about Gary… - AIVL

In Remembrance…
Gary William
Meyerhoff
1975 - 2006

“My name is Gary William Meyerhoff
and I am a queer (it’s the only label
that I think suits me), junkie, writer,
shit-stirrer and activist currently
based in Darwin in the Northern
Territory of Australia.”
Personal profile: blogspot.com

about Gary…
• Gary was born in Grimsby, England in 1975.
• He went to school in Perth.
• At 16 he joined the navy for 3 years.
• At 19 Gary was diagnosed with HIV.
• He was a member of the first WASUA Management
Commi tee.
• After moving to Darwin, in May 2001 Gary was a
founding member of the Network Against Prohibition
(NAP) and;
• He was a member of the AIVL Executive from 2002-
2005

about Gary…
• Trance & electronic stuff
• jazz and blues
• the Beatles
• the Doors
• Marley
• KD Lang
• Caroline McNair's jigs
• the Gilbert Street Blues
Explosion
• Crowded House
• Indigo Girls
• Janis J

“The world will be a less bright &
bizarre place without you, Gary.
You blazed a trail . . . . !”
Jenny K

“Meet Darwin's public enemy number
one”
“Gary Meyerhoff leads
a ragtag bunch called
Network Against
Prohibition -- known as
NAP -- committed to
protesting against the
NT's new drug laws.”
Murray McLaughlin, ABC Stateline Reporter

‘The People’s
House???
Last May, on the eve of debate of the drugs laws, Gary
Meyerhoff and his cohorts from NAP stormed the
Parliament chamber in Darwin while it was in session.
Placards were held aloft. Slogans were shouted.
Chaos reigned for several minutes till the invaders were
dragged out.
They're now before the Magistrates Court on charges
of disturbing Parliament, liable for gaol up to three
years.

‘The People’s
House??? Cont…
NAP members had tangled with the police before their
invasion of Parliament.
A rally in Darwin's
CBD turned ugly last
April although
Meyerhoff's arrest
for loitering was
later deemed illegal
by the Ombudsman.
Since then, police have not so much thrown the book as
crushed them with the whole library. Murray McLaughlin,
ABC Stateline Reporter

“The Network Against Prohibition is grieving for the
loss of our founding member and soldier of justice Gary
Meyerhoff. Gaz passed away in WA on Sat, 8 Oct 2006,
from AIDS related illness. Diagnosed HIV+ at 19, Gary
was 31 when the disease finally beat him.
Whether you loved him or hated him - it was hard to
ignore him. He used his time on this earth to fight for
justice for all, particularly the victims of the War on
Drugs.
So everyone out there, raise your bong, pipe or crystal
and have one for Gaz. In so row at his passing,
gratitude that his pain is over and in celebration of his
life.”
Fi, NAPNT

“ I've heard lawyers saying if he'd
wanted to he could have been a
lawyer. He had the ability and so
some people say he possibly wasted
some of talents because he had a lot
of…he was a very bright lad.”
Bill McMahon
Activist or ratbag? - Gary Meyerhoff dies at 31
ABC Stateline, 13 October 2006

“Gary was a gentleman and a scholar and in the time I
knew him and served on the AIVL Exec with him he was
a tireless campaigner for users and our rights. When
something like this happens it just brings it all home
what it is we are doing.
The activist movement has lost one of it's leading
lights. I will miss seeing Gary at the AIVL AGM's etc
and I'll be raising a bong, a spike and a king brown in
your honour. The movement will be a sadder place
without you. R.I.P mate I hope you've finally found a bit
of peace. See yer Gaz!!!!”
Steve, WASUA

“It seems, these days, anything that
puts a smile on your face is illegal”
Gary Meyerhoff, 7 January 2006

“Meyerhoff was an inspiration — a
trouble-maker who made us step out
of our comfort zones. We are better
activists and stronger people for
having known him. He will be sorely
missed.”
Emma Corro
Green Left Online
14 October 2006

Smoke-Ins
“Gary was involved in organising
dozens of “smoke-ins” in central
Darwin, not only to protest the
drug laws, but also to provide
free food, music and a rare safe
space from racism and police
harassment for Darwin’s
itinerant population.”
Emma Corro
Green Left Online
14 October 2006

“Gary was a most passionate campaigner
for the rights of users, as we all know.
He will be sadly missed and dearly
remembered.”
Sarah Lord
On behalf of VIVAIDS Inc.
(Staff, Com and Members)

“It's times like this when I wished I could believe in an
after-this-life: that way I could at least hope that Gary
and I would meet up again.
Alas, I don't and can't as it's not in me to believe in
what is not tangible. What *is* tangible is the loss of a
beaut mate who you could yell at and with when need be
without ever losing that core friendship.
Good-bye, you filthy bastard.”
Charles Roberts
Friend

Telling it how it is…
“Surely li tle Johnny
wouldn't let a white boy
hang so easily? If Nguyen
was called Ba ry and he
was from Vaucluse or
Sydney's North Shore,
Howard would be doing
everything in his power to
stop the hanging.”
Gary’s views on the execution of Van Tuong Nguyen in late 2005

“Often at conferences or other events when the
rest of us were lounging around, Gary would be
running off to the nearest Internet café to make
sure all those on the DPFU or the AIVL Elist
were kept up to date with activities. That is not
to say that he wasn't there for the fun times. He
was often the centre of those activities as well!
So Gaz we will all miss your unique and cheeky
smile and your many kindnesses. Your energy and
enthusiasm can never be replicated.”
Susan McGuckin
On behalf of NUAA

“ Gary was a standard bearer in the front line of
opposition to our drug policies and made a great
contribution to the development of the drug user
movement in Australia.”
Mike Lodge
AIVL President
on behalf of AIVL

Forever in our
hearts…
“Let’s focus on what
we (as users) have
in common and work
towards a common
goal… the end of the
war on drugs… that
is the goal isn’t it?”