Rick Farley
| Rick Farley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Andrew Farley 9 December 1952 Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 13 May 2006 (aged 53) Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Politician, Civil rights activist |
| Subject | Social issues |
| Literary movement | Aboriginal reconciliation |
Richard Andrew Farley (9 December 1952 – 13 May 2006) was an Australian born journalist, politician, land rights and civil rights activist for the rights of Indigenous Australians. He emerged in the public's eye as a prominent member of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, an organisation that looked to establish healthy, multicultural relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians.
Farley was born in Townsville, Queensland, on 9 December 1952. In 1983, Farley married Cathy Reade. Together, they had one son and one daughter, Jeremy and Cailin Farley. They separated in 1996 and Farley went on to date Australian Labor Party MP Linda Burney, the first Indigenous member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and the former Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Opposition.
Farley was described by those close to him as having had "an extraordinary ability to persuade, negotiate and build bridges to gain bipartisan support for the matters he was passionate about".
Farley began his career as a journalist for the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin, and as an advisor to the Federal Minister for Health in the Whitlam Government. He eventually became the executive director of the Cattlemen's Union of Australia and the chief executive of the National Farmers' Federation, a position he held for eight years.
In 1989, while the head of the National Farmer's Federation, collaborating with Philip Toyne from the Australian Conservation Foundation, Farley succeeded in acquiring a financial contribution from the Australian Government towards the national Landcare volunteer movement. Following the investment, Farley committed his life and his career to the needs of farmers, conservationists and to the process of reconciliation towards the Indigenous population.
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