Life and Memories

Jon Cassidy: journalist and leader of radical organisations

This obituary by Mark Aarons, Jan Smith and Anna Rigg was published in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald on 12th July, 2019.

ABC management obtained advice from ASIO that Cassidy was a revolutionary, not a terrorist, whose role in producing book reviews for Radio National did not threaten national security. – theage.com.au

Farewell Darce Cassidy

By Greg Segal, Senior Engineer, Community Radio 3CR

When I turned up at 3CR in 1978 the place was pretty tumultuous, with threats from the Jewish Board of Deputies complicated by the Red Maoists yelling at the Blue Maoists, etc. For a somewhat naive 24 year old it was a bit overwhelming.

Darce was one of the voices of reason in all that noise, with a welcoming smile for a newbie. I admired him for debating ideas, not people as individuals. I realised he was not judging me, just listening and discussing. After a while I also appreciated how skilled he was in trying to find common ground between rivals. I think he deserves much of the credit for 3CR emerging from that era as a much stronger and more unified organisation.

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