Frank Downing

Francis George Downing (7 March 1907 – 22 December 1978) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1953 until 1968. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

Downing was born in Tumut, New South Wales and was the son of a council worker. Reg Downing a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1940 and 1970 and an Attorney-General of New South Wales was his brother and Thomas O'Mara a member of the Legislative Assembly in the nineteenth century was a cousin. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and initially worked as a timber-worker before becoming an official in the Timber Workers Union. After one unsuccessful attempt, Downing was elected to parliament as the Labor member for Ryde at the 1953 state election. He defeated the incumbent Liberal member Ken Anderson in an election in which Labor made significant gains in marginal seats. Downing retained the seat at the next 4 elections until it was abolished at the 1968 election. He was the Labor candidate for the new seat of Fuller at that election but was defeated by the Liberal candidate and future party leader, Peter Coleman. Downing then retired from public life. He was the chairman of caucus in 1959 but did not hold any other party, parliamentary or ministerial office.

References

• "Mr Francis George Downing (1907 - 1978)". Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856-2006. New South Wales Parliament. Retrieved 2009-01-11.