Family friend and mining prospector Gina Rinehart remembered singing Christmas carols with Lady Flo a few days before the former Queensland premier's wife died.
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Ms Rinehart visited Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen, wife of late Nationals stalwart Sir Joh, at her nursing home in Kingaroy last week.
“In a little tribute to her during my recent visit to her in Kingaroy, we sung some Christmas carols she loved, amended to 'Australianise' the words and in which mentioned those wonderful Lady Flo pumpkin scones,” Ms Rinehardt said.
“One of my many favourite memories of my dear friend will be her singing in fine voice, knowing every word of those Christmas carols, and of us together on a previous visit, with her son John and I around her bedside.
“This beautiful memory is one I'll also treasure throughout my life.”
Ms Rinehart, the chief executive of iron ore development company Hancock Prospecting, founded after her father Lang Hancock discovered iron ore in the Pilbara in 1952, said her family became close friends with the Bjelke-Petersen family over many years.
“Lady Flo was an extra special lady, one of the finest in Australia I know, who, along with her husband Sir Joh, contributed so much to their family, Kingaroy, Queensland and our country,” she said.
“Lady Flo will be remembered by many as a very kind, thoughtful, considerate, fair, decent, honourable and hardworking premier's wife.
“Indeed, she was often called the member for the Kingaroy area.
“In her own right, she was a person of impeccable character and personal strength, a senator and much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
“And to those who knew her, a true and wise friend, who we were extremely fortunate to know. She certainly made me love my visits to [Bjelke-Petersen property] Bethany and Kingaroy, as I'm sure she did for many, many others too.
“Lady Flo was loved by many Australians and will be very greatly missed, especially by her wonderful family and friends. God bless you dear Lady Flo.”
Ms Rinehart, Australia’s wealthiest woman, has extensive cattle interests throughout Australia.
Ms Rinehart made a $600,000 grant to help upgrade the Kingaroy Community Hospital. It was renamed the Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital and reopened in 2016.
Tributes to Lady Flo were also received from Queensland’s Liberal National Party.
New Federal Agriculture Minister, David Littlepoud said his family owed much to the Bjelke-Petersens.
“I WOULDN’T be a Federal MP if it wasn’t for the Bjelke-Petersen family and my father wouldn’t have been in state politics if it wasn’t for the Bjelke-Petersens – I owe them a lot,” he said.
“My family and I joined the Nationals because of Sir Joh and Lady Flo’s dedication to Queensland.
“Their values, belief in reward for effort and commitment to community personified what being a Queenslander truly means.
“Bjelke-Petersen is a name synonymous with Queensland politics and today, the day we lost Lady Flo, we lost a trailblazer. She was a trailblazer in Queensland politics, a strong force who will never be forgotten
“My sympathies are with Bjelke-Petersen family during this difficult time of loss.
“This is also a loss for Queenslanders as we remember and honour her legacy in our great state.”
