Joh Bjelke-Petersen

Australian politician (1911-2005)

Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen[b] KCMG (13 January 1911 – 23 April 2005), also nicknamed Sir Joh, was an Australian politician who served as the 31st Premier of Queensland. He was Queensland's longest-serving and longest-lived Premier. While he was Premier, he was the leader of the Queensland branch of the National Party, which used to be called the Country Party.


Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen

31st Premier of Queensland
Elections: 1969, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986
In office
8 August 1968 – 1 December 1987
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorAlan Mansfield
Colin Hannah
James Ramsay
Walter Campbell
DeputyGordon Chalk
William Knox
Llew Edwards
Bill Gunn
Preceded byGordon Chalk
Succeeded byMike Ahern
20th Deputy Premier of Queensland
In office
1 August 1968 – 8 August 1968
PremierGordon Chalk
Preceded byGordon Chalk
Succeeded byGordon Chalk
Party leadership positions
Leader of the Country Party in Queensland[a]
In office
7 August 1968 – 1 December 1987
DeputyRon Camm
Bill Gunn
Preceded byJack Pizzey
Succeeded byMike Ahern
Deputy Leader of the Country Party in Queensland
In office
January 1968 – 7 August 1968
LeaderJack Pizzey
Preceded byJack Pizzey
Succeeded byRon Camm
Cabinet posts
38th Treasurer of Queensland
In office
19 August 1983 – 1 December 1987
Preceded byLlew Edwards
Succeeded byMike Ahern
Minister for Public Works and Housing
In office
26 September 1963 – 8 August 1968
PremierFrank Nicklin
Jack Pizzey
Gordon Chalk
Preceded byHarold Richter
Succeeded byMax Hodges
Constituency
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Barambah
In office
29 April 1950 – 1 December 1987
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byTrevor Perrett
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Nanango
In office
3 May 1947 – 29 April 1950
Preceded byJames Edwards
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Member of the Kingaroy Shire Council
In office
1946–1949
Personal details
Born
Johannes Bjelke-Petersen

(1911-01-13)13 January 1911
Dannevirke, New Zealand
Died23 April 2005(2005-04-23) (aged 94)
Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Resting placeKingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Citizenship
NationalityAustralian
Political party
Spouse(s)
(m. 1952⁠–⁠2005)
Children4
RelativesBjelke-Petersen family
EducationTaabinga State School
Occupation

He was a very conservative politician with many controversial views. He was also very controversial because his government did many things that were corrupt. Some historians have even described him as being "semi-authoritarian". For example, he is responsible for the "Bjelkemander", which was a type of gerrymander (which is a practice that makes it easier for one party to win government). The Bjelkemander meant that more seats were in rural and remote areas so the National Party would always be in government, because the Labor Party and the Liberal Party got most of their votes from cities. He was also involved in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, which made Gough Whitlam resign as Prime Minister.

He once tried to run in the 1987 federal election to try and become Prime Minister, as part of the "Joh for Canberra" campaign. However, he did not do it because of the Fitzgerald Inquiry, which was a controversial inquiry that exposed corruption in his government and saw many of his ministers taken to jail, some even lost their knighthoods. This saw him resign as Premier and he quit politics altogether. It also was a reason that his party lost the 1991 state election. He was later trialed in court for perjury, but was not convicted and he was not trialed again because he was too old.

  1. During Bjelke-Petersen's Premiership, the Country Party changed its name twice: to the National Country Party and later to the National Party.
  2. Bjelke-Petersen said his name as /ˈ ˈbjɛlkə ˈptərsən/,[1] which is closer to how it would be pronounced in Danish. However, most people said his name as either /ˈbjɛlki/ or /biˈɛlki/.

References

change
  1. "A Country Road: The Nationals: Joh Bjelke-Petersen". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2018.