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Ross Free

b. 1943

Australian politician

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About Ross Free

Born 1943. Ross Free is an Australian politician and teacher.

Ross Vincent Free (born 7 March 1943) is a former Australian politician who served as a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the seat of Macquarie from 1980 until 1984, then Lindsay from 1984 until 1996. He served as a minister from 1980 until 1996 in both the Hawke and Keating ministries.

Biography Free was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Sydney, following which he worked as a school teacher.

Free won Labor preselection for the outer Sydney federal seat of Macquarie ahead of the 1980 election, and defeated the incumbent Liberal member Reg Gillard. He served as a member of several house standing parliamentary committees, in opposition and then in government upon Hawke winning the prime ministership in 1983. When a redistribution ahead of the 1984 election erased most of his majority in Macquarie, he transferred to the newly created seat of Lindsay, based around Penrith. In 1985 he led a delegation to the European Parliamentary Institutions in Strasbourg and Berlin, and again in Germany in 1986.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Sydney
Positions held
Member of the Australian House of Representatives
Also known as
Ross Vincent Free

People in Ross Free's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ross Free's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ross Free?

Australian politician

When was Ross Free born?

Ross Free was born on 7 March 1943 in Bathurst.

What is Ross Free's occupation?

Ross Free is a politician and teacher.

What nationality is Ross Free?

Ross Free is Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ross Free

· Wikidata: Q7369337

· DBpedia: Ross Free

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ross Free. https://biography.guide/ross-free/

MLA: "Ross Free." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ross-free/.

Chicago: "Ross Free." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ross-free/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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