In the page below we attempt to pay tribute to Betty Hounslow who was a political activist in Brisbane (Meanjin) in the early 1970s. Betty took part in the anti-freeway protests in 1974. The following chronology is an excerpt from the pamphlet Live to fight, Fight to live published by the Media Action Campaign working out of the University of Queensland students union. We include tributes from Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA). – Ian Curr, Ed., 2 August.
Anti-freeway chronology
Betty Hounslow participated in the anti freeway-protests in Bowen Hills in 1974 shown in the chronology above. The heady days of the Vietnam moratoria and the civil liberties campaign were over. This was followed by the hard slog of community organising to save people’s homes and their livelihoods.
This is what Betty Hounslow had to say about that struggle in Battle for Bowen Hills.
Transcript from the Battle of Bowen Hills by Peter Gray
“Within 48 hours came dawn police raids with 50 or 60 policemen and sledge hammer through the front door and a couple of people arrested. And then several days later in a in a very traumatic way for the people involved. They demolished this house. On that day of the demolition, all the people in the area stayed home. The residents came and they watched it. The freeway protest movement did nothing except to heckle the scab labour and the police who were protecting them. And I think that, that that was such a demoralizing experience that many of the residents lost confidence in the movement’s ability to be a powerful force to get what the residents wanted.” – Betty Hounslow.
The Minister planned the freeway to go around the Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd (Courier Mail) building. This made the proposed freeway a quarter of a mile longer than necessary, increased the cost of construction, and destroyed another 90 odd homes.
The 1970s was a time of acute housing shortage in Brisbane. So the freeway movement brought to the attention of the public the fact that the houses that the department of Main Roads had already bought, could be rented until such time as they were needed. So the anti-freeway committee decided to show that in fact, a supposedly wrecked ruined house could be restored in a matter of days and given to a family. And this is what they did. And this is when once more the activists had force pitted against them.
People use cars because they have little choice. The multinationals made huge profits by making people dependent on this form of transport. Multinationals pressured successive Australian governments to ensure the widest possible use of cars and freeways. In Brisbane it was called the Wilbur Smith scheme, and American engineering firm came up with a proposal to build the Southeast freeway. Successive governments have actively downgraded the development of public transport. That’s why we have virtually the same inadequate public transport service today that we had half a century ago.
In 1978, Russell Hinze, the minister for everything, came under attack in state parliament. Allegations of corruption surrounded his role in the Samford Valley Redevelopment. Mr Hinze had pushed approval to rezone this area through state cabinet.
Russian finance multinational, the Moscow Narodni bank, stood to profit. The bank rewarded Hinze with a personal loan of half a million dollars. He ignored calls for his resignation, and his political career continued to flourish.
Betty Hounslow confronted by task force, a mob of thug policeman, told them this: “What you’re doing is neither good nor bad and Buddy it is bad. Not for you because you’ve probably got homes to go home to … hundreds of people in Brisbane have got nowhere to live. This house is not needed for a year. This is irrational, totally and completely irrational. And you’re part of it. Don’t think you’re just doing the job. You’re not. You’re being used by this government. You’re being used by repressive agencies against people. And if I were you, I’d walk off but you got to pisswick union so you probably won’t.“
Betty watch out! someone yelled as the thuggish police came for her wielding batons.
The Battle for Bowen Hills
Starting in 1972, inner-city residents of the city of Brisbane in Australia struggled against the Queensland Government’s plan to build a freeway that would destroy their community. The residents were offered inadequate compensation for their properties and the State government was cold-hearted and dismissive of the community’s concerns. As their voice went unheard, the residents decided to change tact and joined together in and effort to make the Government “sit up and take notice” of them.
To highlight their case, the residents and their supporters occupied recently evacuated Main Roads Department houses. The State Government responded with a provocative show of strength. They used the police to carry out evictions.
The Government also used scab labour to hurriedly demolish houses right before people’s eyes. The protestors were forced into frightening confrontations with baton-wielding police dramatically captured in this film. When the protestors appealed for justice, they were dismissed by the Minister for Main Roads as “fairies” and “a pain in the neck.”
The residents ultimately won the battle. The freeway was never built. Unfortunately their victory came at a price with the partial dismantling of their community in the process.
Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) had this to say about Betty’s life:
“It is with deep sadness that Union Aid Abroad acknowledges the death of Betty Hounslow in Sydney on July 27.
Betty had served on the board of Union Aid Abroad since 2018, as our organisation’s expert appointee, advising on development. She made an enormous contribution to our organisation during that time, bringing critical and strategic thinking to decision-making, policy discussions and programming challenges. She did this with a deep commitment to our organisation, and to our values of solidarity, partnership, accountability, movement building, equality and justice.
Prior to retirement, Betty held the position as deputy director of the Fred Hollows Foundation and she held the position of vice president of the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID) board from 2009 to 2012. Before working in international development.
Betty had a long career in Australian community development in women’s refuges, community legal centres, and as the executive director of the Australian Council Of Social Service (ACOSS) during the 1990s period. Betty was also known as a tenacious advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, including serving on the board of the Asylum Seekers Centre of NSW.
Betty spent her whole life being an activist for LGBTQI+ rights and is acknowledged as a pioneer for human rights in Australia, as one of the 78’ers who organised Sydney’s first Mardi Gras. She was a lifelong trade unionist and social justice advocate and had been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
We will remember Betty for her generosity, her warm heart and her fighting spirit.
Vale Betty