He was mentioned in despatches in 1943 [1] His later ministry included Murrumbeena, then Oakleigh in 1946,[5] and Newport in 1951.He came to public attention in 1950 when he, Rev.
A. M. Dickie, founded the Democratic Rights Council, formed to protest against mooted amendments to the Crimes Act, which would have denied access of named (in this case communist) organizations to forums of public discussion.
[6] The three were not new to controversy — they were among the 26 clergy involved in a 1949 protest for freedom of speech when the Melbourne City Council came close to banning one John Rodgers, director of Australia-Soviet House from holding a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall,[7] and efforts by the RSL to disrupt such events.
[11] In 1955 he was appointed superintendent of the Prahran Methodist Mission, and was involved in other practical charitable institutions, notably Meals on Wheels, Homes for the Aged, Somers Youth Camp and the Tyabb Training Farm.
Alf Dickie, a recipient of the 1965 Joliot-Curie gold medal by the World Peace Council.