Linda Burney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linda Burney
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| Minister for Indigenous Australians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 June 2022 – 29 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ken Wyatt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Malarndirri McCarthy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Barton |
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| In office 2 July 2016 – 28 March 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Nickolas Varvaris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ash Ambihaipahar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales |
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| In office 8 April 2011 – 7 March 2016 |
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| Leader | John Robertson Luke Foley |
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| Preceded by | Jillian Skinner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michael Daley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National President of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 December 2008 – 30 July 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Rann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michael Williamson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Canterbury |
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| In office 22 March 2003 – 6 May 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Kevin Moss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Sophie Cotsis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 April 1957 Whitton, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Political party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Rick Farley (d. 2006) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Mitchell College of Advanced Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Linda Jean Burney (born 25 April 1957) is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Parliament for the area of Barton from 2016 to 2025. From 2022 to July 2024, she was the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Before that, she was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Canterbury from 2003 to 2016. She also worked as a teacher.
Linda Burney is from the Wiradjuri people. She was the first known Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament when she was elected in 2003. Later, in 2016, she became the first known Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives in federal politics.
In July 2024, she announced she would retire from parliament.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Linda Burney was born on 25 April 1957 in Whitton. This is a small town in south-west New South Wales, Australia. She grew up there and has both Wiradjuri and Scottish family roots.
She shared that she did not grow up knowing her Aboriginal family. She met her father, Nonny Ingram, in 1984. After that, she met ten more brothers and sisters. Her elderly aunt and uncle, Nina and Billy Laing, raised her. They taught her important values like honesty, loyalty, and respect.
Linda Burney went to primary school in Whitton. She attended Leeton High School for her first four years of high school. She finished her last two years at Penrith High School.
She was one of the first Aboriginal students to graduate from the Mitchell College of Advanced Education. This college is now known as Charles Sturt University. She earned a teaching diploma in 1978. In 2002, she received an honorary doctorate in education from the same university.
Career in Education and Aboriginal Affairs
Linda Burney started her career as a teacher. She taught at Lethbridge Park public school in western Sydney from 1979 to 1981. After that, she worked for the Aboriginal Education Unit in the NSW Department of Education from 1981 to 1983.
She was very involved with the New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (NSW AECG). From 1983 to 1998, she helped create and put into action Australia's first Aboriginal education policy. She became the president of AECG in 1988.
In 1998, Linda Burney became the deputy director general of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (NSW). She then became the director general from 2000 to 2003.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Linda Burney was involved in politics for many years. She was a candidate in the 1997 Australian Constitutional Convention election. She was also a member of the Labor Party's left-wing group. In 2006, she was elected National Vice-president of the Labor Party. She served as the National President from 2008 to 2009.
New South Wales Parliament
When Linda Burney was elected as the Member for Canterbury in 2003, it was a historic moment. She became the first Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament. In her first speech, she spoke about her Wiradjuri heritage. She said that growing up, it was hard to see herself reflected positively in Australian society.
In 2005, she became the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training. After the 2007 state election, she became a minister. She was the Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Volunteering. In September 2008, she became the Minister for Community Services. In December 2009, she was appointed Minister for the State Plan.
As Minister for Community Services, she led a big reform plan called "Keep Them Safe." This plan aimed to improve child protection services in New South Wales. She also became the first patron of the NSW Volunteer of the Year Award.
Linda Burney held these minister roles until the Labor Party lost the state election in 2011. After the election, she was chosen as the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party. This also made her the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She also took on roles as Shadow Minister for Planning, Infrastructure and Heritage, and Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation.
In December 2014, she became the interim leader of the opposition for a short time. She was then re-elected as deputy leader to Luke Foley. She also served as the Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs until she left state parliament.
Federal Parliament
On 1 March 2016, Linda Burney announced she would run for a seat in the federal parliament. She aimed to represent the area of Barton in the 2016 federal election. She resigned from the NSW Legislative Assembly on 6 May 2016.
She made history again by becoming the first Aboriginal woman elected to the federal Australian House of Representatives. She won the seat of Barton for the Labor Party. On 22 July 2016, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Human Services. Later, she also became Shadow Minister for Preventing Family Violence and Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services.
Linda Burney was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. After this election, she continued as Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services. She also became the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians.
After the Labor Party won the 2022 federal election, Linda Burney was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians. She was sworn into this role on 1 June 2022. This made her the first Aboriginal woman to hold this important position.
On 25 July 2024, Linda Burney announced she would retire from federal Parliament. She was replaced as Minister for Indigenous Australians by Malarndirri McCarthy on 28 July 2024.
Committee Work
Linda Burney also served on important committees in parliament:
- Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (2018–2019)
- Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2018)
Other Important Roles
Linda Burney has held many senior roles outside of parliament. She served on the boards of organisations like SBS and the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board. She was also an executive member of the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. She was the President of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. She also used to be the Director-General of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
She has given several important speeches and lectures. In 1996, she spoke about "Education and Social Justice" at the University of New England. In 2006, she gave the seventh Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture. In 2008, she gave the sixth Henry Parkes Oration.
As part of the 2012 Sydney Festival, Linda Burney performed in a play called I am Eora. In this play, she acted as herself, giving her first speech to the NSW Parliament.
In May 2022, she gave the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration in Adelaide. She spoke about the government's commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Awards and Recognition
Linda Burney has received many awards for her achievements:
- 1992: Department of School Education (NSW) Director General's Award for Outstanding Service to Public Schools
- 2002: Centenary Medal
- 2002: Honorary doctorate from Charles Sturt University
- 2010: Meritorious Service to Public Education and Training Award
- 2014: NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award
Personal Life
Linda Burney has a son and a daughter. Her partner for many years, Rick Farley, sadly passed away in 2006. Her son, Binni, also passed away suddenly in October 2017.
