Francis Matthew John Baker

Who was Francis Matthew John Baker?

Francis Matthew John Baker was an Australian politician and Vice-President of the State Service Union.

Baker was born in Bundaberg, Queensland. A member of the Federal Labor Party, he unsuccessfully ran for office for the Queensland seat of Oxley in the 1928 federal election, being beaten by James Bayley of the Nationalist Party.

In the 1931 election he again contested Oxley, this time successfully. Following the abolition of Oxley, Baker was elected as the representative for Griffith, Queensland in 1934 and 1937. He remained in parliament until 1939 when he was killed in a motor accident. His death resulted in the 1939 Griffith by-election.

In 1936, Baker led a proposal for Australian parliamentary proceedings to be broadcast on radio.

Following his death, the Australian Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons commented that "had he lived, I am sure he would have advanced to an important place in his party." Baker studied law while a member of parliament and had almost completed his course when he died.

Baker's father, Francis Patrick Baker, was elected to the seat of Maranoa in 1940. This is the only case in which a father was elected to the Australian federal parliament after his son.