Frank Donovan (politician)
Francis Anthony Donovan (born 28 January 1947) is a former Australian politician and Vietnam veteran who served in Western Australia’s Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1993.
Early life and career
- Born in Rickmansworth, England, to Cecelia Mary and James Francis Donovan.
- Moved to Australia in 1964 and joined the Australian Army, serving a tour in Vietnam with the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
- After leaving the army in 1969, he moved to Western Australia in 1970, worked as a cabinet-maker, then as a welfare officer in Roebourne.
- Studied at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), earning a Bachelor of Social Work in 1980.
- Worked as a researcher for federal Labor MP Graeme Campbell and as a social worker; helped form a statewide association for Vietnam veterans.
Political career
- First ran for parliament in 1983 in Murchison-Eyre but lost to Liberal Peter Coyne.
- Won the 1987 Morley-Swan by-election after Arthur Tonkin’s resignation, entering the Legislative Assembly.
- Re-elected in 1989 for the renamed seat of Morley; served as deputy chairman of committees until October 1991.
- In 1991, left the Labor Party to sit as an independent, opposing the Gulf War troop deployment and the state government’s decision to grant land for Notre Dame University in Fremantle. He was the third Labor MP to resign that year, contributing to Carmen Lawrence’s minority government.
Later life
- Did not contest the 1993 state election and returned to social work.
- Moved to Victoria in 1995.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:24 (CET).