Newsroom

August 5, 2025

Today Queensland has lost one of its true giants, Sir Leo Hielscher.

His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy will endure in steel, concrete, and in the lives of millions of Queenslanders who continue to benefit from his foresight and conviction.

I thought I knew a fair bit about Sir Leo, but the more I look into him, his accomplishments, and his ability to ‘get it done’ the more I discover and admire him more.

Sir Leo was not a man who sought the spotlight. Yet his fingerprints are all over the great economic pillars of modern Queensland. He embodied the “can do” public servant.  Someone who never asked ‘if’ something could be done, only ‘how quickly we could get it going’.

He saw bauxite in the ground at Weipa and saw not merely a resource to export, but the beginning of an entire domestic industry - mined here, refined here, smelted here. He helped create the ecosystem that allowed us not only to extract bauxite but to turn it into aluminium, fuelling jobs, towns, and state coffers for generations.

He didn’t just sign off on policy. He fought for outcomes. When the state needed a new power station or rail link to make a project viable, Sir Leo found a way to get it done. He believed that governments should be builders, not bystanders.

One story I’ve often repeated says everything about his approach to economic development. When Queensland couldn’t get support from the Federal Government for a vital rail project to open a mine, Sir Leo, then in Treasury, simply went to the World Bank and arranged a development loan. The Commonwealth were at risk of being embarrassed on the world stage, and it worked. Suddenly the money flowed. It wasn’t just about finance; it was about Queensland refusing to be told to wait while opportunity passed us by. That was Sir Leo: smart, fearless, and entirely focused on delivering results for the state.

His work shaped towns like Gladstone into hubs of heavy industry. His stewardship of the Queensland Treasury through booms and busts established a reputation as one of the state’s most effective financial leaders.

Another example is Sir Leo’s foresight to build a State Bank to support agriculture and development.  The very bank that a future government sold off to Suncorp for $1.5 billion!

Sir Leo understood that economic development isn’t just about balance sheets. It’s about building a future where Queenslanders, particularly those in the regions, have access to jobs, infrastructure, and opportunity.

In a time defined by caution, red tape, and delay, Sir Leo represented the opposite. He was bold. He was practical. He got things done.

Queensland is richer, stronger, and more self-reliant because of Sir Leo Hielscher.

May he rest in peace, and may we honour him not just with words, but by carrying forward the nation-building spirit he lived by.

Robbie Katter is the Leader of the Katter’s Australian Party, and Queensland State Member for Traeger.