People Australia

Frank Crean, 1964

National Archives of Australia, A1200:L49581

Francis Daniel (Frank) Crean (1916-2008) accountant and parliamentarian

Birth: 28 February 1916 at Hamilton, Victoria, son of native-born parents John Thomas Crean (1877-1963), a  mine-worker, laborer and bicycle builder, and Alison Murray, née Lamont, primary school teacher. Marriage: 20 August 1946 to Mary Isabella Victoria Findlay (1914-2018). They had three sons. Religion: Presbyterian. 

• His parents were Labor Party supporter. Frank was educated at Hamilton State School, Melbourne Boys High School and the University of Melbourne (BA (Hons), B.Comm, DPA). Having worked as an income tax assessor in the Victorian Taxation Department from 1933 to 1945, he was an accountant and university tutor in 1947-1949.
• Crean joined the Albert Park branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1942. He was founding president of Victorian Young Labor in 1948.
• He was elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria for the seat of Albert Park from 1945 until he was defeated in 1947. He was MLA for Prahran from 1949 to 1951.
• In the Federal Parliament, he was member of the House of Representatives for Melbourne Ports from 28 April 1951. In the Whitlam government he was treasurer in 1972-1974, Minister for Overseas Trade in 1974-1975 and Deputy Prime Minister for a few months in 1975. He was also deputy leader of the parliamentary party in 1975-1976. He retired from politics in November 1977.
• He was founding president of the Victorian Fabian Society in 1947 and chairman Victorian Council of Adult Education from 1946 to 1973.
• Co-author of Government and Politics in Australia (1972). For much of his life he was a superintendent of Presbyterian Sunday schools. 

Sources
Geoff Browne, Biographical register of the Victorian Parliament, 1900-84 (Melbourne, 1985); Joan Rydon(ed), A biographical register of the Commonwealth Parliament 1901-1972 (ANU Press, 1975); Fact, 21 November 1963; ALP Year Book, 1973; Sydney Morning Herald, 4 December 2008, p 24.