Career
He is identified with the Zeitung, a German newspaper published in South Australia, and represented Barossa in the South Australian House of Assembly from 20 May 1876 to 22 April 1890 when he was not reelected. He was Minister of Education in the Morgan Ministry from March to June 1881. He entered the South Australian Legislative Council for the electorate of North-Eastern District on 19 May 1894 and held the seat until 18 May 1900.
In his political life he was gererally referred to as "F. Basedow", so may have preferred to be known as Friedrich or perhaps Frederic.