Warren Mundine
Encyclopedia
Warren Stephen Mundine is an Australian Aboriginal
leader and the former National President of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP). He is a member of the Bundjalung people
.
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 is 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 was the ninth of 11 children in his family, eight boys and three girls. He was raised a Catholic
. In 1963, the family moved to Sydney and settled in the inner-western suburb of Auburn. After leaving school, he found work as a fitter and machinist, sewerage worker and then later went back to night college to earn his Higher School Certificate. Following a job at the Australian Taxation Office
, Mundine moved to Adelaide
, studying at the South Australian Institute of Technology, which later became the University of South Australia
. He now lives in Sydney and has seven children.
Warren Mundine is also a Director of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
leader and the former National President of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP). He is a member of the Bundjalung people
Bundjalung people
The Bundjalung people are those Australian Aborigines who are the original custodians of northern coastal areas of New South Wales , 554 km northeast of Sydney: an area that includes the Bundjalung National Park and Mount Warning Bundjalung people...
.
Mundine worked in the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
public service, including a stint as the CEO of the New South Wales Native Title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
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 is 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
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
National Indigenous Council. He won the 2005 Bennelong Medal for service to the Aboriginal community.
He succeeded Barry Jones
Barry Jones (Australian politician)
Barry Owen Jones AO, FAA, FASSA, FAHA, FTSE, FACE is a writer, lawyer, social activist, quiz champion and former politician. He campaigned against the death penalty throughout the 1960s, particularly against the execution of Ronald Ryan, and remains against capital punishment...
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 was the ninth of 11 children in his family, eight boys and three girls. He was raised a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. In 1963, the family moved to Sydney and settled in the inner-western suburb of Auburn. After leaving school, he found work as a fitter and machinist, sewerage worker and then later went back to night college to earn his Higher School Certificate. Following a job at the Australian Taxation Office
Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...
, Mundine moved to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, studying at the South Australian Institute of Technology, which later became the University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
. He now lives in Sydney and has seven children.
Warren Mundine is also a Director of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
External links
- ALP biography
- Labor's great black hope, The Australian, December 2005 http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/news/2006/aust1jan06.html
- VIDEO Warren Mundine and Marcia Langton talk about the need for a new dialogue on Indigenous Affairs on ABC FORA