Frank Crean

Frank Crean
Crean in 1973
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office
2 July 1975 – 11 November 1975
Prime MinisterGough Whitlam
Preceded byJim Cairns
Succeeded byDoug Anthony
Minister for Overseas Trade
In office
11 December 1974 – 11 November 1975
Prime MinisterGough Whitlam
Preceded byJim Cairns
Succeeded byDoug Anthony
Treasurer of Australia
In office
19 December 1972 – 11 December 1974
Prime MinisterGough Whitlam
Preceded byGough Whitlam
Succeeded byJim Cairns
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office
2 July 1975 – 22 December 1975
LeaderGough Whitlam
Preceded byDr. Jim Cairns
Succeeded byTom Uren
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Melbourne Ports
In office
28 April 1951 – 10 November 1977
Preceded byJack Holloway
Succeeded byClyde Holding
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
In office
22 January 1949 – 1 March 1951
Preceded byWilliam Quirk
Succeeded byRobert Pettiona
ConstituencyPrahran
In office
10 November 1945 – 7 November 1947
Preceded byWilliam Haworth
Succeeded byRoy Schilling
ConstituencyAlbert Park
Personal details
Born
Francis Daniel Crean

(1916-02-28)28 February 1916
Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
Died2 December 2008(2008-12-02) (aged 92)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLabor
Spouse
Mary Findlay
(m. 1945)
ChildrenStephen
Simon
David
Alma materHamilton High School
University of Melbourne

Francis Daniel Crean (28 February 1916 – 2 December 2008) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1951 to 1977, representing the Labor Party. He was a minister in the Whitlam government, including as Treasurer from 1972 to 1974 and the fifth deputy prime minister for a few months in 1975.

Crean was born in Hamilton, Victoria. He attended Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne, and subsequently worked as a tax accountant. Crean was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1945. He lost his seat in 1947 and reclaimed it in 1949, but quit state politics two years later to stand at the 1951 federal election. Crean spent the first 21 years of his career in federal politics in opposition, albeit as a frontbencher for most of that time. He became Treasurer after the 1972 election, but economic uncertainty and factional considerations meant he was replaced by Jim Cairns after two years. He was instead appointed Minister for Overseas Trade. Crean held that position until the government's dismissal in 1975, and for its final six months was also deputy prime minister, replacing Cairns when he became embroiled in the Khemlani affair. He left politics at the 1977 election. His son, Simon Crean, was a Member of Parliament from 1990 to 2013.