Living History — Remembering Stephen Jones (1951–2026)
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Stephen Jones, who helped me recover historic footage of what I regard as the longest period of mass civil disobedience in Australian history, with the exception of Aboriginal resistance and the three-year resistance of the Palestinian people and their supporters against the genocide in Gaza, during which Australia has seen the largest number of mass demonstrations anywhere in the Western world.
Stephen Jones was involved in Brisbane’s arts community during the mid-1970s, particularly through the Brisbane Video Access Centre. He understood the importance of preserving the stories and images of people who participated in the political and cultural struggles of that period.
Stephen once wrote:
It is important that these untold stories are put on the public record. At present they and the people who can tell them still constitute “living history” but if not gathered soon they will become forgotten because the people who were involved then are now somewhat older and have unknown time left.
Stephen helped me recover historic footage of Queensland’s street marches, recorded on portable Portapak video cameras during the democratic rights struggle after the Bjelke-Petersen government’s ban on street marches.
That struggle lasted from 4 September 1977 until July 1979 and resulted in more than 3,000 arrests.
By carefully baking the deteriorating videotapes and passing them through a playback and transfer process just once, Stephen rescued images that might otherwise have been lost forever.
He understood that history is not simply what governments, police and newspapers choose to record. It also lives in the memories, experiences and images preserved by the people who were there.
Stephen’s own words now serve as a reminder of the urgency of that work.
The campaign against the Queensland government’s ban on street marches stretched from 4 September 1977 until July 1979, resulting in more than 3,000 arrests.
Many thanks to Stephen for his skill, patience and commitment to preserving this important part of our history.
I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Ian Curr
14 October 2026
Historic footage: