# Florence Isabel Gilmour

Florence Isabel Gilmour (11 AUG 1920 – 20 DEC 2017); child of James Pollock Gilmour and Florence Mabel Low; born in New Farm, Queensland, Australia; married Johannes Bjelke-Petersen; died in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia.

**Lifespan:** 11 AUG 1920 – 20 DEC 2017

## Also known as
- Florence Isabel Bjelke-Petersen

## Parents
- [James Pollock Gilmour](/p/james-pollock-gilmour-59761.md) (father)
- [Florence Mabel Low](/p/florence-mabel-low-59762.md) (mother)

## Spouses
- [Johannes Bjelke-Petersen](/p/johannes-bjelke-petersen-50578.md) — m. 31 MAY 1952

## Timeline
- 11 AUG 1920 — **Born** at New Farm, Queensland, Australia
- FROM 1937 TO 1952 — **Occupation (Public servant, Queensland Main Roads Department)** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Entered the Queensland public service after a twelve-month public service course at the State Commercial High School and was allocated to the main roads department, where she worked for fifteen years. She became private secretary and receptionist to the Commissioner for Main Roads, accompanying him on road inspection tours and liaising with deputations from local authorities. It was through one such deputation that she met Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, then Country Party member for Nanango, in 1950.
- FROM 1971 TO 1981 — **Public Relations Officer, National Party Barambah Electorate Council** at Queensland, Australia — Held party office in the Queensland National Party's Barambah electorate council for ten years before entering the Senate. She was later made a life member of the National Party of Australia (Queensland).
- FROM 12 MAR 1981 TO 30 JUN 1993 — **Senator for Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Elected at the head of the National Country Party's Queensland Senate ticket at the 1980 federal election. Her own term was to begin on 1 July 1981, but the resignation of Senator Glen Sheil created a casual vacancy and she was chosen by the Parliament of Queensland on 12 March 1981 under section 15 of the Constitution to fill the remainder of his term, being sworn in twelve days later. She made her first speech on 6 May 1981 and was re-elected at the 1983 and 1987 double dissolutions, retiring at the expiration of her term on 30 June 1993. She sat for the National Country Party, renamed the National Party of Australia in 1982. She crossed the floor eighteen times, first in September 1981 against her own government's sales tax increases.
- 1984 — **Title (Lady Bjelke-Petersen)** — Styled Lady Bjelke-Petersen as the wife of a knight bachelor from her husband's knighthood in 1984, and officially known in the chamber as Senator Lady Bjelke-Petersen. The Parliamentary Handbook records her as BJELKE-PETERSEN, Lady Florence Isabel.
- FROM 20 AUG 1985 TO 10 APR 1990 — **Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate** at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia — Deputy leader of her party in the Senate for almost five years. She was also National Party spokesman on Education and Family from 30 April to 6 August 1987.
- FROM 21 AUG 1985 TO 5 MAY 1993 — **Temporary Chair of Committees, Australian Senate** at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia — Served on the Senate's panel of temporary chairs of committees, presiding over the chamber in committee of the whole, from August 1985 until shortly before her retirement. She used her shorthand skills to make notes to assist her in the chair.
- FROM 23 MAR 1993 TO 30 JUN 1993 — **National Party Whip in the Senate** at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia — Held the party whip's office in the Senate during the final months of her term.
- 20 DEC 2017 — **Died** at Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia

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