16 Facts About Jack Pizzey

Jack Charles Allan Pizzey was a Queensland Country Party politician.

Jack Pizzey was Premier of Queensland, in a coalition with the Liberal Party, from 17 January 1968 until his death on 31 July that year.

Jack Pizzey was educated at Childers State School, Maryborough Central Boys' School, and Bundaberg High School.

Jack Pizzey was a student teacher at Bundaberg South State School in 1927, and taught at the Childers State School and Leichhardt Street State School.

In 1931, he was selected to represent Queensland in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria, but the match was cancelled due to rain and Jack Pizzey was unable to represent the state.

On 15 July 1940, Jack Pizzey was mobilised in the Citizens Military Force militia reserve unit as a gunner.

Jack Pizzey resigned from the Department of Public Instruction in 1949 and became involved in representing the interests of sugar cane farmers as manager of the Childers Cane Farmers' Co-Operative and secretary to the Isis District Cane Growers' Executive.

Jack Pizzey was deputy leader of the Country Party, but he took other concurrent roles : he held the portfolios of migration, Aboriginal and Islander affairs and police.

Jack Pizzey was praised for his focus on secondary schooling, although his sweeping intervention in education matters was considered to have led to Brisbane's first teachers' strike in 1968.

Nicklin retired as Premier and party leader on 17 January 1968, and Jack Pizzey succeeded him in both posts.

Just over six months after his appointment, Jack Pizzey died suddenly, in Brisbane, of a myocardial infarction.

Jack Pizzey was accorded a State funeral held at St John's Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane and cremated at Albany Creek Crematorium.

Jack Pizzey was succeeded as premier for a week by the Leader of the Liberal Party and Deputy Premier, Gordon Chalk, until the Country Party chose its new leader, Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

The Jack Pizzey Cup was donated by Pizzey in 1963 when he was Education Minister as a prize for a national schools championship tennis competition, replacing the Bruce Cup established in 1938 which then become a primary school competition prize.

Jack Pizzey is commemorated by the Jack Pizzey Memorial Clock in Childers.

Jack Pizzey is commemorated by the Pizzey Park Sporting Complex which was established on a 26 hectares site in 1969 on the Gold Coast.