People Australia

Jarrett, Don Kevin (1936-?) boilermaker, teacher, trade unionist, peace advocate and Communist

Birth: 17 February 1936 at Port Augusta, South Australia, son of Charles Frederick Jarrett (1892-1974), born at Port Augusta, farmer, painter and railway worker, and Hilda Bertha, née Pearce (1900-1982), born at Quorn, SA. Marriage: about 1970. He had one daughter. Death: ? 

• Educated at Port Augusta High School, Marrickville adult matriculation, and Adelaide University. His father was an active Communist Party of Australia (CPA) member in Port Augusta and ran dances for the war effort and a swimming club. Don left school because of strong anti-communist actions. His brother-in-law Eddy Robertson was secretary of the CPA.
• Don moved to Adelaide when he was aged 16 and worked for the Postmaster General as a junior clerk then worked at Elders in the country. In 1961 he was picked up by ASIO for fraud and was questioned for 10 hours but wouldn’t sign a statement. The Investigation Unit harassed his parents for months and searched his home.
• Joined the CPA and Eureka Youth League (EYL) in 1958; was very active in the EYL: monthly hikes, campaigns, Sunday sport (volleyball, netball), leafleting. In 1958 he led an EYL delegation to the United States consul on desegregation and racism policies, and campaigned for the United Nations Rights of the Child and on delegations about Vietnam. Was secretary EYL in 1962-1972 and organised a monthly program of speakers, culture, film, drama, sport and camps; camps held over Easter with classes in politics, also organised a junior league camp in January.
• In 1971 he organised campaigns against the Springboks cricket and rugby tours. 1958 joined the Peace Committee and was involved in the start of Hiroshima Day – remained active in both; employed by Peace Committee in 1966 for 3 months to organise Hiroshima Day.
• Active in Vietnam anti-war movement from 1963, attended speech given by Jim Cairns in 1963 at the King’s Ballroom; released Ban the Bomb balloons at Adelaide Oval during the football Grand Final and at Victoria Square.
• Went to the Soviet Union in 1964 with the CPA and attended the party school in Moscow — studied philosophy, theory and history; returned to Moscow in 1989 as a trade union delegate on the peace cruise as a representative from the South Australia Institute of Teachers (SAIT).
• Worked for the Railways in 1963 as a boilermaker, then worked at Rheems and became a shop steward, had a closed shop within 6 weeks; worked at ICI, led delegation of workers, went to monthly union meetings, and was a delegate to the United Trades and Labor Council. Worked at Adelaide Ship Construction.
• Returned to adult study in 1973 and then studied at Adelaide University in 1974-1976; graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and decided to be a teacher and obtained his Diploma of Education. Teacher in country schools and was an active member of SAIT, became known as a radical and put up several strike motions, and took industrial issues to the community. He taught at Whyalla High School and when Prime Minister Fraser visited Whyalla he held up a banner about public education at the public meeting – ASIO sat next to him at the meeting and later followed him. Spoke out at union state conferences on issues for country members.
• Moved to Elizabeth High School from 1982-1986 and was sacked in 1986 for being a troublemaker. Went to Mawson/Brighton high School in 1987 and retired in 1994. In 1995 he was part of the group with Elliott Johnson and John Wishart that formed Options Magazine; for some time he was in charge of subscriptions.
• At various times he was secretary, president and chair of the Peace Committee; also information officer for AEU (Australian Education Union). In his retirement he continued “his involvement in issues to do with peace/Hiroshima and Aboriginal rights”. 

Sources
Bob Broughton, Danny Blackman, Mike Donaldson, Carmel Shute and Beverley Simons, Comrades! Lives of Australian Communists (Sydney, 2020).