REMEMBER WHEN

PREMIER Joh Bjelke-Petersen was knighted by the Queen in the annual Birthday Honours List.

But the long-time National Party boss told Queenslanders he still just wanted to be known as “Joh”.

“Everyone calls me Joh and I would like it very much if they keep that up, saving the formal title for official functions,” he said.

With his Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George honour, his wife became Senator Lady BjelkePetersen, but she said she wanted to be known as Flo.

Like her husband, she indicated her lifestyle would not change as a result of the knighthood, one of two in the Queensland list that year.

The only other Australian knight that year was Sir Ian McFarlane, chairman of the Rundle shale oil twins. He became a Knight Bachelor.

No new knights were created in Tasmania, the only other Australian state that retained imperial honours at the time.

Senator Lady BjelkePetersen said: “No way will I give away making pumpkin scones just because I am the wife of a knight,” she said. “I will be able to make my scones and use them as a medium to get the message over.”

The Bjelke-Petersens travelled to London for the investiture by the Queen.

Sir Joh said his reaction to the honour was that “it is very nice in some respects.”

Sir Joh retained the title even after being forced to resign as premier in 1987.

His former police commissioner, Terry Lewis, was not so lucky and lost the title.