Career
A native of Cairns, Rappolt held a variety of jobs before he entered politics. He served in the Citizens" Military Force from 1957 until 1961. From 1974 to 1978 he ran his own building company, and was a licensed environmental auditor in Queensland and Victoria.
During his time as an environmental auditor, Rappolt became interested in mining, and he soon became a mine manager, prospector and financier.
He was also a commercial pilot, flying aeroplanes and helicopters for a time. Another interest of Rappolt"s was football (soccer), and he volunteered as a coach and referee at junior level
On 13 June 1998, Rappolt was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, running on the One Nation ticket for the Cairns-area seat of Mulgrave. On 4 November, Rappolt resigned, citing the combined pressures of political life, ill health, and the Queensland press
Pitt"s victory gave Labor a majority in its own right.
Indeed, Mulgrave was one of seven seats that would have gone to Labor in the 1998 election if not for leakage of Coalition preferences. Less than a week after his resignation, Rappolt attempted suicide and was hospitalised with severe depression. After his recovery he sought A$295 000 in damages from the Queensland government, arguing that his stint in Parliament had left him a psychotic manic depressive.
He moved to New Zealand in 1999, in an attempt to flee the pressure of public life in Queensland.
He was found dead in his home in Auckland, on 2 August 1999, apparently after having hanged himself. At a condolence motion in the Queensland Assembly, One Nation leader Bill Feldman launched a blistering attack on the Courier Mail, claiming that the newspaper was responsible for Rappolt"s suicide attempts.
