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Member Details

Mr Francis Joseph FINNAN (1897 - 1966)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 23/09/1897
Place of Birth: The Rocks, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 21/03/1966
Place of Death: Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare 30 Jun 1950 23 Feb 1953 2 years 7 months 25 days
Member for Darlinghurst 17 Jun 1950 14 Jan 1953 2 years 6 months 29 days
Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare 09 Mar 1948 30 Jun 1950 2 years 3 months 22 days
Member for Hawkesbury 03 May 1947 22 May 1950 3 years 20 days
Minister in Charge of Tourist Activities and Immigration 06 Feb 1947 09 Mar 1948 1 year 1 month 4 days
Member for Hawkesbury 27 May 1944 29 Mar 1947 2 years 10 months 3 days
Member for Hawkesbury 10 May 1941 24 Apr 1944 2 years 11 months 15 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 10 May 1941 14 Jan 1953 11 years 8 months 5 days
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Member of central executive from 1928 until 1929.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Shearer and newspaper staff. Educated at St Aloysius College, Milsons Point; at fourteen was a messenger boy in the Tramways traffic office; at sixteen went shearing in Queensland; joined Australian Workers' Union; had various jobs including wool classing, tip cart driver, surveyor's assistant, fisherman, and a liquor store in Lithgow. Returned to Sydney in early 1930's, commission agent, salesman for common cause, then on business staff of Labor Daily. Remained as a liaison officer to the Unions under Consolidated Press; moved to Newcastle in 1953; president of the Hunter District Water Board from 1953 until 1964; director of Hunter Valley Research Association, chairman in 1964, member of advisory committee then council of Newcastle University College from 1959 until 1966; member of Newcastle Regional Development committee, member of Advisory Board of Mater Hospital at Waratah (1964); first president of Gosford Hospital (1946); trustee of Taronga Zoological Park and of Newcastle International Sports centre.
Military Service
Honours Received
Commander of the British Empire in 1960.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Thomas Finnan, publican. Married Rita Irene Puig on 11 October 1926 and had issue, 1 daughter. Roman Catholic. Buried in Sandgate cemetery from St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Newcastle.
Additional Information

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.