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Gordon Chalk

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Sir Gordon Chalk
Gordon Chalk in 1963
30th Premier of Queensland
In office
1 August 1968 – 8 August 1968
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorSir Alan Mansfield
DeputyJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Preceded byJack Pizzey
Succeeded byJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party
Elections: 1966, 1969, 1972, 1974
In office
23 December 1965 – 13 August 1976
DeputyAlex Dewar (1965–1967)
Peter Delamothe (1967–1971)
William Knox (1971–1976)
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byWilliam Knox
35th Treasurer of Queensland
In office
23 December 1965 – 13 August 1976
PremierFrank Nicklin
Jack Pizzey
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byWilliam Knox
20th Deputy Premier of Queensland
In office
8 August 1968 – 13 August 1976
PremierJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Preceded byJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Succeeded byWilliam Knox
In office
23 December 1965 – 1 August 1968
PremierFrank Nicklin
Jack Pizzey
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Deputy Leader of the
Queensland Liberal Party
In office
28 January 1965 – 23 December 1965
LeaderThomas Hiley
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byAlex Dewar
Minister for Transport
In office
12 August 1957 – 23 December 1965
PremierFrank Nicklin
Preceded byThomas Moores
Succeeded byWilliam Knox
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Lockyer
East Toowoomba (1950–1976)
In office
3 May 1947 – 12 August 1976
Preceded byLes Wood
Succeeded byTony Bourke
Personal details
Born(1913-05-16)16 May 1913
Rosewood, Queensland, Australia
Died26 April 1991(1991-04-26) (aged 77)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Resting placeUniting Church, Albert Street
Political partyLiberal[a]
Other political
affiliations
Coalition[b]
Spouse
Ellen Clare Grant
(m. 1937)
OccupationSales Representative, Newspaper employee

Sir Gordon William Wesley Chalk, KBE[1] (16 May 1913 – 26 April 1991) was Premier of Queensland for a week, from 1 to 8 August 1968.[2] He was the first and only Queensland Premier from the post-war Liberal Party.

Early years

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The only child of Queensland-born parents Samuel Chalk, butcher, and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth (née Wesley), "Chalkie", as he was nicknamed, was baptised in the Church of Christ (but as an adult gave his religion as Methodist). He attended Rosewood State, Marburg Rural, and Lockyer State High Schools.[1]

Career

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Gordon Chalk c. 1950

Chalk entered politics in 1947 having previously worked as a sales manager at the Toowoomba Foundry.[3] In January 1965, he defeated Alex Dewar 11 votes to 9 to be elected as Deputy Liberal Leader, after Alan Munro resigned as leader and Deputy Premier.

On 23 December 1965, Chalk succeeded the retiring Sir Thomas Hiley as Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party, Deputy Premier and Treasurer in a coalition government with the Country Party led by Frank Nicklin. He did so by defeating Dewar a second time, 12 votes to 8.[4] He continued in these roles when Jack Pizzey succeeded Nicklin as Premier on 17 January 1968.

Following the sudden death of Pizzey on 31 July 1968, the Governor Sir Alan Mansfield swore in Chalk as Premier on 1 August, pending the Country Party electing a new leader. They chose Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who succeeded Chalk after a week in office.[citation needed]

Chalk continued as Treasurer and Leader of the Liberal Party until his resignation from parliament in 1976.[citation needed]

Political positions

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Seats held

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Ministerial positions

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Honours

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In the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1971, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[5]

Personal life

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Upon his death in 1991 Chalk was accorded a State funeral which was held at Albert Street Uniting Church[1] and he was later cremated.[1]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ Formerly called the Queensland People's Party, when Chalk joined the party.
  2. ^ Since the Liberal and National parties are in a coalition agreement since the foundation of the Liberal party, Chalk is a member of the Coalition via his ex-officio position within the Liberal Party leadership.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Gordon William (Chalkie) (1913–1991)Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b New Transport Minister for Queensland Truck & Bus Transportation, October 1957, pg. 66.
  4. ^ WANNA, JOHN; ARKLAY, TRACEY (2010). The Ayes Have It: The history of the Queensland Parliament, 1957-1989. ANU Press. p. 97. JSTOR j.ctt24h7kp.1. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  5. ^ It's an Honour – KBE
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Member for East Toowoomba
1947–1950
Succeeded by
Seat abolished
Preceded by
Seat created
Member for Lockyer
1950–1976
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Leader of the Liberal Party in Queensland
1965–1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier of Queensland
1968
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Premier of Queensland
1965–1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of Queensland
1965–1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Transport
1957–1965
Succeeded by