Linda Burney
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The Honourable Linda Burney MP |
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Barton |
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Assumed office 2 July 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Nickolas Varvaris |
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Deputy Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales |
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In office 8 April 2011 – 7 March 2016 |
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| Leader |
John Robertson Luke Foley |
| Preceded by | Jillian Skinner |
| Succeeded by | Michael Daley |
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Minister for Community Services of New South Wales |
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In office 8 September 2008 – 28 March 2011 |
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| Premier |
Nathan Rees Kristina Keneally |
| Preceded by | Kevin Greene |
| Succeeded by | Pru Goward (Family and Community Services) |
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Minister for Youth of New South Wales |
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In office 2 April 2007 – 5 September 2008 |
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| Premier | Morris Iemma |
| Preceded by | Reba Meagher |
| Succeeded by | Graham West |
| 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 |
| Political party | Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Rick Farley (dec'd) |
| Children | 1 (m); 1 (f) |
| Alma mater | Charles Sturt University |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Website | NSW Parliamentary webpage |
Linda Jean Burney (born 25 April 1957) is an Australian politician, who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Canterbury for the Australian Labor Party from 2003 to 2016, when she resigned to contest the federal seat of Barton. Upon her election, she became the first Aboriginal person to serve in the New South Wales Parliament. Linda Burney is also the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives, winning the federal seat of Barton in the 2016 federal election.
Burney was the New South Wales Deputy Leader of the Opposition and was also Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. In the Keneally ministry, she was the Minister for the State Plan and Minister for Community Services. During 2008 and 2009, Burney was National President of the Australian Labor Party.
Burney is of Wiradjuri descent and grew up in Whitton, a small town in south west NSW near Leeton.
In her inaugural speech to Parliament she said:
I did not grow up knowing my Aboriginal family. I met my father, Nonny Ingram, in 1984. His first words to me were, "I hope I don't disappoint you." I have now met 10 brothers and sisters. We grew up 40 minutes apart. That was the power of racism and denial in the fifties that was so overbearing. I now have two sets of brothers and sisters. I was raised by my old aunt and uncle, Nina and Billy Laing. They were brother and sister. These old people gave me the ground on which I stand today—the values of honesty, loyalty and respect.
Burney attended the local primary school in Whitton. She did her first four years of secondary school at Leeton High School and final two at Penrith High School. She was the first Aboriginal graduate from the Mitchell College of Advanced Education where she obtained a Diploma of Teaching.
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