“Stop Omega”: Tracing the Sites of Protests against the U.S. Military Omega base in Gippsland

Chitrangi Kakoti

Photographs of protests against the establishment of a U.S. military base in Gippsland, as part of their global Omega navigation system, feature prominently in the John Brant Ellis photographic collection. This large archive documenting anti-war and anti-nuclear movements in Victoria includes 34 photographs from Gippsland. While protests against the Omega base had been going on for nearly a decade, as Ellis notes, the majority of the photographs are of rallies in Yarram in 1977-1978.

It is no coincidence that the photographs are concentrated around 1977-1978. In March 1977, the Federal Cabinet approved the building of an Omega base in Australia, despite strong opposition. Frank Crankston, writing for The Canberra Times, notes that the Omega base is “[o]ne of the most controversial of all Australian building projects.” (1978) Upon perusal of the set of photographs, my interest was piqued by the political significance of the sites of the protests and rallies. Therefore, I used Google Maps to trace the approximate sites of anti-Omega base protests documented by Ellis. A simplified map can be found here and a satellite version of the map can be found here.

Using identifiable buildings and landscape in the background of photographs and corresponding newspaper reports, particularly in the Tribune, which was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia, selected locations could be pinpointed. Some are only approximations, indicating the street or general area mentioned in the metadata. For example, the metadata the photograph of Peter Jones at John and Alison French’s home identifies Hillston St, Moorabbin, therefore the pin has been placed at a general location on Hillston St. Descriptions accompanying the locations are based on the informative notes provided by Ellis and the metadata of respective items, along with information gleaned from newspaper articles.

Protests and rallies were organised in politically significant locations in Melbourne CBD (Figure 1) and in various locations in Gippsland (Figure 2), after Darriman was finalised as the site for the Omega base in late July 1977. The Melbourne City Square features as a prominent site of protest, from anti-Vietnam war protests in the (1999.0081.00944) to protests against the Gulf War in the 1990s. The City Square was located directly opposite the Town Hall – the seat of administrative power in Melbourne – and in one of the busiest areas of the city. Protests at the City Square, which was a large open public space, allowed for high visibility through the visuals and acoustics of the protestors, while also inviting bystanders and spectators to join the protest. Standing directly opposite the Town Hall also signified a direct challenge to state power through occupation and disruption of the City Square.

Similarly, the rally organised on August 14, 1977, in Yarram was held in front of the Yarram Courthouse, which is visible in the background of Figure 3. The metadata notes that this rally was organised to raise awareness amongst the local population of the dangers of the presence of a nuclear facility in their neighbourhood. Organising the rally in front of the seat of juridico-political power in the region where the Omega base was to be constructed and along Commercial Road, the main street of Yarram, once again ensured high visibility as well as an invitation to the local residents to mobilise against its construction due to the potential political and environmental impacts of the presence of a nuclear target in the region.

A set of three photographs (1999.0081.00093; 1999.0081.00095; 1999.0081.00565) documents a protest at the Omega base site on July 8, 1978. The metadata identifies the general location as Gippsland, but with a question mark. The Canberra Times identifies the location as Woodside, Gippsland and reports, “More than 120 people protested at the site.” Of interest here is that the report recorded a Mr Paul Byrne’s statement that “a large number of police had watched the demonstration but there had been no clashes…” Contrary to Byrne’s statement, Figure 4 may suggest that there were tensions between the protestors and the police as the photograph depicts a protestor potentially being strongarmed by a policeman. Metadata from several photographs mention that John Ellis had photographed many police officials of Special Branch and the Commonwealth Police (1999.0081.00647; 1999.0081.00689), beginning heightened police surveillance during anti-Vietnam War protests in order to keep a file of officials in case protestors were infiltrated (1999.0081.00944).

In the series titled “Omega Rally” (JE178), the metadata indicates that the photographs were taken at “the United States Omega base rally” on the weekend of Australia Day in 1979. A news report in the Tribune states that “the 400-strong rally” was organised by the Melbourne and Sydney chapters of “the [Congress for] International Cooperation and Disarmament” and it was attended by protestors from “Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong.” The rally was publicised from November 1978 as a “National Demonstration” to be held from January 26-29, 1979, with advertisements in the Tribune, possibly to ensure large-scale participation at the rally. The program for the rally included a car cavalcade from Melbourne on “Sun morning,” followed by the rally at the Omega base site at 3 PM and a “Bush Dance at night.” The photographs indicate the coming together of people from various socio-cultural backgrounds at carefully choreographed and performed protests that sought to evoke a sense of solidarity and belonging.

Tracing the sites of anti-Omega base protests in the 1970s through John Ellis’ photographs has been particularly meaningful as we find ourselves in the midst of one of the most visually documented global protests in history against the ongoing violence in Gaza. Sifting through John Ellis’ photographs, it is not difficult to realise that the anti-war messaging from them is more urgent than ever.

Chitrangi Kakoti is a PhD student, researching digital feminist archives in India.