Bob Gould, Australian activist and bookseller died he was , 74.

Robert Stephen "Bob" Gould was an Australian activist and bookseller. He was a leader of the anti-conscription movement, and of protests against Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, in the 1960s. He went on to become a successful second-hand bookseller.

(1937 – 22 May 2011)

Politics and activism

Gould first came to public attention in 1966 as Convenor of the Vietnam Action Campaign, a group opposed to conscription and participation in the Vietnam War. Gould was already being described as a "habitual protestor".^[1] By 1969 Gould was seen as having influence over Labor Clubs at the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University.^[2]
Gould went on to fight for many other issues, including Irish civil rights,^[3] Indonesian atrocities in East Timor,^[4] and the war on Iraq.^[5] He was a prolific writer on the many causes in which he believed.^[6] ASIO held a file on Gould that ran to 8000 pages.^[7]
In 1966 Gould helped to chase and capture the attempted assassin of Labor leader Arthur Calwell.^[8]

Bookseller

A typical aisle at Gould's Book Arcade, Newtown

Gould opened twelve bookshops and closed eleven since opening his first shop, the Third World Bookshop, in 1967.^[9]
Gould's shops pushed the boundaries of Australia's strict censorship laws at the time, and he was often raided by police.^[8]
An article on Gould's business appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald just two months before his death.^[10]

Death

Gould died on Sunday, 22 May 2011 from injuries sustained in a fall while sorting books at his store. He was 74. Over 500 people attended his funeral on 26 May 2011 at Macquarie Park, the service being extended by thirty minutes to provide for all of the eulogies.^[11]
Federal politicians Andrew Leigh and Daryl Melham paid tribute to Gould in the Australian parliament.^[12] New South Wales Opposition Leader John Robertson and government minister Brad Hazzard eulogised Gould in the Parliament of New South Wales.^[13]

 

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