Oz Obscenity Trial archive
The collection contains issues of Oz, as well as items relating to the Oz Obscenity Trial
The Oz Obscenity Trial archive consists of a box of material related to the Oz Trial in 1971. Oz was an underground magazine that originated in Australia, but was published in London from 1967 to 1973. Oz formed an important part of the emerging counter culture of the time and is most well-known for the court case resulting from the 1970 School Kids Issue.
The Oz Trial
Twenty young people aged 14 to 18 were selected to edit the School Kids Issue (issue 28). They were given editorial freedom, resulting in a mixture of articles and cartoon strips that communicated their view on music, sexual freedom, hypocrisy, drug use, corporal punishment and education. In 1971, Oz was raided by the Obscene Publications Squad. The School Kids Issue was seized and the editors were charged with obscenity and conspiring to ‘debauch and corrupt the morals of young children’.
The Oz editors were found guilty under the Obscene Publications Act and received fines and prison sentences. However, after an outcry by supporters and anti-censorship campaigners, the verdict was overturned at appeal.
The Oz Obscenity Trial archive
The Oz Obscenity Trial collection includes:
- the School Kids Issue
- press cuttings
- photographs
- flyers
- posters
- manuscripts related to the trial
See a list of the material in this collection. Please contact the LJMU Archivist for further information about the archive.
