Frederick Graham Pratten (13 December 1899 – 18 December 1977) was an Australian politician. He was a Nationalist Party member of the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Australian Senate, Senate. Its composition and powers are set out in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. ...

for

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

from 1928 to 1929 and a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...

from 1937 to 1976, successively representing the

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...

(1937-1945),

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

(1945-1960) and Country Party (1959-1972). Pratten was born in Leichhardt and was educated at Abbotsholme College,

Sydney Church of England Grammar School The Sydney Church of England Grammar School (commonly known as Shore or Shore School) is an independent Anglican school for boys located on Sydney's Lower North Shore, New South Wales, Australia. The school operates across two campuses, offer ...

and the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, graduating with a bachelor of science in 1923. He worked in his family's firm, Pratten Bros., and subsequently took over as managing director of the business before he first entered politics. He was a director of the Australian board of London Assurance, the Pan Australia Unit Trust and Wentworth Hotel Limited, and was secretary of the Pymble branch of the Nationalist Party. In 1928 his uncle,

Herbert Pratten Herbert Edward Pratten (7 May 1865 – 7 May 1928) was an Australian politician. He served as Minister for Health (Australia), Minister for Health (1924–1925) and Minister for Trade (Australia), Minister for Trade and Customs (1924–1928) in ...

, a

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

MP, died, and Frederick was selected by the Nationalists to replace him in the resulting

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

for the seat of

, defeating former

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

William Holman and Brigadier Herbert Lloyd in Nationalist preselection. He won the by-election, and was returned in the federal election later that year. He was defeated in the elections of 1929. Pratten was then elected to the

in 1937. In December 1938, he made a widely reported speech that demanded that the "inflow of foreign Jews" fleeing

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

had to be checked to prevent "a serious problem which will undoubtedly strike at the social, economical and political nature of this State" and argued that the federal government should "ensure more rigid and scientific control of this type of immigrant". In 1959, he was one of three Liberal MPs to defect to the Country Party, giving the Country Party a majority among upper house members of the conservative

Coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

; it was reported that the split was due to a disagreement with the Liberal Party over policy on the abolition of the Legislative Council. He served in the Legislative Council until 1976. Pratten was a director of the

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a large teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School at the ...

from 1960 to 1971. He died at

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local government in Australia, local government area o ...

in 1977.

References

Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia United Australia Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Martin Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council 1899 births 1977 deaths National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Australian MPs 1925–1928 Australian MPs 1928–1929 {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub