Born in Egypt, Bob Francis came to Princes from the English school in Cairo, and in his final year was Captain of the Rowing VIII.
The community of South Australia has benefited through Francis willingness to use his media profile for the promotion of causes about which he is passionate, including the Life Saving Association of South Australia, Heart Foundation, Women’s and Children’s Hospital and St John Ambulance. Many of these organisations have honoured him with awards of their own, and his membership of the Order of Australia was in recognition of services to the community, particularly charitable organisations that seek to assist young people.
Bob Francis was well known as a talk-back radio host, master of ceremonies and leader of the South Australia Concert Party which entertained 50,000 Australian, United States and Vietnamese personnel in South Vietnam in 1970. He was also involved in bringing the Beatles to Adelaide in 1964.