Frank Brennan (politician)
Frank Brennan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Batman | |
| In office 8 February 1911 – 19 December 1931 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Beard |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Dennis |
| In office 15 September 1934 – 31 October 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Dennis |
| Succeeded by | Alan Bird |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1873 Bendigo, Victoria |
| Died | 6 November 1950 (aged 76–77) Melbourne |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse | Cecilia Mary O'Donnell |
| Relations | Tom Brennan (brother) |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Francis (Frank) Brennan (1873 – 6 November 1950) was an Australian lawyer and Australian Labor Party politician.
Brennan was born at Upper Emu Creek near Bendigo, Victoria and was a younger brother of Tom Brennan, later an assistant minister in the conservative Lyons government. He studied law at the University of Melbourne and achieved an LL.B. in 1901. He established a legal business specialising in union cases and became a Catholic layman. He joined the Labor Party in 1907 and unsuccessfully contested Bendigo in 1910,[1] but won Batman at a by-election in 1911. In 1913 he married Cecilia Mary O'Donnell.
Following Labor's election win in 1929, Brennan became Attorney-General in the Scullin Ministry, but was not particularly effective in this role. However, he lost his seat in the 1931 election as a result of the swing against Labor as a result of the Great Depression and a split in the Labor Party. He'd gone into the election holding Batman with a comfortably safe majority of 25.8 percent, but was defeated by United Australia Party challenger Samuel Dennis on an unheard-of swing of 26.6 percent. He recovered Batman in a rematch against Dennis in the 1934 election and held it until his retirement in 1949.
Brennan is the father of prominent author the late Niall Brennan, a biographer of both Archbiship Daniel Mannix[2] and businessman John Wren.[3]
Brennan died of hypertensive vascular disease in Melbourne.[4]
References
- ^ Colin Cleary (1999), Bendigo Labor. The Maintenance of Traditions in a Regional City, Epsom, Victoria, p.47
- ^ Niall Brennan (1964) Dr Mannix, Rigby, Adelaide
- ^ Niall Brennan (1971), John Wren: Gambler. His Life and Times, Hill of Content, Melbourne
- ^ Ryan, Kevin. "Brennan, Francis (Frank) (1873–1950)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 1 June 2007.