Family Name:
Kobelke
Given Names:
John Charles
Gender:
Male
Birth-Date:
1947
Death-Date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age/ Age Range:
21 years old
Location:
WA, Crawley
Occupation:
University Student
Primary Motivation:
Conscientious Objector-Pacifism Religious
Reason for Court/ Tribunal Appearance:
Application for full exemption from military service
Court/ Tribunal Name and Location:
Magistrates Court, Perth
Court/ Tribunal Hearing Date:
27 October 1970
Court/Tribunal Outcome:
Granted full exemption as a conscientious objector
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
John Kobelke was a 21-year-old university student from Crawley in Western Australia. He was studying at St. Thomas More College. He applied for full exemption to military service based on his Roamn Catholic beliefs. His hearing was before Magistrate NJ Malley at the Perth Magistrates Court on 27 October 1970. John said that his objections to war were based mainly on his Roman Catholic beliefs. He stated that,” the essence of the Christian message was that we must try to love. Violence completely contradicted this. All violence was wrong. He could not justify any wars”. The magistrate thought that John’s reasoning was not always logical and confused in places. He was convinced John was sincere and had been arrived at by a careful process of thought. He granted John full exemption based on his testimony and the corroborating evidence from the Roman Catholic chaplain of the University, Fr. John Harte.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, October/ November 1970, p.3.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 