33 Facts About Frank Nicklin

Frank Nicklin was the Premier of Queensland from 1957 to 1968, the first non-Labor Party premier since 1932.

Frank Nicklin was born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales on 6 August 1895, the son of newspaper proprietor George Francis Frank Nicklin and his New Zealand-born wife, Edith Catherine.

Frank Nicklin was educated at Murwillumbah Public School and Highfield College in Turramurra, Sydney.

In 1910 the family moved to Beerwah in Queensland, where Frank Nicklin's father took up banana farming.

Frank Nicklin enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916 and served with distinction during the First World War, where he was promoted to corporal and was awarded the Military Medal.

Frank Nicklin saved wisely and put his farming experience to good use, and his farm succeeded where many others failed.

Frank Nicklin led many fruit-growers' organisations, and then became involved in Country Party politics.

Frank Nicklin transferred to the newly created Sunshine Coast seat of Landsborough in 1950.

Frank Nicklin was a popular and hardworking local member, and remained popular throughout very difficult times for the Country Party in Queensland.

Frank Nicklin's preferred area was agriculture, and he made many speeches on the subject.

Opposition leader Ted Maher stood down, and Frank Nicklin was elected to lead the merged party.

The merger fell apart in 1944, but Frank Nicklin remained as head of a Country-UAP coalition.

Frank Nicklin was leader of the opposition for sixteen years, losing five elections in a row.

Accordingly, Frank Nicklin was left to handle most of the business of opposition.

Frank Nicklin acknowledged to a 1955 conference of leading Country Party figures that their chances of ever being seated to the right of the speaker were slim, but he continued as opposition leader anyway.

Gair refused, and Frank Nicklin backed him, arguing that the QCE was dominated by unaccountable left-wing trade union leaders with communist sympathies.

However, Frank Nicklin broke off the talks at the suggestion of federal Country Party leader Arthur Fadden, who believed that given the ructions in Labor, Frank Nicklin had a good chance to become Premier himself.

Frank Nicklin's redistribution was fairer than Hanlon's, but it still favoured the Country Party.

The parties had some disputes over seat allocation in the mid-1960s, and Morris was not always an easy man to work with, but on the whole the Frank Nicklin Government saw a period of remarkably cordial relations between the Nationals and Liberals, especially compared with the strife of later years.

Primarily the Frank Nicklin Government concentrated on employment relations and on developing the state's infrastructure.

In general, Frank Nicklin saw little reason to lose electoral capital by passing tough industrial relations laws during times of prosperity.

However, the most serious crises of the Frank Nicklin Premiership were based in poor handling of unions.

Frank Nicklin treated the public service union with care, restoring the privilege of a half-day's leave to visit the annual exhibition.

Frank Nicklin viewed his own achievements as Premier in terms of state development.

Probably Nicklin is best remembered for his probity, which earned him the nickname 'Honest Frank'.

Frank Nicklin was not widely known when he became Premier, and while he was too modest a man to indulge in self-aggrandising publicity he was skilled enough as a politician to benefit from the way in which his reputation for decency stuck with him.

Frank Nicklin's hold over his cabinet was firm, and there was no question that ministers who could not live up to Frank Nicklin's standards were summarily dismissed.

From 1966 Frank Nicklin's health declined markedly, and at the end of 1967 he announced that he would retire from politics on 17 January 1968.

Frank Nicklin had served 35 years in the legislature and 27 years as leader of the non-Labor forces in Queensland.

In many ways, Frank Nicklin broke the mould of Queensland Premiers.

Frank Nicklin was friendly and well liked by the people of Queensland, and was known as 'the gentleman Premier'.

Still, there is some debate over whether Frank Nicklin's geniality was entirely genuine or whether it concealed an iron fist.

Frank Nicklin was lucky to have been in office during a time of stability and prosperity, and it is true that his administration benefited from the parlous state of the ALP after Gair's downfall.