National Resistance was formed in early 1977 in Sydney when several university nationalists began publishing a regular leaflet of nationalist views, Audacity, at the University of New South Wales. The organisation was formally inaugerated in July 1977 at a small meeting in Sydney (and was legally constituted in September 1977). [1]

The group published a bulletin/newspaper called Advance! (the name of which was later changed to Audacity, with the publication of issue number 5). In keeping with its origin as a bulletin produced by a group of poor young university students, Advance! was initially of low technological quality, and in the first two editions did not even have a contact/postal address for its paper. This was resolved with the issue of number 3 (December 1977) with the publication of a post office box in Wentworthville; and, in that same issue, the editorial team of Advance! were also listed: Edward Azzopardi, James Saleam, and Frank Salter. [2]

National Resistance campaigned against communism (especially Marxism in the universities), and warned of the danger to Australia of a coming Third World population crisis. They railed against politicians and their betrayal of White Australia. [3]

One issue of the group's Audacity leaflet sums up their ideological position:

"National Resistance takes the rat as a symbol to express contempt for complacency and bourgeois respectability. We belong - it must be clearly understood - neither to the Left nor the Right. We do not want to belong! On the Left is a desire to overthrow everything, even if it means destroying much that is good. On the Right are old people, regardless of their age. We want to incorporate the reform and dynamism of the Left with the proven values and nationalism of the Right." [4]

In addition to using the anti-establishment symbology of a black rat upon some publications, the organisation also raised the Eureka flag as its official symbol/banner, placing it prominently on the masthead of publications (including the Advance bulletin/newspaper). [5]

National Resistance became active on several Sydney campuses, and had begun making contacts outside of the universities, up until January 1978, when its members reformed as a new organisation, the National Alliance. Interestingly, the new National Alliance issued a leaflet for the universities entitled "National Resistance". [6]