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Witness History: The Australian women who protested against the Vietnam war

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09/03/2022 GMT

The Australian women who protested against the Vietnam war

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Australian women who protested against the Vietnam war

The Fairlea Five were jailed in 1971 for campaigning against military conscription.

Five women known as the Fairlea Five were jailed in 1971 for campaigning against conscription during the Vietnam conflict. It helped turned public opinion against the war.

Five Australian women made front-page news when they were sent to Melbourne's Fairlea Prison for protesting against the Vietnam War in 1971.  The women were part of the Save Our Sons movement, which campaigned to stop Australians being conscripted to fight in the conflict. Their jailing sparked protests outside the prison and across Australia, and is credited with helping turn public opinion against conscription. Jean McLean -- nicknamed the "Blonde Bombshell" by the Australian tabloids -- was one of the Fairlea Five. She tells Josephine McDermott about their campaign - and the time she and a would-be conscript got in a car chase with military security.  

PHOTO: A protest by the Save Our Sons movement (Getty Images)

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