Bjelke-Petersen
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Bjelke-Petersen is the name of an Australian family of Danish descent. The common ancestors of the Australian family is Georg Peter Bjelke-Petersen, farmer and master-builder, and his wife Caroline Vilhelmine (maiden name Hansen). They came to Australia with their children in 1891. Born plain Petersen, Georg hyphenated his name some time in the 1860s. [1]
[edit] Politics
The Bjelke-Petersens have had an impact on politics in Queensland, at both state and Commonwealth levels, for 60 years.
- Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen was a farmer and later Premier of Queensland between 1968 and 1987; He was the member for Nanango from 1946 - 1950 and for Barambah 1950 - 1987. He was Georg Peter Bjelke-Petersen's grandson.
- Flo Bjelke-Petersen, Joh Belke-Petersen's wife, represented Queensland in the Australian Senate between 1981 and 1993 serving as Deputy Leader of the National Party of Australia in the Senate between 1985 and 1990;
- John Bjelke-Petersen, Joh Bjelke-Petersen's son, was preselected on 3 November 2005 as the candidate in the seat of Nanango at the 2007 Queensland State election for the National Party. He lost the election to the current member, Dorothy "Dolly" Pratt.
[edit] Other pursuits
- Hans Bjelke-Petersen (1872-1964) founded the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture in 1892 - as of 2005, there were 180 associated clubs throughout Australia. He was Georg Peter Bjelke-Petersen's son.
- Marie Bjelke Petersen (1874-1969) was an Australian novelist. Note the lack of hyphen in her version of this name. She was Georg Peter Bjelke-Petersen's daughter.
[edit] References
- ^ Alexander, Alison (1994) A Mortal Flame: Marie Bjelke Petersen Australian Romance Writer 1874-1969, Hobart, Blubber Head Press
