Max Hodges

Allen Maxwell Hodges (11 February 1917 – 31 July 2009) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

The Honourable Max Hodges
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Nash
In office 3 August 1957 – 28 May 1960
Preceded by	Greg Kehoe
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Gympie
In office 28 May 1960 – 8 August 1979
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Len Stephan
Personal details
Born	Allen Maxwell Hodges (1917-02-11)11 February 1917 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died	31 July 2009(2009-07-31) (aged 92) New Farm, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Gympie Cemetery
Nationality	Country Party/National Party
Spouse(s)	Rita Fox Currant (1939-1969; her death); 3 children Pamela Helen Hayward (1973-1978; her death)
Occupation	Farmer

Early life

Hodges was born in Brisbane, Queensland, the son of Arthur John Hodges and his wife Helen Allen (née Mitchell). His great grandfather, William Mitchell, had represented the seat of Maryborough in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1904–1909. He was educated in Maryborough and on leaving school he did farm-related work.^[1]

During World War II he served in the 2nd AIF, being stationed at New Guinea and Borneo, and was discharged in 1946 at the rank of staff sergeant.^[1][2]

Hodges married Rita Fox Currant on 19 December 1939 and together had a son and two daughters. Rita died in 1969, and he then married Pamela Helen Hayward (who died in 1978) on 23 April 1973.

Public life

Hodges, a member of the Country Party, won the seat of Nash at the 1957 Queensland state election. The seat was renamed Gympie at the 1960 state election, and he went on to represent it until he retired from politics in 1979.

He held many positions in parliament including:^[1]

• Member of the Parliamentary Printing Committee 1957–1960
• Member of the Parliamentary Building Committee 1960–1962
• Temporary Chairman of Committees 1963–1968
• Minister for Works and Housing 1968–1974
• Minister for Works and Housing and Minister for Police 1974–1975
• Minister for Police and Leader of the House 1975–1976
• Minister for Tourism and Maritime Services 1976–1979

Not long after being promoted to the role of Police Minister, Hodges appointed Ray Whitrod with a view to cleaning up the corruption in the police force. He found himself clashing with the Premier on issues, and eighteen months after being made Police Minister he was removed from the portfolio.^[1]

Later life

Hodges died in July 2009 at New Farm in Brisbane^[1] and was buried in the Gympie Cemetery.^[3]