She left Collie Senior High School in 1972, having been dux that year and winning a University of Western Australia Exhibition in History and a Commonwealth scholarship.
She subsequently gained a Doctor of Philosophy from Monash University in 1989 with her thesis, The Politics of Work: Case Studies of Three Victorian Industries, 1880–1939, which was the basis of her first book.
[2] Frances became dean of College of the Arts and Social Sciences and professor of history at the Australian National University in 2017.
In 2008 she received an Award for Excellence in Academia from the Australian Intercultural Society for promoting interfaith teaching, research and dialogue.
In 2015 she received the Labour History Prize for the best article in the journal, Labour History, in the two years 2013-14, for ‘Authentic Leaders: Women and Leadership in Australian Unions before World War II’[4] Frances has been recognised as an outstanding teacher through university, state and national teaching awards, all of which have been shared with her partner, Bruce Scates.