ERFTEMEYER, Joseph

Family Name:

Erftemeyer

Given Names:

Joseph

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

Unknown

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown, probably single

Age/ Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

VIC

Occupation:

Student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister-Anti-conscription

Reason for Court Appearance:

[1] Refused to register under the National Service Act 1964

[2] Refused to pay a fine for non-registration

[3] Referred by the Minister to determine if he held conscientious objector beliefs

Court Name and Location:

[1] Magistrates Court, Melbourne

[2] Unknown, Melbourne

[3] City Courts Russell Street, Melbourne

Court Hearing Date:

[1] unknown

[2] unknown

[3] 9 March 1972

Court Outcome:

[1] Fined

[2] Jailed 8 days

[3] Granted full exemption from military duties

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Joseph Erftemeyer was from Victoria and a student of Monash University. He opposed conscription and refused to register for the January 1970 intake. He was opposed to the prospect of being sent to fight in Vietnam in a war which he considered immoral. Joseph was a member of the Draft Resisters Union whose primary goal was repeal of the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). He was summonsed to the magistrates’ court, Melbourne and fined for his refusal to register, He refused to pay the fine and was jailed for eight days in Pentridge, a civil jail in Melbourne. On 9 March 1971 he was referred by the Minister to a court to determine if he had conscientious objector beliefs under Regulation 32A of the NSA. This he did not agree to. He informed Magistrate Thompson that he would refuse to give evidence and call witnesses. He also informed the magistrate that he should dismiss the case as there would be no facts on which to base a decision. However the Crown Solicitor then tendered some past correspondence of Joseph’s where he stated he had a conscientious objection to conscription. In a later report, 15 March 1972, about the conduct of the hearing Joseph stated that the Crown Solicitor reminded the magistrate that the regulation was introduced to deal with uncooperative persons like him. He claimed the magistrate then stated that he was a conscientious objector. Further that this was the case whether Joseph believed himself to be a conscientious objector or not. This was irrelevant. Joseph was placed on the Conscientious Objectors Register and granted full exemption from military duties. Ironically, in the late 1970s and early 1980s he worked in the office of the Superintendent of Pentridge prison.

Confirmatory Sources:

Peacemaker, May/ June 1970, p.4; March/ April 1971. p.11.; https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/vietnam-war-1962-1975/events/conscription/moratoriums-and-opposition/draft-resisters-union ;NAA, MP1357/1, item barcode number 12248074, control symbol 71, Title: Conscientious Objector Register, 17/8/1972. Full exemption. Registration number 21674000