Frank Stewart
Encyclopedia
Francis Eugene "Frank" Stewart (20 February 1923 – 16 April 1979), a former Australia
n politician and rugby league
footballer, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing Lang
between 1953 and 1977 and subsequently Grayndler
between 1977 and 1979 for the Australian Labor Party
. During his term in parliament, he was the Minister for Tourism and Recreation
. Prior to his election to parliament, Stewart played first grade rugby league
for Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs between 1948 and 1950.
His younger brother, Kevin Stewart AO
, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Canterbury
between 1976 and 1981, also for Labor. Kevin Stewart was a New South Wales government minister.
and educated at St Joseph's School, Belmore and St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney
. He married Maureen Neagle Smith in August 1952.
He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force
in New Guinea
with the 39th Transport Platoon in 1944 and 1945 and was eventually promoted to sergeant
.
, although unlike many other "groupers" he never left the Labor Party.
When the Whitlam
government was elected in 1972, he became Minister for Tourism and Recreation. Stewart was a strong opponent of abortion and the no-fault divorce reform
passed in 1975. As Vice-President of the Executive Council
, in 1975, he presided over the meeting that revoked Rex Connor
's authority to raise overseas funds. The Sydney Morning Herald
later published allegations that he was so concerned about Connor dealings with Tirath Khemlani that he leaked information to the opposition on the Loans Affair
.
After the fall of the Whitlam government, which was precipitated by the Loans Affair, Stewart moved to the backbench. When Lang was abolished prior to the 1977 election
, he transferred to Grayndler.
Kevin Stewart (1929–2006), Health Minister in the New South Wales government led by Neville Wran
, was Frank's younger brother. Frank Stewart died in Long Jetty
, New South Wales, of myocardial infarction
while playing squash
and was survived by his wife, five daughters and one son.
(AIS). One of the buildings at the AIS is named after Frank Stewart in recognition of the central role he played in the Institute's establishment.
Following an incident where Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs football club was stripped of all points in the National Rugby League
competition for breach of the salary cap, Kevin Stewart was appointed Chairman of the Board in 2002 in an attempt to restore the Clubs' reputation.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
representing Lang
Division of Lang
The Division of Lang was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, and was named after Rev. John Dunmore Lang, a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and advocate of Australian independence...
between 1953 and 1977 and subsequently Grayndler
Division of Grayndler
The Division of Grayndler is an Australian Electoral Division in inner Metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales. It is one of Australia's smallest electorates, located in the inner-southern Sydney metropolitan area, including parts of the inner-west...
between 1977 and 1979 for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. During his term in parliament, he was the Minister for Tourism and Recreation
Minister for Tourism (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Tourism is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Tourism:...
. Prior to his election to parliament, Stewart played first grade rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs between 1948 and 1950.
His younger brother, Kevin Stewart AO
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
representing Canterbury
Electoral district of Canterbury
Canterbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Linda Burney of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
between 1976 and 1981, also for Labor. Kevin Stewart was a New South Wales government minister.
Early life and army career
Stewart was born in the Sydney suburb of BelmoreBelmore, New South Wales
Belmore is a suburb, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Belmore is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury.-History:...
and educated at St Joseph's School, Belmore and St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney
St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney
St Mary's Cathedral College is a private, Catholic, secondary day school for boys, located in the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is owned by the Archbishop of Sydney and operates as a systemic school....
. He married Maureen Neagle Smith in August 1952.
He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
with the 39th Transport Platoon in 1944 and 1945 and was eventually promoted to sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
.
Political career
Stewart joined the Australian Labor Party in 1942 and was elected as the federal member for Lang in 1953 and belonged to the right-wing Catholic faction of the party. He was widely considered a grouperIndustrial Groups
The Industrial Groups were groups formed by the Australian Labor Party in the late 1940s, to combat Communist Party influence in the trade unions....
, although unlike many other "groupers" he never left the Labor Party.
When the Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
government was elected in 1972, he became Minister for Tourism and Recreation. Stewart was a strong opponent of abortion and the no-fault divorce reform
Family Law Act 1975
The Australian Family Law Act 1975, sometimes referred to as the FLA by legal practitioners, is an Act of the Australian Parliament. It is one of four separate Acts that provide the framework for family law in Australia...
passed in 1975. As Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
, in 1975, he presided over the meeting that revoked Rex Connor
Rex Connor
Reginald Francis Xavier "Rex" Connor , Australian politician, was a minister in the Whitlam government and promoted government investment to support national development...
's authority to raise overseas funds. The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
later published allegations that he was so concerned about Connor dealings with Tirath Khemlani that he leaked information to the opposition on the Loans Affair
Loans Affair
The Loans Affair, also called the Khemlani Affair, is the name given to the political scandal involving the Whitlam Government of Australia in 1975, in which it was accused of attempting to borrow money illegally from Middle Eastern countries by bypassing standard procedure as dictated by the...
.
After the fall of the Whitlam government, which was precipitated by the Loans Affair, Stewart moved to the backbench. When Lang was abolished prior to the 1977 election
Australian federal election, 1977
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1977. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election....
, he transferred to Grayndler.
Kevin Stewart (1929–2006), Health Minister in the New South Wales government led by Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
, was Frank's younger brother. Frank Stewart died in Long Jetty
Long Jetty, New South Wales
Long Jetty is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on a peninsula between Tuggerah Lake and the Pacific Ocean south of The Entrance. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area.- Transportation :...
, New South Wales, of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while playing squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and was survived by his wife, five daughters and one son.
Australian Institute of Sport
As Minister for Tourism and Recreation, in 1974 Stewart appointed a study group to report on the feasibility of establishing an Australian sports institute. Released in 1975, the report recommended the establishment of a sports institute, now known as the Australian Institute of SportAustralian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
(AIS). One of the buildings at the AIS is named after Frank Stewart in recognition of the central role he played in the Institute's establishment.
Rugby league
Patrick Francis Stewart, the father of both Kevin and Frank Stewart, was the founding president of the Canterbury Bankstown Leagues Club. The Stewart family have been long term supporters of the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and Frank played first-grade rugby league for the Bulldogs from 1948 to 1950. In recognition of this support, the grandstand at Belmore Sports Ground (the former home ground of the Club) is named the "Stewart Stand” after Patrick, Frank, and Kevin Stewart.Following an incident where Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs football club was stripped of all points in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition for breach of the salary cap, Kevin Stewart was appointed Chairman of the Board in 2002 in an attempt to restore the Clubs' reputation.