Joh Bjelke-Petersen

Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen 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.

The Honourable Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen KCMG
31st Premier of Queensland Elections: 1969, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986
In office 8 August 1968 – 1 December 1987
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Alan Mansfield Colin Hannah James Ramsay Walter Campbell
Deputy	Gordon Chalk William Knox Llew Edwards Bill Gunn
Preceded by	Gordon Chalk
Succeeded by	Mike Ahern
20th Deputy Premier of Queensland
In office 1 August 1968 – 8 August 1968
Premier	Gordon Chalk
Preceded by	Gordon Chalk
Succeeded by	Gordon Chalk
Party leadership positions Leader of the Country Party in Queensland In office 7 August 1968 – 1 December 1987 Deputy Ron Camm Bill Gunn Preceded by Jack Pizzey Succeeded by Mike Ahern Deputy Leader of the Country Party in Queensland In office January 1968 – 7 August 1968 Leader Jack Pizzey Preceded by Jack Pizzey Succeeded by Ron Camm
Cabinet posts 38th Treasurer of Queensland In office 19 August 1983 – 1 December 1987 Preceded by Llew Edwards Succeeded by Mike Ahern Minister for Public Works and Housing In office 26 September 1963 – 8 August 1968 Premier Frank Nicklin Jack Pizzey Gordon Chalk Preceded by Harold Richter Succeeded by Max Hodges
Constituency Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Barambah In office 29 April 1950 – 1 December 1987 Preceded by New seat Succeeded by Trevor Perrett Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Nanango In office 3 May 1947 – 29 April 1950 Preceded by James Edwards Succeeded by Seat 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
Died	23 April 2005(2005-04-23) (aged 94) Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Citizenship	British Australian
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Country (until 1989) Conservative (1989–1991)
Spouse(s)	Florence Gilmour ​ ​ (m. 1952⁠–⁠2005)​
Children	4
Relatives	Bjelke-Petersen family
Education	Taabinga State School
Occupation	Farmer Politician

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.