John Cobbe

John George Cobbe (1859 – 29 December 1944) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party, United Party and the National Party.

Cobbe was born in King's County, Ireland in 1859. He received his education in Tullamore and Dublin, and arrived in New Zealand in 1886. He was first employed in Auckland by Smith & Caughey, and then moved to Feilding to run a general store. In 1941, he became a sheep farmer in the Waihapi Valley north of the Whanganui River.

He represented the Oroua electorate from 1928 to 1938, having stood and come second in 1922 and 1925. In the 1931 election, Cobbe was returned unopposed. He then represented the Manawatu electorate from 1938 to 1943, when he retired.

He was a cabinet minister from 1928 to 1935 in the United Government and the Liberal-Reform coalition Government; Minister of Defence from 1929 to 1935, Minister of Justice from 1930 to 1935, Minister of Marine from 1928 to 1930 and 1931 to 1935, Minister of Immigration from 1928 to 1930, and Minister of Industries and Commerce from 1928 to 1929 in the Ward and Forbes Ministries of the United Government.

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