Linda Burney MP

A proud Wiradjuri woman, Linda Burney was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the NSW Parliament, and the first Aboriginal woman to serve in the Australian House of Representatives. Her ongoing commitment to Indigenous issues spans more than 30 years. Linda has also held senior positions in the non-government sector, serving on boards including the SBS, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, and the NSW Board of Studies. Her career in politics was informed by her early years as a teacher, and in 2002 Charles Sturt University awarded her, the institution’s first Aboriginal graduate, an Honorary Doctorate in Education. 

Linda has a strong commitment to the prevention of domestic and family violence, and has detailed publicly her personal experience with it. Less known is that Linda’s son, Binni, died by suicide in 2017.

Linda Burney’s Winter Solstice 2021 speech