Frank Sheehan (Australian politician)

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Frank Sheehan
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Ballarat South
In office
3 April 1982 – 2 October 1992
Preceded byJoan Chambers
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Personal details
Born(1937-08-17)17 August 1937
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Died5 May 2021(2021-05-05) (aged 83)
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLabor
Spouse
Rosalie Moroney
(m. 1966)
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
OccupationMotor trades instructor

Francis Patrick Sheehan OAM (17 August 1937 – 5 May 2021) was an Australian politician and community advocate from Ballarat.

Sheehan was born in Ballarat to farmer Cornelius Joseph Sheehan and Kathleen Veronica O'Donohue. He attended local Catholic schools and became a motor trades instructor, with a Trained Trade Instructors Certificate and Diploma of Technical Education from Hawthorn State College. From 1964 to 1966 he was national president of Young Christian Workers; in 1967 he joined the Labor Party. In 1982 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for Ballarat South. He served until 1992, when his seat was abolished and he was defeated in Ballarat East.[1]

After losing his seat he continued working for the Overseas Service Bureau (now Australian Volunteers International).[2] He was active in the Ballarat Diocesan Ecological Sustainability Group.[3] Sheehan was also an outspoken advocate for victims of historical sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, founding the Moving Towards Justice support group.[4]

In 2018 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the Ballarat community,[5] he cited the creation of workplace laws as one of his greatest achievements.[2]

Sheehan died in May 2021, aged 83.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parliament of Victoria (2002). "Sheehan, Francis Patrick". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Gliddon, Greg (11 June 2018). "Queen's Birthday Honours 2018 | Frank Sheehan OAM". The Courier. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Newsletter of Ballarat Diocesan Ecological Sustainability Group" (PDF).
  4. ^ a b Russell, Jackson (6 May 2021). "Former MP and champion of Ballarat causes dies at 83". The Courier. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Mr Francis Patrick Sheehan". It's An Honour. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Ballarat South
1982–1992
Abolished