Frank Hawkins

Who was Frank Hawkins?

Francis Harold "Frank" Hawkins was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Parliament from 1935 until 1968 and held a number of ministerial positions in the Government of New South Wales. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party.

Hawkins was born in Tenterfield. He was educated to intermediate level at De La Salle College Armidale. He worked initially with the Postmaster General's department and then the NSW Department of Railways. He was transferred to Newcastle Railway Station in 1933.

He successfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Newcastle as the Lang Labor candidate in the 1935 general election. The previous member, Peter Connolly did not contest the seat after losing his party's pre-selection.

Hawkins held ministerial roles in the New South Wales Labor Governments of premiers; James McGirr, Joseph Cahill, Bob Heffron and Jack Renshaw. He was a minister without portfolio from 1950 till 1952, Secretary for Lands from 1952 till 1956 and Minister for Child Welfare and Social Welfare from 1956 until the defeat of the Renshaw government at the 1 May 1965 general election.

He died in Newcastle in 1971 at the age of 74.