Frank Foster

Francis James Foster (1872 – 9 September 1948) was an Australian politician, representing the Division of New England in the House of Representatives for the Australian Labor Party from 1906 to 1913.

Background Born in Sofala, New South Wales, he grew up in Wattle Flat, received a primary education and held various jobs including a miner, farmhand, teacher and shopkeeper. He also pursued fruit growing as an orchardist in Inverell. Foster was appointed the Chairman of 'The Royal Commission into Fruit Industry' in 1912. In 1914, Foster was elected President of the Western Beekeepers' Association.

Politics Foster was an unsuccessful Labor candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for The Macquarie at the 1895 election and 1898 election. He was also unsuccessful at the 1904 election for Gough and the 1904 Bingara by-election. At the 1906 election, he was selected as the Labor candidate for the seat of New England, and went on to defeat Anti-Socialist candidate Edmund Lonsdale. He made two attempts for the NSW Legislative Assembly, at the 1913 election for Darlinghurst and at the 1917 Macquarie by-election.