Francis Matthew John Baker

Frank Baker
Member of the Australian Parliament for Oxley
In office 19 December 1931 – 15 September 1934
Preceded by	James Bayley
Succeeded by	Division abolished
Member of the Australian Parliament for Griffith
In office 15 September 1934 – 28 March 1939
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	William Conelan
Personal details
Born	1903 Bundaberg, Queensland
Died	28 March 1939 (aged 35–36)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party

Francis (Frank) Matthew John Baker (1903 – 28 March 1939) was an Australian politician and vice-president of the State Service Union.^[1]

Baker was born in Bundaberg, Queensland. A member of the Federal Labor Party, he unsuccessfully ran for office for the Queensland seat of Oxley in the 1928 federal election, being beaten by James Bayley of the Nationalist Party.

In the 1931 election he again contested Oxley, this time successfully. Following the abolition of Oxley, Baker was elected as the representative for Griffith, Queensland in 1934 and 1937. He remained in parliament until 1939 when he was killed in a motor accident.^[2] His death resulted in the 1939 Griffith by-election.

In 1936, Baker led a proposal for Australian parliamentary proceedings to be broadcast on radio.^[3]

Following his death, the Australian prime minister, Joseph Lyons, commented that "had he lived, I am sure he would have advanced to an important place in his party."^[2] Baker studied law while a member of parliament and had almost completed his course when he died.^[2]

Baker's father, Francis (Frank) Patrick Baker, was elected to the seat of Maranoa in 1940. This is the only case in which a father was elected to the Australian federal parliament after his son.^[4]

Baker is buried in South Brisbane Cemetery.^[5]

References