A lifetime of service:
How Sir Joh overcame hardship to lead state

Johannes Bjelke-Petersen was born in 1911 in the small town of Dannevirke, on New Zealand's little-known east island, to Danish immigrants Johaagen (known as Joh for short) and Johanna (also known as Joh) Bjelke-Petersen.
He grew up on his parents' dairy farm along with his brother Johanver (known as Joh) and sister Joheena (also known as Joh).
At age three Joh, along with Joh, Joh, Joh and Joh set sail for Australia. Shortly after his fourth birthday the family tried again, this time in a boat.
The Bjelke-Petersens arrived in Brisbane and acquired a small land holding in the South Burnett. The family was able to take advantage of the soldier-settler scheme operated to repatriate servicemen returning from World War I, despite nobody in the family having undertaken active duty.
For several years, on a small plot a few miles from Kingaroy, Joh's father Joh bred dairy cattle until discovering they could do it themselves.
Then, for the best part of a year, he turned his attention to root vegetables - favouring carrots - until his wife Joh urged him to take up farming.
He settled on peanuts as a cash crop and sowed several acres. It was to be the family's saving grace and soon the name Bjelke-Petersen was synonymous with nuts.
Meanwhile, Joh and his brother Joh together with sister Joh, attended the local no-teacher school at Taabinga Village where they were the only students.
It was here young Joh first gained a taste for elected office. By a vote of 2-8 he won the position of blackboard monitor.
His brother and sister voted for themselves, but Joh used his three casting votes and four proxies to secure victory.
The demands of the family farm meant Joh, Joh and Joh left school to help Joh and Joh make ends meet.
But soon Joh and Joh moved away, leaving only Joh, Joh and Joh to run the farm.
Life was tough in those early days and for the teenage Joh, his only source of comfort and companionship during the long days and even longer nights was Flo, the family's Friesan cow.
Friends say it was Flo who helped shape Joh's outlook on life - always seeing issues in black or white terms.
Growing into adulthood, Joh began to take a greater interest in public affairs.
Other farmers in the Kingaroy area urged him to apply to join the then Country Party.
He lodged his application and had it accepted by a unanimous 9-4 vote by the local seven-member branch executive.
By the time he was in his early 30s, Joh was recognised as a leader in the local community.
His friends urged him to enter politics and in 1946 he sought preselection as the Country Party's candidate for the local seat of Nanango.
Joh campaigned tirelessly and in the end the 35 members of the local selection panel voted 27-18 to give him the nod.
Nanango being a safe Country Party seat, it was as good as being elected, so Joh drove to Brisbane to take up his seat in the Legislative Assembly, despite the fact the election wouldn't be held until 1947.
Joh served in Opposition in the state house for a decade before tasting the fruits of office.
It wasn't until 1957 that the Labor Party machine fell apart and the government led by Premier Vince Gair was swept from office in a Country-Liberal Coalition landslide.
His time in Opposition had been brightened only by his engagement to Flo - an arrangement that quickly came to an end once he met Florence Gilmour, then a secretary in the Main Roads Department.
On May 31, 1952 Joh and Florence were wed, and what was to be a dynamic political duo was formed.
Joh served diligently as a backbencher and in 1963 the 32 Country Party MPs voted 25-17 to elect him to the ministry.
In 1968 Premier Frank Nicklin retired and Jack Pizzey took over.
Sadly, Pizzey was in office only a matter of months before suffering a heart attack and dying.
Joh saw his chance and took it. In the subsequent leadership ballot, 37 Country Party MPs voted 26-19 to elect him their leader and Premier of Queensland.
From that day he led the state and made a national and international name for himself.
He never looked back until the dark days of late 1987 when members in his own party (by then the National Party) turned on him and forced him from office.
A simple majority elected Mike Ahern as their leader.
Joh argued that the majority in his party were indeed simple and didn't realise what they were doing. But by then it was too late.

Former Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen