Geoffrey Hearman, 1927 2004

Geoffrey Hearman was a Socialist Alliance member and a supporter of the refugees' rights campaign. A man with a deep sense of humanity, he was also my stepfather and a man who got me interested in politics. Born in Melbourne into a wealthy family, Geoff was sent to prestigious Melbourne Grammar. His father was one of the city's most prominent dentists. But the pretensions of private school life, with its authoritarian and hierarchical nature were not for him. He left school early and ran his own small business for a while before living in Greece and Britain for 10 years. Upon his return to Australia and surviving on the disability pension,

Geoff became active in a variety of campaigns and committees ranging from urban planning, anti-privatisation, anti-GST, for improvement to public transport and for a humane refugee policy.