Peter McGregor

Peter James McGregor (10 November 1947 – 11 January 2008) was an Australian Anarchist known for his political activism, University teaching and commitment to direct action. He was actively involved and often led the major Australian and international political campaigns of the last 40 years.

Born in Sydney NSW Australia he was brought up by his mother Alice McGregor (née Alderdice) and maiden Aunt, May Alderdice. His father, Charles Roy McGregor, and mother split up soon after his birth and as a consequence of not having a strong male role model in the household, he appreciated and loved the company of women. His partner of 28 years, Johanna Trainor, worked with him on many of his political publications and campaigns.

Peter went to North Sydney Boys High School and continued onto the University of Sydney where he majored in Psychology and Maths (1967). He later received a Graduate Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney (1970), a Graduate Diploma Librarianship (1978) and a Master of Arts (Media and Communication) (1984) from the University of New South Wales.

McGregor’s first foray into political action was a (2 person) demonstration in SUPPORT of the hanging of Ronald Ryan the last Australian to be executed, in Victoria in 1967. Then in 1967 he joined a sit-in at Sydney University’s Fisher Library over increases in library fines.

McGregor was initially tentative in his choice of activism. He found he was most tempted by the social injustices that he had become aware of, issues like the horrors of the Vietnam War, the poverty and oppressive conditions of indigenous Australians, and then, amazement at the institutionalised racism of apartheid.

"When initially confronted with the Vietnam War, I was quite immature, though 20 years old, and sat on the fence concerning both conscription and the war in general. Then the good fortune of not having my birth date picked in the conscription lottery of 1967 prompted me to check the war out more thoroughly. My tentative involvement with the anti-war movement began cautiously and indirectly with my joining the humanitarian aid group Australian Committee of Responsibility for the Children of Vietnam (ACORFCOV), founded by the wonderful Sheila Rowley. ACORFCOV was inspired by the (US) Committee of Responsibility (COR) chaired by Dr. Benjamin Spock. Evidence of what was happening being done to Vietnamese civilians and children was enough to move one to joining anti-war actions and then the movement itself."

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