The Olden Days - The good ol’ days

About the author

Matt Foley

Matt Foley is a practising Brisbane barrister. He was president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties from 1985-87 and national president of Labor...

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My Queensland – Finding a voice

ReportageThink Queensland and I immediately conjure apartheid births and prototypes, stolen Aboriginal wages, native title rise and fall, the National Party, the Country Party, and...

EssayThe case against the former premier was famously abandoned in 1991 when a jury split – with one of two dissenters a member of the Young Nationals. The lack of resolution left open one of the biggest questions: was Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen a crook? Queenslanders remained divided on the great divider. Ask and they will tell you. Joh was a villain; Joh was a martyr.

Not just good girls

EssayWomen in public life in Queensland experienced criticism and ridicule that was sharper and more personal than that directed to their male counterparts. They were often said to have abandoned their rightful roles as wives and mothers, were accused of being too noisy, too silent, too dumb, too much of a smarty pants. It was suggested that wealthy women had a ‘silver spoon', while the few working-class women who struggled into the ranks above were said to lack grace and class.