Born in Maryborough in 1931, Tom Burns held many senior positions in the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Queensland Parliament. He was the Federal President of the ALP from 1970 to 1973, playing an important role in the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972.
He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Queensland Parliament from 1974 to 1978 and was the Deputy Premier between 1989 and 1996. Following his retirement from parliament, he was the chairperson of the Queensland-China Council and the Queensland Government Special Representative to Vietnam.
