Francis Michael Burke (27 March 1876 – 17 August 1949) was an Australian politician.
Born atTamworth to police officerMichael Burke (who would serve in theNew South Wales Parliament from 1885 to 1887) and Catherine Agnes,née Leahy, he attended Crown Street Public School. After leaving school he held a variety of jobs including storeman, hotel manager and assistant on the staff of theEvening News. In 1901, he married Ada May Frazer, with whom he had five children. He worked on the tramways until he was dismissed after involvement in a union-led 1908 strike; he formed a small business and from 1914 to 1918 worked as an inspector for the New South Wales Commodities Commission and the Commonwealth Price Commission. He also worked as a staff member forClive Evatt, and was president of theNewtown branch of theLabor Party.[1]
As president of the Anti-Conscription Council, Burke was ardently opposed to conscription and in 1917 was elected to theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member forNewtown. Whileproportional representation was in force from 1920 to 1927 he was one of the members forBotany, returning to his old seat in 1927. From 1930 to 1932, he wasSpeaker of the Assembly. In July 1939, he joinedBob Heffron'sIndustrial Labor Party, but this splinter group was reincorporated into the ALP in August. He was defeated in 1944 byLang Labor candidateLilian Fowler. Burke died atDulwich Hill in 1949.[1]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forNewtown 1917–1920 | Succeeded by Seat abolished |
| Preceded by | Member forBotany 1920–1927 Served alongside:Hickey/Ratcliffe,John Lee,McKell,Mutch | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by New seat | Member forNewtown 1927–1944 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1930–1932 | Succeeded by |
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