In 1939 Frank Coaldrake (1912–70) was a community worker with the Brotherhood of St Laurence in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.
[2] Three weeks after the declaration of war in 1939, he founded The Peacemaker, a monthly paper to inform and assist those who conscientiously objected to military service.
[4] He offered to serve as a missionary in Japan, initially in 1943 at the height of the war to Dr H. V. Evatt, the Minister for External Affairs and which was declined,[5] but which was accepted by Bishop George Cranswick, Chairman of the Australian Board of Missions in 1946.
[7] At this point the Federal Pacifist Council (which was the Australian section of War Resisters' International)[8] took over responsibility for publication of The Peacemaker.
[10] The last issue featured a cover photo of the anti-war activist and conscientious objector Michael Matteson whilst on the run from police.