Sir Francis Grenville Clarke (14 March 1879 – 13 February 1955) was an Australian politician. He was born in Sunbury to grazier William John Clarke (later

Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet Sir William John Clarke, 1st Baronet (31 March 1831 – 15 May 1897), was an Australian businessman and philanthropist in the Colony of Victoria. He was raised to the baronetage in 1882, the first Victorian to be granted a hereditary honour. ...

) and Janet Marion Snodgrass. His grandfather

William John Turner Clarke William John Turner Clarke, M.L.C. (20 April 1805 – 13 January 1874), was an Australian politician, member of the Victorian Legislative Council November 1856 to January 1861 and January 1863 to November 1870. Clarke was born in Somersetshir ...

had been an early member of the

Victorian Parliament The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly and ...

, while his father had also served in the parliament. His brothers Sir Rupert Clarke and

Russell Clarke William Lionel Russell Clarke (31 March 1876 – 14 May 1954) was an Australian politician. He was born in South Yarra, Victoria, South Yarra to grazier Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet, William John Clarke (later a baronet) and Janet Marion ...

and nephew Michael Clarke were also MPs. Frank Clarke attended Scotch College, the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, and

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, becoming a grazier with widespread properties. On 24 July 1901 he married Nina Ellis Cotton, with whom he had six children. In 1913 he was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...

as a non-

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

member for Northern Province. He was Minister of Lands from 1917 to 1919, Minister of Water Supply from 1917 to 1921, and Minister of Public Works from 1919 to 1923. In 1923 he left the ministry and was elected

President of the Victorian Legislative Council The President of the Victorian Legislative Council, also known as the presiding officer of the council, is the presiding officer of the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria and equivalent to the President of ...

, a position he held for the next twenty years. During this time he changed provinces twice, to Melbourne South in 1925 and Monash in 1937. During his time in parliament he was a member of the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

, United Australia,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

and Liberal and Country parties. He was knighted in 1926. Clarke died at

South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popul ...

in 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Frank 1879 births 1955 deaths Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria United Australia Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Presidents of the Victorian Legislative Council Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian politicians awarded knighthoods People from Sunbury, Victoria Australian people of English descent People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne Politicians from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford