Francis Patrick Sheehan (17 August 1937 – 5 May 2021) was an Australian politician and community advocate from Ballarat. Sheehan was born in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

to farmer Cornelius Joseph Sheehan and Kathleen Veronica O'Donohue. He attended local Catholic schools and became a motor trades instructor, with a Trained Trade Instructors Certificate and

Diploma of Technical Education A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

from

Hawthorn State College Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

. From 1964 to 1966 he was national president of Young Christian Workers; in 1967 he joined the Labor Party. In 1982 he was elected to the

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

as the member for Ballarat South. He served until 1992, when his seat was abolished and he was defeated in Ballarat East. After losing his seat he continued working for the Overseas Service Bureau (now

Australian Volunteers International Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Its work focuses on reducing poverty, promoting human rights and gender e ...

). He was active in the Ballarat Diocesan Ecological Sustainability Group. Sheehan was also an outspoken advocate for victims of historical sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, founding the Moving Towards Justice support group. In 2018 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the Ballarat community, he cited the creation of workplace laws as one of his greatest achievements. Sheehan died in May 2021, aged 83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehan, Frank 1937 births 2021 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria People from Ballarat Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia University of Melbourne alumni