Russ Hinze
| Russ Hinze | |
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Joh Bjelke-Petersen (left) with Russ Hinze, 14 October 1988
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| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for South Coast |
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In office 28 May 1966 – 25 May 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Gaven |
| Succeeded by | Judy Gamin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Russell James Hinze 19 June 1919 Oxenford, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 29 June 1991 (aged 72) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
| Resting place | Lower Coomera Cemetery |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | National Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Country Party |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Elizabeth Byth (married 1947 divorced 1981), Faye McQuillan (married 1981) |
| Relations | Kristy Hinze (granddaughter) |
| Occupation | Company director, Horse breeder |
| Religion | Methodist |
The Hon. Russell James "Russ" Hinze (19 June 1919 — 29 June 1991) was a Queensland politician in the 1970s and 1980s. He presided over an era of controversy that included the setting up of the Racing Development Fund, ministerial re-zonings and the licensing of Jupiters Casino. His career in public life spanned almost four decades, first in local government in the 1950s and 1960s, and then in State Government from 1966 to 1988.
Russell James Hinze was born on 19 June 1919 in Oxenford on the Gold Coast of Queensland. His father was a dairy farmer.
He started his career as a sugar cane cutter. Later, he took up dairy-farming, like his father. After becoming chairman of the South Coast Cooperative Dairy Association, he was elected to the Albert Shire Council in the early 1950s, serving as shire chairman for nine years from 1958 to 1967.
In 1966, Hinze entered the State political arena as the member for South Coast, representing the then Country Party. After eight years as a backbench member of the Coalition Government, he was promoted to Cabinet. In 1971, while still a backbencher, he was part of a plot within the Country Party parliamentary wing to topple Joh Bjelke-Petersen that failed only when Bjelke-Petersen broke a tie in the party-room meeting by voting for himself.
Between 1974 and 1987, he served as the Minister for Local Government and Main Roads. Between 1980 and 1987, he served as the Minister for Racing. Between 1980 and 1982, he served as the Minister for Police. These ministerial positions earned him the commonly known title of 'Minister for Everything'.
In February 1988, Hinze resigned in disgrace from State Parliament after damaging allegations were made against him during the Fitzgerald Inquiry, which was investigating corruption in Queensland during the Bjelke-Petersen era.
He died on 29 June 1991, aged 72, before criminal charges relating to alleged corruption could be brought against him, and was buried in Lower Coomera cemetery, Gold Coast. After his death in 1991 Queensland Deputy Premier T.J. Burns remembered him in parliament with the following anecdote: "The best cartoon of him was the one that showed him as a bulldog. I saw him on television describing why he would rather be a bulldog than a mouse, but he was shown as a bulldog with dark glasses and a white cane outside a casino and brothel in the Valley that had a flashing neon light, saying he did not know there were any there."
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