Frank Lionel O'Keefe, AM

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"...

 (6 October 1912 – 21 April 1989) was an Australia

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. Born in Gunnedah, New South Wales

Gunnedah, New South Wales

Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people ....

, he attended state schools before becoming a farm machinery distributor and oil merchant. He was mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council

Gunnedah Shire Council

Gunnedah Shire is a local government area in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated 264 metres above sea level on the Liverpool Plains in the Namoi River valley. It is traversed by the Oxley Highway and the Kamilaroi Highway.The Shire is very flat;...

 for 18 years, and also served on Namoi Valley County Council. In 1961 he was elected to 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...

 for Liverpool Plains

Electoral district of Liverpool Plains

Liverpool Plains was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1859 and including the Liverpool Plains and the extensive pastoral district around the Gwydir River in the northwest of the state. It was created when the seat of...

, representing the Country Party

National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

; he transferred to Upper Hunter

Electoral district of Upper Hunter

Upper Hunter is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by George Souris of the National Party of Australia....

 in 1962, which he held until 1969. In that year he was elected to 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....

 as the member for Paterson

Division of Paterson

The Division of Paterson is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located just north of Newcastle, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It extends to the Hunter Valley in the south, the Manning River in the north, and the Great Dividing Range in the west...

. He held the seat until its abolition in 1984, at which time he retired. O'Keefe died in 1989.