Thomas Sewell

Thomas Sewell (born 1993) is an Australian neo-Nazi activist and organiser, known for controversial public activism, violent criminal conduct, and promotion of Nazism. He was the leader of the National Socialist Network until its disbandment in 2026. He was also the leader of the European Australian Movement and the founder of the Lads Society. The groups led by Sewell focus on promoting white supremacy and far-right activism in Australia.

According to Sewell, in 2017 he attempted to recruit Brenton Tarrant, the eventual perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, into the Lads Society. Sewell drew public condemnation in 2021 after he attacked a security guard at a television office. In October 2023, he was sentenced to a prison term of one month and seven days after attacking hikers at Victoria's Cathedral Range. He was arrested in Melbourne on 2 September 2025, after having allegedly been part of a group that attacked Indigenous Australians at Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne during the March for Australia rallies two days prior.

Early life and education Thomas Sewell was born in 1993 in New Zealand. He moved to Australia as a young child with his parents and older brother. Sewell attended Balwyn High School in Melbourne, Australia, graduating in 2010. Between 2012 and 2014, he was an Australian Army infantryman.

After leaving the Army, Sewell studied civil engineering at Swinburne University of Technology, but left without graduating.

Activities 2015–2020

Between 2015 and 2017 Sewell was a member of Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front (UPF). In 2017, conflict emerged between UPF members, with Sewell (supported by Cottrell and Neil Erikson) rejecting democracy and developing an explicitly revolutionary neo-Nazi, antisemitic, conspiratorial ideology, in contrast to the UPF's earlier plans. In late 2017, Sewell and Cottrell founded the Lads Society, a men's only far-right, white nationalist group that branded itself as a fitness group. Videos leaked to the press in November 2019 revealed that Sewell's aim was to attract and recruit members from mainstream society using the pretense of a men's fitness club.

Sewell attempted to recruit for the Lads Society out of members and associates of the UPF. As part of this plan, Sewell invited Brenton Tarrant (later the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings) to join the Lads Society. Tarrant, who had been active in United Patriot Front Facebook groups and was Facebook friends with Sewell, refused to join; however, he praised their activism online. Sewell later stated that Tarrant had refused to join as he did not see a peaceful solution to "European people being genocided". The NSN was established through a merger of the Lads Society and Antipodean Resistance. Victoria Police's Counter-Terrorism Command charged Sewell with affray, recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault. In December 2022, he contested the charges in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, attending with several supporters, including Blair Cottrell. Other supporters watched the proceedings online. The following week, Sewell was found guilty of affray and recklessly causing injury. On 12 January 2023, he was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order with 150 hours of community service. After being sentenced, Sewell performed a Nazi salute outside the courtroom.

In May 2021, Sewell and up to 15 other masked men attacked hikers in Victoria's Cathedral Range. Sewell's blood was found inside the car of the attacked hikers. On 14 May 2021, Sewell was charged after a raid by counter-terrorism police at a house in the Melbourne suburb of Rowville.

In August 2021, Nick McKenzie hosted a segment on 60 Minutes showcasing their investigation involving an undercover operative infiltrating the NSN. In footage taken by the operative Sewell is heard stating that they were fighting for a white Australia and a global white revolution. The rally was organised by British anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Moira Deeming, while Keen-Minshull was visiting the city on her Australian and New Zealand tour. Sewell and other members of the NSN marched down Spring Street, performed Nazi salutes on the stairs of Parliament House and referred to transgender people as paedophiles. NSN's involvement in the rally was condemned by MPs from both the Labor Party and the Liberal Party.

In December 2023, Sewell led a white-supremacist march though Ballarat, a regional Victorian city. The group was carrying a banner which stated "Australia for the White Man, National Socialist Network". The group also chanted "Australia for the white man, [the] rest must go", "heil victory", and "white man, fight back". After the event Sewell was charged with behaving in an offensive manner. During a court hearing on 24 October 2025, Sewell said that his copy of Mein Kampf had been confiscated, due to him at that time being in remand. He said that he needed the book in order to prepare his case. The magistrate directed the Deputy Commission of Corrections to give Sewell access his copy of Mein Kampf for the duration of the hearings. During a multi-day hearing, Sewell argued to the court that his "conduct was political and not offensive". Magistrate Mike Wardell found Sewell not guilty on 28 October 2025, stating that Victoria Police had not proven their case.

On Australia Day (26 January) 2024, Sewell and a group of NSN members were stopped and questioned by police in North Sydney. Sewell was served with a public order banning him from the city of Sydney local government area for the day, and from attending any events relating to Australia Day.

On 22 October 2024 Sewell and other NSN members attempted to disrupt a refugee rights protest outside of a Department of Home Affairs office. Following the NSN's counterprotest Sewell allegedly made comments online in which he intimidated a police officer. In the comments, Sewell stated that his followers had identified a Victoria police officer who had attempted to remove a mask from one of the neo-Nazis who had attended the counterprotest. Sewell said that the police officer had attempted to dox the member, and that they had downloaded content about the officer and their family from social media and were looking for a legal way to post it to the internet.

In November 2024, Sewell was charged in relation to the online comments after a police 'day of action' against the NSN.

On 26 January 2025, Australia Day, around 40 members of the NSN, most of whom who had travelled from outside of South Australia, marched through Adelaide city centre, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses and hats. Chanting "Australia for the white man", the NSN group stood in front of the War Memorial on North Terrace. South Australia Police arrested 16 people, including a 16-year-old boy, on charges including loitering and displaying Nazi symbols. Sewell and 13 other men appeared in court on 28 January, charged with a variety of offences. Police alleged that Sewell was wearing an Arrow Cross star which is linked to a Hungarian fascist party with Nazi associations. During the hearing Sewell stated that was not prepared to agree to the bail conditions, which included a ban on associating or communicating with other neo-Nazis in the NSN. Charges against Sewell were later dropped.

At about 12:40am on 9 August 2025, Sewell and around 100 members of the NSN, mostly with their faces covered, marched through Melbourne's central business district. Concerning the march, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen stated "Nazis don't belong in this country and they know it. That's why they hide behind masks in the dark.". Allen further said that her government would "introduce powers for police to unmask cowards at protests".

On Sunday 31 August 2025, Sewell was one of the keynote speakers at the March for Australia rally in Melbourne CBD. This rally was controversial in the wider community due to its links to neo-Nazis and far-right figures. During the protest, a group from the NSN broke away from the protest and stormed Camp Sovereignty. Sewell was allegedly amongst those caught on video during the incident, in which Indigenous Australians were attacked. He was arrested outside a Melbourne court on 2 September 2025 in connection with the incident, along with NSN member Nathan Bull and a third man. Sewell was charged with 25 offences including violent disorder, affray, assault and discharging a missile. While in prison, Sewell was placed in protective custody. On 26 March 2026, Sewell was committed to stand trial in the County Court.

2026–present In March 2026, Sewell appeared in a vodcast with notorious American neo-Nazi James Mason. In May 2026, the Australian Government banned groups formed by former members of the NSN (which had disbanded in January), under new hate crime laws.

Views

Sewell is a neo-Nazi. He associates with other well-known neo-Nazis, including Neil Erikson who has also been a member of the UPF and the Lads Society.

Sewell is known for his violent promotion of National Socialism. Active Clubs attempt to attract young men under the guise of "training in sport or physical combat and fraternity".

In an interview in 2019, Sewell was quoted as saying that he would see violence against minorities as an option "if the state continues its persecution of our people for wanting to preserve their culture and heritage".

Personal life Sewell holds dual citizenship (Australian and New Zealand).

He is married and has two daughters.

At the time of his arrest in September 2025, Sewell was unemployed.

Footnotes