Who was Vernon J. Marshall?
Vernon Joseph Marshall was born on 30 April, 1910 in Berlin as Werner Scharte. Sometime in the 1950s he wound up in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia and exactly how or why he picked that town remains a mystery. Before moving to Australia Vernon had studied in New York briefly. This may have been the result of working as an interpreter for the Americans after the war. By most accounts he was a quiet man who worked as an accountant for Fielders Stock Feeds after arrival in Australia. He was exacting in his work and loved in his spare time to grow fruit trees, collect Rubik's cubes, drink coffee and listen to classical music, especially Beethoven. He sat on the founding Board of the Fidepe Credit Union which is now the Northern Inland Credit Union. He taught German to local high school students and was well known for his devotion to his Australian Terrier, Bobbie.
Vernon had no family in Australia but made friends with other Germans who had moved and settled in Tamworth. Those still alive today with memories of him have recently been surprised to discover he was also a gay activist, especially in the years of 1972 and 1973. Vernon was in his 60s by then and had been in Tamworth for some time. He had picked his Australian last name, "Marshall" by running a finger through the phone book, looking for something common. He may have had other names too. His writing often talks about Nazi Germany and his experiences so this many have impacted his desire to have a fresh start with a new name.
In 1972 under the pen name Werner Probst, Vernon starts to appear in the Letters to the Editor of CAMP Ink, the magazine for CAMP, the Campaign Against Moral Persecution. He also writes a short story based on a true event about being interrogated and beaten by the Gestapo and threatened with being sent to the concentration camps. This injustice seemed to fuel his passion along with the rise of a call for equality in Australia and in late 1972 Vernon attempts to open a mailbox in Tamworth for the local "homosexual population".
Vernon's call to action did not go well and he was interrogated by local police and placed under surveillance after attempting to advertise his PO Box in the local paper, The Northern Daily Leader. Eventually in 1973 the PO Box was in full swing and he had established what he named, "Camp-Gay Liberation Tamworth". After 1973 and one newsletter detailing his meetings and his mailbox success he seemed to fall silent in the CAMP Ink archives and it's unknown if he simply picked a different pen name or stopped his advocacy. The fate of his group and their newsletter is unknown.
Vernon passed away suddenly in August 1984 from a heart attack, only months after homosexuality was finally decriminalised in Australia. He was buried under his chosen name in Tamworth. His dog Bobbie was cared for and loved by family friends until passing several years later. His grave has the words, "Remembered Always," and the Hey Vernon project aims to continue his work and ensure his legacy is indeed remembered.
