The Australian politician Johannes (Joh) Bjelke-Petersen (born 1911) was an extreme reactionary who dominated Queensland politics for years, serving as premier of Queensland from 1968 to 1988.

Johannes Bjelke-Petersen was born in Dannevirke, New Zealand, on January 13, 1911. His father, who was Danish, immigrated to Queensland, Australia, with his family in 1913. Johannes (or Joh, as he was widely known) left school at the age of 13. He remained a major peanut farmer at his home in Kingaroy and a leading businessman in the region throughout his political career. As a farmer he pioneered aerial spraying and seeding.

Bjelke-Petersen entered Parliament in 1947 as a Country Party (later renamed the National Party) member for the constituency of Nanango. He first entered the cabinet as minister for works and housing in 1963 and became premier in 1968.

A controversial figure, Bjelke-Petersen dominated Queensland politics for 20 years. In general, his hostility to civil rights, the environment, and issues of...