Warren Mundine

Warren Mundine AO (born 1956 in Grafton, New South Wales) 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. [The Bennelong Society (2006). [http://www.bennelong.com.au/medallists.php Recipients of the Bennelong Medal] . Retrieved May 28, 2006.]

He succeeded Barry Jones as President of the ALP, beginning his term in January 28, 2006, and became the first Indigenous Australian to serve as President of an Australian political party. [Australian Labor Party (2006). [http://www.alp.org.au/media/0106/msloo280.php Warren Mundine Begins Term As ALP National President] . Retrieved May 28, 2006.]

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.alp.org.au/people/mundine_warren.php ALP biography]
* Labor's great black hope, The Australian, December 2005 [http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/news/2006/aust1jan06.html]