Background
Pizzey was born in Childers, Queensland in 1911 to John Thomas Pizzey and his second wife Ellen Elliott, née Brand.
Pizzey was born in Childers, Queensland in 1911 to John Thomas Pizzey and his second wife Ellen Elliott, née Brand.
He was educated at Childers State School, Maryborough Central Boys" School, and Bundaberg High School.
He was Premier of Queensland, in a coalition with the Liberal Party, from 17 January 1968 until his death on 31 July that year. Involved in tennis and rugby union as a youth, Pizzey excelled in cricket and was selected for the Queensland Colts cricket team in 1929. In 1931, he was selected to represent Queensland in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria, but the match was cancelled due to rain and Pizzey was unable to represent the state.
On 15 July 1940, Pizzey was mobilised in the Citizens Military Force militia reserve unit as a gunner.
Reaching the rank of Captain, he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force where he served during World World War II in Australia as a quartermaster in the 5th Field Regiment until his discharge on 25 January 1945. As he was stationed in Australia, Pizzey continued his education, studying a Bachelor of Arts (1942) at the University of Queensland.
Following his discharge from the AIF, Pizzey returned to teaching, and by 1946 was involved in administration at the Queensland Board of Adult Education. He resigned from the Department of Public Instruction in 1949 and became involved in representing the interests of sugar cane farmers as manager of the Childers Cane Farmers" Company-Operative and secretary to the Isis District Cane Growers" Executive.
In 1957, a split in the Australian Labor Party"s Queensland branch brought down the Labor government, forcing an election.
With his educational background, Pizzey was appointed Minister for Education in Frank Nicklin"s cabinet, and retained this job for more than a decade. He was also deputy leader of the Country Party, but he took other concurrent roles also: he held the portfolios of migration (1960-1968), Aboriginal and Islander affairs (1962-1968) and police (1962-1968). As education minister, Pizzey presided over a period of unprecedented growth, particularly in secondary education, and played a key role in establishing Queensland"s second university, James Cook University in Townsville in 1961.
He was praised for his focus on secondary schooling, although his sweeping intervention in education matters was considered to have led to Brisbane"s first teachers" strike in 1968.
Just over six months after his appointment, Pizzey died suddenly, in Brisbane, of a myocardial infarction. He was accorded a State funeral and cremated.
Pizzey was succeeded as premier for a week by the Leader of the Liberal Party and Deputy Premier, Gordon Chalk, until the Country Party chose its new leader, Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Pizzey is commemorated by the Pizzey Memorial Clock in Childers.
Nicklin retired as Premier and party leader on 17 January 1968, and Pizzey succeeded him in both posts.