Francis Thomas Dean Carrington, (17 November 1843 – 9 October 1918) was a British-born prolific and influential political cartoonist, illustrator and journalist, active in Australia and based in Melbourne from the mid-1860s to his death in 1918.

His featured illustrations were noteworthy as incisive critiques of the protectionist liberal faction of colonial politicians in their campaigns against their establishment opponents, in line with the conservative political stance of the proprietors of Punch.

In June 1880 he was one of four newspapermen present at the capture of the bushranger Ned Kelly at Glenrowan and his writings and illustrations are a vivid and important record of the associated events.

[1][3] Carrington began his professional career with the publishers Clarke and Co., of Paternoster Row in London, and his first illustration to appear in print was a title-page to one of Thomas Mayne Reid's novels.

After only moderate success at finding gold, with intervening "dull periods", Carrington took on other jobs to make a living, becoming "by turns a sawyer, a builder, a surveyor and a sign-board painter".

[6] In 1866 Carrington brought some of his drawings to Jardine Smith, the editor and proprietor of Melbourne Punch, a weekly illustrated magazine of humour and satire.

[9] When Carrington joined the staff of Melbourne Punch the principal cartoonist for the publication was Oswald Rose Campbell, who was mainly responsible for the featured full-page illustrations on page five of the journal.

[13] Carrington's feature cartoons for "Melbourne Punch" over a twenty year period, from May 1867 to December 1887, were described as "the long fusillade of pictures that wrought such havoc in the politics of the day".

[20] The cartoon and its accompanying verse (on the previous page) signifies "colonial resentment of imperial interference", an emerging grievance that was to become more widespread in the following decade.

[21] The new owners were "staunch conservatives" who instigated a campaign in the pages of their magazine against the protectionist liberal faction that had become dominant in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

With the change in ownership and the overt adoption of an anti-liberal stance by Melbourne Punch, "Carrington's graphic satire burst into full bloom".

The pantomime, which premiered at the Theatre Royal on on Boxing Night, 26 December 1874, was originally written by John Strachan and was titled Humpty-Dumpty (Who Sat on the Wall), or, Harlequin King Arthur, His Three Sons, the Princess Roseleaf, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Fairy of the Fern Tree Gully.

[25] Carrington's 'In Memoriam', published on 16 May 1878 referred to the rejection by the Victorian Legislative Council in January 1878 of the government's Appropriation Bill for the payment of salaries of the colony's civil servants.

[26][27] Carrington provided illustrations for the publication of a serialised novel, 'Two Wives' by N. Walter Swan, in The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser from 27 December 1879 to 7 February 1880.

[30] After Berry's government was defeated at the polls in February 1880 a testimonial was raised by public subscription and presented to Carrington "whose pictures have unquestionably done much to throw deserved ridicule upon the now defunct Ministry".

Carrington, with nine policemen, five Aboriginal trackers and three other pressmen, left Melbourne by a special train late on Sunday night and arrived in the early hours of Monday morning at Glenrowan, in north-east Victoria near the Warby Ranges.

The newspapermen who accompanied Carrington were George Allen (Melbourne's Daily Telegraph), John McWhirter (The Age) and Joseph D. Melvin (The Argus).

The journalists remained at the station under cover during the initial exchange of fire between the police and the outlaws and gave first aid to Superintendent Hare after he was wounded on the wrist.

As the journalists were watching the scene around the besieged hotel from the western end of the station they suddenly noticed a couple of the men turning away from the inn and begin "firing at something in the bush".

He described the figure as it first emerged "in the dim light of morning, with the steam rising from the ground", as having the appearance of "the ghost of Hamlet's father with no head, only a long thick neck".

[34] His illustrations, based on sketches made at the scene, were published in the July issue of The Australasian Sketcher, featuring a drawing on the cover of Ned Kelly in his armour, one leg propped upon a fallen log, firing at the police with his revolver.

[35] Carrington's written descriptions and published images of the events at Glenrowan have proven to be highly influential and "underpin the way Ned Kelly is remembered in Australian history and cultural mythology".

About a year later he sold his share and entered into a partnership with James McKinley and Edmund Finn (another Punch staff-member) to start a newspaper called the World, the first issue of which was published on 20 November 1881.

In February 1886 both parties elected new leaders, Duncan Gillies (Conservative) and Alfred Deakin (Liberal), under whose leadership the coalition was re-elected in March 1886.

[4] Carrington designed an invitation (on behalf of the Commonwealth government) to be sent to those selected to witness the opening of the first Australian parliament after Federation, held on 9 May 1901 in the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.