Peace organisations, unions, Political parties, church organisations, solidarity groups and indigenous movements nationally and internationally have contributed to a massive politicisation of people everywhere to the many US bases and associated intelligence facilities in Australia and the region.

Alice Springs
In Alice Springs the start of the Campaign can be traced back to 1981, when a National Peace Seminar attracted over 100 participants, and placed the Bases issue firmly on the agenda of the peace movement.

The Women's movement
The Women's movement has also had a major impact. Inspired by the Greenham Common Camp, the Women For Survival Peace Camp at Pine Gap in 1983 attracted over 700 women, and was the first action at the Base to result in mass arrests and to capture national attention. In 1985, Women for Survival went on to establish a protest camp at Cockburn Sound.

The trial of Christopher Boyce in 1977, public disclosures by senior ex-CIA employees, and tireless research by anti-bases activists has provided indisputable evidence of the role of organizations such as the CIA and the NSA in the functioning of the Bases.

The moves against NW Cape
A major campaign was organized against NW in the 70's

The AABCC
The Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition (AABCC)* was formally launched in December 1986 at a national conference attended by over 250 activists. It has attracted over 100 affiliated organizations. Pine Gap has been a major focus of the Coalition because of the official termination of its 10-year lease on October 19th 1987 and because of its major strategic importance to the US.

However, the AABCC is also actively Campaigning against other US bases and related facilities in Australia. The list of bases has included: North-West Cape, the lease of which expires on the 28th June 1988; Nurrungar; Smithfield; the Watsonia spy network which includes facilities at Cabarlah, Shoal Bay, Pearce, Harman and Victoria Barracks, the Omega Station in Victoria, seismic monitoring stations, portable geodetic posts, and NASA tracking stations. The anti-bases works against all foreign military bases on Australian soil, including the bases belonging to the British and Singapore.

The AABCC, in recognition of the wider regional struggle for independence and self-determination, is also developing links with organisations in Belau, Timor, West Papua, Kanaky and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. A number of solidarity actions took place in the Pacific on October 19th, 1986 in support of the demonstrations that occurred throughout Australia against Pine Gap.

In Australia the AABCC recognises that the starting point of our struggle is the recognition of the sovereignty of the original inhabitants of this land - the Aboriginal people, and supports their fight fur lend rights, compensation and self-determination.

The 1986 conference passed a motion to set up the Coalition, agreed to the statement of unity and accepted that the first big action of the coalition was to be 1987 demonstration outside the gates of Pine Gap. A secretariat was to be set up in Melbourne, which operated till the anti-bases demo at the gates of Pine Gap in 1987. After 1987 the secretariat moved to Sydney and has remained there ever since.

1987 Pine Gap demonstration 13-20 October

1988 Take Back the Cape, June 23 -July 1988
Demonstration at the gates of NW Cape, Exmouth, WA.

1988-99 Christmas, Philippines Peace Brigade
Over 100 Australian Anti-Bases activists went to the Philippines to participate in a series of demonstrations against US bases in Philippines.

1989 Nurrungar -the first AABCC demo against this base. September 23 -October 1
It was during this demo security was breached at the base when a demonstrator enter one of the radomes. The authorities were so worried that they sent in the army. This caused a real furore.
We then christened ourselves as 'the only peace group to bring out the army'.

1991 Anti-Gulf War actions
AABCC was the Australian coordinating body for the anti-Gulf war actions across Australia.
January 19 for 43 days.

1991 Nurrungar
- second AABCC demo against this base.

1991 Aidex
AABCC was a major player in the demonstrations against Aidex. Aidex was a giant arms bazaar held in Canberra. November 22-28

1993 Nurrungar
The third AABCC demo against this base was held Friday April 9 to April 12.

1995 Notice to Quit, November 30 -December 3.
This demonstration was held in Canberra to bring attention to the fact that the lease on the bases was up for renewal.

1997 Demonstration against Tandem Thrust Rockhampton.
Tandem Thrust is the name of the giant US-Australian war games held in the Shoalwater Bay military training area near Rockhampton.

2000 Blue Paper project
This project was a response to the Australian Government's 'community consultation' on the level of military spending in Australia.

This history is by no means exhaustive. It does not include the many mini campaigns, the education and the lobbying which the AABCC has been doing since 1986.

*the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition can be called the Anti-Bases, the Coalition, and the AABCC.