Roger Keyes
Roger Keyes was born in Wayville South Australia and lived his childhood in suburban Adelaide.
Radical life
Roger Keyes won a naval cadetship at the age of 15, training as a midshipman at RAN College in Flinders, Victoria. He rose to be a sub-lieutenant on HMAS Tobruk before resigning suddenly when he could no longer reconcile his beliefs with his military role.
Roger then trained as an Anglican priest being ordained and appointed to Rockhampton Queensland in 1964.He later served as a priest in Bougainville, New Guineas, coming to know well the leaders of the independence movement including Father John Monnis.
He left the priesthood in 1977. He worked as a gardener and then a road design draftsman with the SA Highways Department, where he was active in the Transport Workers Union.
When he moved to the Gawler area north of Adelaide he joined the Gawler Branch of the Communist Party of Australia. He later became a member the New Left Party and the SEARCH Foundation. Later he joined the Australian Democrats and then the Australian Greens to which he remained a member until his death.
In 1992 he met Ann Rees and formed a partnership for the remaining 20 years of his life.
As well as adhering to the Quaker beliefs on peace and non-violence Roger was very active in support of the independence movement for East Timor and the Friends of Palestine. He stood with the Ngarrindjeri people who opposed the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge on sacred land. In his last years he participated in the climate action strikes as well as publicly protesting in numerous demonstrations for the release of Julian Assange.[1]
SEARCH GofundMe
Jacqueline Widin is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Vicki Findlay.
- Our comrades and friends, Vicki Findlay and Steve Bolt, have had their home and livelihoods wiped out by the devastating floods in Lismore. We are fundraising to help them rebuild their home and workplace. The cost of home insurance in their area is prohibitive, up to $30,000 per year. They have no means to fund a return to their home and support their family. Vicki and Steve are long time activists in SEARCH, the CPA, family violence, environmental justice, and legal reform. Along with their political work in various social justice campaigns, Vicki works to support women and families in domestic violence and Steve works in community and legal aid services, in defending environmental activists and in drug law reform.
Donors included Graham Chuck, Liz Aird, Mark Aarons, Phillip Parsons, John Wishart, David McKnight, Romaine Rutnam, Carmel Shute, Anitra Nelson, Peter Colley, Roger Keyes, Geoffrey Davis, Judy Ferguson, Geoff Evans, Glynn Ryall, Phillip Walker, Steve Lewis.[2]
SEARCH Foundation members
Adelaide attendees of the SEARCH Foundation 2014 AGM were Ashley Campbell, Leonie Ebert, Judy Ferguson, Dave Ferguson, Glen Giles, Don Jarrett, Roger Keyes, Gary MacDonald, John Wishart
SEARCH Foundation AGM
South Australia attendees of the SEARCH Foundation 2006 AGM included Hal Pritchard, Elliott Johnston, Jack Humphrys, John Wishart, Don Jarrett, Roger Keyes, Judy Ferguson, Dave Ferguson, Adrian Shackley, Anne Crawford.
SEARCH Foundation, 1992, AGM
Proxies to SEARCH Foundation November 14, 1992 AGM.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Annette Cameron. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: David Thomason, Jack Humphrys, David Prendergast, Gwyneth Regione, Arthur Shertock, John Wishart, Hal Pritchard, Don Jarrett, Kay Alexiou, Glen Giles, Charlie Whomes, Jen Whomes, Leslie Millward, Roger Keyes, Elizabeth Johnston, David Winderlich, Brian Hackett. TASMANIA: Max Bound. VICTORIA: Richard Walsham, Olga Silver. ILLAWARRA: Sally Bowen, Doreen Gillam, Malcolm Andrews, Hilda Andrews, Bill Williams, Stan Wilson. SYDNEY: Edith Gilmour, Carol Aarons, Dom Syme, Kath Syme, Pat Healy, Lorna Gilmour. QUEENSLAND: Agnes Hall, Frank Bishop, Robert Bishop.