireless commitment to helping others over the years, that saw David honoured by President Horta in this way.

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East Timor veteran Shirley Shackleton wins Port Phillip Award

December 1st, 2010 jen Posted in Friends of Suai News, Port Phillip Residents Comments Off on East Timor veteran Shirley Shackleton wins Port Phillip Award

East Timor veteran of solidarity, Shirley Shackleton, wife of Greg Shackleton one of the Balibo Five murdered in 1975, has just one the Port Phillip Citizen of the Year Award in a ceremony at the St Kilda Town Hall.

In a speech to the assembled citizens Shirley shrugged aside the mammoth work load as well as the determination and courage she has shown through her  involvement with the solidarity movement for East Timor for thirty five years to tell a story of civil disobedience on our home turf. Shirley reminded us of the fragility of democracy through a local story about being wrongfully arrested in Albert Park whilst protesting against the park being converted into a racetrack for the Grand Prix.  At 78, Shirley Shackleton proved she hasn’t lost any of her sharp wit and determination to lay the bald truth before us when she asked us to remember that the wealth Australians enjoy now has been won at the cost of our own Aboriginal people.   Shirley beat five other nominees for the Award including the tremendously popular Father Bob Maguire who is a Port Phillip community icon.

Shirley is one of twelve residents of Port Phillip whose work was critical to the success of the Timorese peoples’ struggle for independence. There are short introductions to them here and more about Shirley Shackleton here.

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