Date of Birth: 27/03/1876
Place of Birth: Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 17/08/1949
Place of Death: Dulwich Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member for Newtown |
10 May 1941 |
24 Apr 1944 |
2 years 11 months 15 days |
|
| Member for Newtown |
26 Mar 1938 |
18 Apr 1941 |
3 years 24 days |
|
| Member for Newtown |
11 May 1935 |
24 Feb 1938 |
2 years 9 months 14 days |
|
| Member for Newtown |
11 Jun 1932 |
12 Apr 1935 |
2 years 10 months 2 days |
|
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly |
25 Nov 1930 |
23 Jun 1932 |
1 year 6 months 30 days |
Title of The Hon. Francis Michael Burke |
| Member for Newtown |
25 Oct 1930 |
18 May 1932 |
1 year 6 months 24 days |
|
| Member for Newtown |
08 Oct 1927 |
08 Sep 1930 |
2 years 11 months 1 day |
|
| Member for Newtown |
30 May 1925 |
07 Sep 1927 |
2 years 3 months 9 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
25 Mar 1922 |
18 Apr 1925 |
3 years 25 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
20 Mar 1920 |
17 Feb 1922 |
1 year 10 months 29 days |
|
| Member for Newtown |
24 Mar 1917 |
18 Feb 1920 |
2 years 10 months 26 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
24 Mar 1917 |
24 Apr 1944 |
27 years 1 month 1 day |
|
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). President of Newtown branch, president Anti-Conscription Council, joined Heffron Labor Party from July 1939; whip from 1921 until 1923.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Tramway employee and public servant. Educated at Crown Street Public School; employed in Evening News office; storeman; hotel manager; for several years worked for tramways, active in union, dismissed after 1908 strike; commenced a small business; during 1914 until 1918 and became a was inspector under New South Wales Necessary Commodities Commission and inspector for Commonwealth Price Commission. Personal Assistant to Clive Evatt (q.v).
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Michael Burke, police officer, builder and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Tamworth from 1885 until 1887, and Catherine Agnes Leahy. Married Ada May Frazer in 1901 and had issue, 2 sons and 3 daughters. Funeral at Rookwood cemetery from St Bridget's Roman Catholic Church in Marrickville.
Additional Information
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South
Wales', Sydney, 1995
Francis Burke was born on 27 March 1876 at Tamworth in New South Wales. As the
son of Michael Burke, member of the Legislative Assembly for Tamworth from 1885
until 1887, he developed a political interest at a young age. He worked in a
variety of capacities as a storeman, an office manager and in a newspaper
office. It was as an employee of the Tramways that he developed an interest in
the trade union movement, becoming President of the Newtown branch of the Labor
Party. He married Ada Frazer in 1901 and they had two sons and three daughters.
In July 1939 he joined the breakaway Industrial Labor Party (also known as the
Heffron Party).
Burke was the Member for Newtown from 1917 to 1920; from 1920 to 1927 he was
one of five Members representing Botany; and from 1927 until his defeat in 1944
he was again elected to the Assembly for the seat of Newtown. He was Chairman
of the Public Works Committee between 1925 and 1927 and in 1930 he was elected
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. Considered a hard hitting and relentless
debater, Burke was a forceful political figure during the strenuous period of
the Great Depression. His long experience on the floor of the House gave him an
understanding for the procedural demands of the Speakership and because of the
efficient manner in which he conducted business his rulings were seldom
challenged. During the turbulent years of the second Lang Government Burke
retained his independence, on several occasions ruling in favour of opposition
members and against the Government. He died at Dulwich Hill on 17 August 1949.
