Member John Bertelsen, a past member of the QLS, passed away on Boxing Day.
John was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1975. He practised as a solicitor until 2009 when he became an adjudicator at QCAT.
As a solicitor, he was a partner at Brian Gillan and Bertelsen Solicitors from 1977 to 1985 and Bertelsens Solicitors from 1985 to 1996.
He then joined Nicholsons Solicitors as a partner and consultant where he worked from 1997 to 1999 before joining Jones King Lawyers from 2001 until 2009.
John was then an investigator at the Department of Infrastructure and Planning before being appointed as an adjudicator at QCAT in 2009.
He was promoted to Member in 2022 in recognition of his skills and ability as a decision-maker. He had all the best qualities of a judicial officer – a calm and even temperament, a keen legal mind and a fine work ethic as evidenced by the more than 28,000 matters he presided in over his time at QCAT.
John also gave to the community in very many ways, including being a Zone Chairperson of the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, a member of the Redcliffe Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Redcliffe Hospital Board Ethics Committee, and more recently as the Chairperson and immediate past Chairperson of the Community Access Transition (Disability) Service.
John will always be remembered as a true gentleman, a good friend, with a cheeky and lovely sense of humour. He died doing one of the things he loved most, dancing at a gig to all his favourite tunes, after having shared a happy Christmas celebration.
In an email John sent to me in June, John said that “I have total belief in the work this Tribunal does and am proud to have been part of it from day one.”
John was an extremely valued, much loved part of the QCAT family, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with Judy, and with John’s sons Mike, Andrew and Will.
The funeral will be at St Agatha’s Church, Clayfield, at 10.30 am on Monday 12 January 2026.
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