Linda Burney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Linda Burney
Minister for Indigenous Australians
In office 1 June 2022 – 29 July 2024
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Ken Wyatt
Succeeded by	Malarndirri McCarthy
Member of the Australian Parliament for Barton
In office 2 July 2016 – 28 March 2025
Preceded by	Nickolas Varvaris
Succeeded by	Ash Ambihaipahar
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales
In office 8 April 2011 – 7 March 2016
Leader	John Robertson Luke Foley
Preceded by	Jillian Skinner
Succeeded by	Michael Daley
National President of the Labor Party
In office 27 December 2008 – 30 July 2009
Preceded by	Mike Rann
Succeeded by	Michael Williamson
NSW Minister (2007–2011) Minister for Community Services In office 8 September 2008 – 28 March 2011 Premier Nathan Rees Kristina Keneally Preceded by Kevin Greene Succeeded by Pru Goward (Family and Community Services) Minister for Youth In office 2 April 2007 – 5 September 2008 Premier Morris Iemma Preceded by Reba Meagher Succeeded by Graham West
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Canterbury
In office 22 March 2003 – 6 May 2016
Preceded by	Kevin Moss
Succeeded by	Sophie Cotsis
Personal details
Born	(1957-04-25) 25 April 1957 (age 68) Whitton, New South Wales, Australia
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, representing the area of Barton, from 2016 until her retirement in 2025. From 2022 to July 2024, she served as the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Before entering federal politics, she was a member of the New South Wales Parliament for Canterbury from 2003 to 2016. Linda Burney was also a teacher.

Linda Burney is a proud Wiradjuri woman. She made history as 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, which is part of the federal parliament.

After the Labor Party won the federal election in 2022, Linda Burney was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians. This made her the first Aboriginal woman to hold this important role. She retired from federal parliament in 2025, after announcing her decision in July 2024.

Linda Burney's Early Life and Education

Linda Burney was born on 25 April 1957 in Whitton, a small town in New South Wales, Australia. She grew up there, and her background includes both Wiradjuri Aboriginal and Scottish heritage. In her first speech to the New South Wales Parliament, she shared that she didn't know her Aboriginal family when she was young. She met her father, Nonny Ingram, in 1984 and later discovered she had ten 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 completed her high school education at Leeton High School and Penrith High School.

In 1978, she earned a Diploma of Teaching from Mitchell College of Advanced Education, which is now Charles Sturt University. She was one of the first Aboriginal students to graduate from this university. In recognition of her achievements, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Education from Charles Sturt University in 2002.

Teaching Career and Aboriginal Education

Linda Burney started her career as a teacher at Lethbridge Park public school in Western Sydney from 1979 to 1981. After that, she worked for the Aboriginal Education Unit within 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. During this time, she helped create and put into action Australia's first policy for Aboriginal education. She became the president of the NSW AECG in 1988.

Leadership in Aboriginal Affairs

In 1998, Linda Burney became the deputy director general of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in New South Wales. She then served as the director general for the department from 2000 to 2003. In these roles, she worked to support and improve the lives of Aboriginal people in the state.

Linda Burney's Political Journey

Starting in Politics

Linda Burney became involved in politics early on. In 2006, she was chosen as the National Vice-president of the Australian Labor Party. She then served as the National President of the party during 2008 and 2009.

Serving in New South Wales Parliament

When Linda Burney was elected as the Member for Canterbury in 2003, she made history. She was the first Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament. In her first speech, she spoke about the importance of Aboriginal people seeing themselves reflected positively in their country.

In 2005, she became the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training. After the 2007 election, Linda Burney took on several important roles. She became the Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Volunteering. In September 2008, she was promoted to Minister for Community Services. In this role, she led a major plan called "Keep Them Safe" to improve services for children and families. She also became the Minister for the State Plan in December 2009.

Linda Burney held these ministerial roles until the Labor Party lost the state election in 2011. After this, she was elected as the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She also became a "Shadow Minister" for various areas, including Planning, Infrastructure, Heritage, and Aboriginal Affairs. A Shadow Minister is a member of the opposition party who watches over a specific government department.

Moving to Federal Parliament

On 1 March 2016, Linda Burney announced her plan to run for a seat in the federal parliament. She was chosen as the Labor candidate for the area of Barton. She resigned from the New South Wales Parliament on 6 May 2016.

Linda Burney then made history again. She became the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the federal House of Representatives. This is a very important part of Australia's national government.

After being elected, she became a Shadow Minister for Human Services. Later, she also took on responsibilities for preventing family violence and became the Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services.

Linda Burney was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. She continued her work as Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services and also became the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians.

When the Labor government was elected in 2022, with Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister, Linda Burney was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians. She was sworn into this role on 1 June 2022, becoming the first Aboriginal woman to hold this position.

Linda Burney announced her retirement from federal Parliament in July 2024. She concluded her term as a Member of Parliament in 2025. Malarndirri McCarthy replaced her as Minister for Indigenous Australians.

Committee Work in Parliament

During her time in federal parliament, Linda Burney also served on important committees. These included:

• The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, from September 2018 to July 2019.
• The Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, from March 2018 to November 2018. These committees help parliament study important issues and make recommendations.

Other Important Roles

Linda Burney has also held many senior positions outside of government. She served on the boards of organizations like SBS, the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board, and the New South Wales Board of Studies. She was also a leader in the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and a former Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

She has given several important speeches, including the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture in 1996, the Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture in 2006, and the Henry Parkes Oration in 2008. These speeches often focused on education, social justice, and Aboriginal affairs.

In 2012, as part of the Sydney Festival, Linda Burney performed in a play called I am Eora. In this production, she delivered her own first speech to the New South Wales Parliament.

In 2022, she gave the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration, where she spoke about the government's commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This statement is a call for a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Awards and Recognition

Linda Burney has received many awards for her hard work and dedication:

• 1992: Department of School Education (NSW) Director General's Award for Outstanding Service to Public Schools.
• 2002: Centenary Medal, which recognizes people who have made a contribution to Australian society.
• 2002: Honorary doctorate from Charles Sturt University.
• 2010: Meritorious Service to Public Education and Training Award.
• 2014: NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award, for her lifelong contributions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Personal Life

Linda Burney has two children. Her partner for several years, Rick Farley, passed away in 2006. Sadly, her son, Binni, passed away in 2017.