Wal Campbell
Encyclopedia
John William Wallace "Wal" Campbell (27 November 1906 – 4 July 1979) was an Australian anti-Catholic journalist and refrigeration mechanic.
Campbell was born in Johannesburg
, South Africa
, to John William Wallace Campbell, an Australian Boer War
veteran, and Antonette Cholette, née Bleckmann. The younger Campbell, known as "Wal", came to Australia as an infant, and was a telegram delivery boy, a drover and a shearer. Ultimately he became a refrigerator mechanic. On 31 May 1940 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
, serving in the Middle East
and Papua
with the 2nd/4th Field Company of the Royal Australian Engineers
. He was sent back to Australia in August 1943 after contracting malaria
, and was discharged a sergeant on 23 October 1945. During his service in the Middle East, Campbell came to believe that Syria
n Catholic
priests had betrayed Allied forces after observing a man signalling from a monastery window, instilling in him the anti-Catholicism
that would characterise the rest of his life.
In January 1945 Campbell published the Rock, a "brash eight-page tabloid", reporting on supposed corruption, sex scandals and intrigue inside the Catholic church. By the 1950s circulation of the paper was around 30,000, but it was never financially secure. The paper gradually declined, although it had some influence during the debate on public funding of private schools and the Labor
split of 1955. The death of Pope John Paul I
in 1978 fuelled Campbell's beliefs of conspiracy within the church. He was arrested in 1978 after a disturbance at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
in Sydney
, and he found himself out of place in a more modern world. The Rock, still running, became a monthly paper in the late 1970s, when Campbell moved to Calvert in Queensland
.
Campbell died in 1979 at Grandchester
and was cremated with Reformed Presbyterian
forms. The Rock continued its slow decline, publishing its final issue in 1995.
Campbell was born in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, to John William Wallace Campbell, an Australian Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
veteran, and Antonette Cholette, née Bleckmann. The younger Campbell, known as "Wal", came to Australia as an infant, and was a telegram delivery boy, a drover and a shearer. Ultimately he became a refrigerator mechanic. On 31 May 1940 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
, serving in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Papua
Papua
Papua was the name, as provided to the Portuguese commander Jorge de Meneses while sheltering there in 1526, of the people living on Waigeo, one of the Raja Ampat Islands west of the Vogelkop Peninsula, now part of the West Papua province of Indonesia. The Spanish pilot Martin de Uriarte in the...
with the 2nd/4th Field Company of the Royal Australian Engineers
Royal Australian Engineers
The Royal Australian Engineers is a corps of the Australian Army . The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps...
. He was sent back to Australia in August 1943 after contracting malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and was discharged a sergeant on 23 October 1945. During his service in the Middle East, Campbell came to believe that Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priests had betrayed Allied forces after observing a man signalling from a monastery window, instilling in him the anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
that would characterise the rest of his life.
In January 1945 Campbell published the Rock, a "brash eight-page tabloid", reporting on supposed corruption, sex scandals and intrigue inside the Catholic church. By the 1950s circulation of the paper was around 30,000, but it was never financially secure. The paper gradually declined, although it had some influence during the debate on public funding of private schools and the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
split of 1955. The death of Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
in 1978 fuelled Campbell's beliefs of conspiracy within the church. He was arrested in 1978 after a disturbance at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and he found himself out of place in a more modern world. The Rock, still running, became a monthly paper in the late 1970s, when Campbell moved to Calvert in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Campbell died in 1979 at Grandchester
Grandchester, Queensland
Grandchester is a town in the Lockyer Valley region in South East Queensland, Australia. It is located 76 km west of the Brisbane CBD and is situated on the border of the Ipswich and Laidley local government areas. The name comes from Grantchester, a village outside of Cambridge in England...
and was cremated with Reformed Presbyterian
Reformed Presbyterian Church
Reformed Presbyterian may refer to:* A mutually recognising set of churches listed at Reformed Presbyterian Church , including:** The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia** The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Cyprus...
forms. The Rock continued its slow decline, publishing its final issue in 1995.