Chalk, Gordon William Wesley, KBE
Personal
Birth Date:
16 May 1913 (Rosewood, Queensland)
Death Date:
26 April 1991 (Melbourne, Victoria)
Parents:
Samuel Chalk and Sarah Elizabeth (nee Wesley)
Family:
Ellen Clare Grant on 22 May 1937, 1 son, 1 daughter
Education:
Rosewood State School; Lockyer State High School; Ipswich Technical College
Religion:
Methodist
Career
Journalist, Rosewood Register, 1926 to 1929; Registered taxation agent, 1930 to 1935; Salesman, Toowoomba Foundry Ltd, 1935 to 1947; Australian Sales Manager, Toowoomba Foundry Ltd, 1945; Director, Clyde Industries
Party Positions:
- Foundation member, Queensland People's Party (now the Liberal Party).
- Member, State Executive, 1948 to 1950 and 1965 to 1976.
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | QPP | East Toowoomba | 3 May 1947 | 29 Apr 1950 | |
| Assembly | LIB | Lockyer | 29 Apr 1950 | 12 Aug 1976 | Did not contest |
Parliamentary Service
| Description | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate, Australian Constitutional Convention, 1973 and 1975 | ||
| Vice-President, Queensland Branch, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association | 1968 | 1976 |
| Premier | 1 Aug 1968 | 8 Aug 1968 |
| Deputy Premier and Treasurer | 23 Dec 1965 | 13 Aug 1976 |
| Minister for Transport | 12 Aug 1957 | 23 Dec 1965 |
| Member, Parliamentary Refreshment Rooms | 1947 | 1957 |
Additional Information
Notes:
Interests include racing and reading. Served as Premier for the second shortest term on record, serving only 7 days after the sudden death of then Premier Jack Pizzey and before the Country Party elected Joh Bjelke-Petersen as Premier; Secretary, Rosewood and Marburg Societies, Rosewood Eisteddfod, from 1931. Delegate, Australian Constitutional Convention, 1973 and 1975; University of Queensland LLD (Honoris Causa) 1974; Member: Toowoomba Club; Gatton Rotary; and Tattersalls Club, Brisbane. Sir Gordon was a bicycle champion. A state funeral was held for Sir Gordon on 1 May 1991 at the Albert Street Uniting Church, Brisbane
Sources:
Image sourced from the collection of the Queensland Parliamentary Library and Research Service.; Queensland Government Gazette, Extraordinary, Vol. CCXCVI, No. 129, 30 April 1991; Morley, Peter, The Courier-Mail, 'Former Lib boss Chalk dies at 77', 27 Apr 1991; Waterson, DB and John Arnold, A Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1930-1980, (Canberra: ANU Press, 1982)
[Last Modified: Monday, 05 June 2017]