Francis Murray’s grandparents and their children settled in Birdsville in 1950 when the community asked them to stay to keep the school open. They worked in the cattle industry all their lives and later Francis’ father worked for the Diamantina Shire Council in roadbuilding.

Francis attended the Birdsville State Primary School and finished his secondary education at Scots PGC in Warwick.

Francis and his wife Michelle established their roadworks business working for the Diamantina Shire in the early 1990s, going on to have two children, and when his parents passed away, they raised his brother. When the family moved to South Australia for the children’s education, Francis maintained their business in locations such as South Australia’s northern tracks, the Cooper Basin, APY Lands, the Northern Territory, and the Diamantina Shire.

Francis and Michelle now live in Birdsville and have ceased running their business to focus on his role as Mayor. Francis is proudly descended from the Arabana, Dieri, Barngarla, Kookatha and Scottish peoples of South Australia but, having lived and worked almost all his life across the Diamantina Shire, it is home.

This is Francis’ second term as an elected member to the Diamantina Shire Council. During his first term, from 2020 to 2024, he was a councillor for approximately two years and then Deputy Mayor for the remainder of the term.

Francis’ aim is to see a sealed road from north to east through the Diamantina Shire. This is the key to not only the shire’s economic viability and liveability into the future but will enhance all the western Queensland shires that the Diamantina Shire’s traffic must travel through.