Francis (Frank) Patrick Baker (30 May 1873 – 2 June 1959) was an Australian politician, serving one term as the representative for seat of Maranoa in the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members of the ...

from September 1940 to August 1943.

Early life and career

Baker was born in Leyburn,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

on 30 May 1873. Educated in private schools in Queensland, Baker became a state school teacher for 10 years before serving as an Inspector for Schools for a further 20 years.

Political career

In 1940, Baker was elected to represent the seat of Maranoa in the

as a member of the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...

—only the second time Labor had ever won this normally safe conservative seat in the remote west of Queensland. Baker was narrowly beaten in the 1943 federal election by

Charles Adermann Sir Charles Frederick Adermann, (3 August 1896 – 9 May 1979) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1943 to 1972, representing the Country Party. He was the party's deputy leader from 1964 to 1966 and se ...

of the

Australian Country Party The National Party of Australia, also known as The Nationals or The Nats, is an List of political parties in Australia, Australian political party. Traditionally representing graziers, farmers, and regional voters generally, it began as the Au ...

, becoming the only Labor incumbent to be defeated in an election that saw Labor win its most-ever seats in the House at the time. In Parliament, Baker called for a moratorium on farm foreclosures during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He also argued for the need to maintain a sufficient workforce in rural employment to ensure the continuity of primary production in support of the war effort. Baker supported the placement of refugee doctors in rural communities, stating that when large numbers of local doctors were enlisting in the armed services, suitably qualified refugees were needed to meet the health care needs in smaller country towns. He was an outspoken supporter of the National Security Act and the Government's right to use whatever financial means necessary to defend Australia during the war. Between 1931 and 1939, Baker's son,

Francis Matthew John Baker Francis Matthew John Baker (1903 – 28 March 1939) was an Australian politician and vice-president of the State Service Union. Baker was born in Bundaberg, Queensland. A member of the Federal Labor Party, he unsuccessfully ran for office fo ...

, served as a member of the House of Representatives for the electorate of

Oxley Oxley may refer to: Places Australia Australian Capital Territory * Oxley, Australian Capital Territory is a suburb of Canberra, Australia Queensland *Oxley, Queensland is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia **Oxley railway station, Brisbane ...

and then the electorate of

Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Rid ...

. Baker senior's election in 1940 is the only instance where a father has been elected to the Australian federal parliament after his son.

After politics

After losing his parliamentary seat, Baker became a grazier in

Beaudesert, Queensland Beaudesert is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Beaudesert had a population of 6,395 people. Beaudesert is the administrative centre for the Scenic Rim Region. Geography Beaudesert is south of ...

. He died on 2 June 1959 and was buried in

South Brisbane Cemetery South Brisbane Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at 21 Fairfield Road and Annerley Road, Dutton Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Brisbane River. It was built from 1870 to 1990s. It is also known as Dutton Par ...

.Baker Francis Patrick
— Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 11 May 2014. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Francis Patrick 1873 births 1959 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Maranoa Burials in South Brisbane Cemetery 20th-century Australian politicians