Warren Mundine

Nyunggai Warren Stephen Mundine AO (born 11 August 1956 in Grafton, New South Wales) is an Australian Aboriginal leader and the former National President of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He quit the Labor Party in 2012 and was appointed into the position of chairman of the Australian Government's Indigenous Advisory Council by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

A member of the Bundjalung people, the traditional owners of country covering much of coastal northern New South Wales, Mundine was the ninth of 11 children in his family, which consisted of eight boys and three girls. Mundine was raised a Catholic, and in 1963 the family moved to Sydney and settled in the western suburb of Auburn. Mundine went to the Catholic Benedict Marist Brothers College and found work as a fitter and turner after leaving school. He is also a descendant of the Gumbaynggirr, Yuin and Irish peoples through his mother's family.

Mundine worked in the New South Wales public service, including a stint as the CEO of the New South Wales Native Title Service. In 1995, he successfully stood as an independent candidate for Dubbo City Council in central-west NSW, later becoming deputy mayor, a position he held until 2004. He was a long-time member of the ALP and before becoming National President of the party, he previously served as its Senior Vice-President and as a member of the Australian Government's National Indigenous Council. He won the 2005 Bennelong Medal for service to the Aboriginal community.

He succeeded Barry Jones as President of the ALP, beginning his term on 28 January 2006, and became the first Indigenous Australian to serve as President of an Australian political party. Mundine served one term as national President, stepping down in 2007.

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