Gordon Munro Bryant was born in Lismore in Victoria on 3 August 1914.

He was educated at Frankston High School, Melbourne Teachers' College and Melbourne University and gained the following qualifications: Bachelor of Arts (Honours); Diploma of Education (Melbourne) and Trained Primary Teachers' Certificate (TPTC.).

He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (ED.).

Between 1935 and 1955 Mr Bryant worked as primary and secondary school teacher. He was the vice president of the Affiliated Teachers' Union in 1954 and 1955.

Mr Bryant held the Federal seat of Wills (Victoria) for the Australian Labor Party from 1955 until his retirement in 1980. The electorate is an inner suburban residential area with some industries. At the time this electorate had one of the highest concentrations of migrant population of any Federal electorate.

As a member of House of Representatives he sat on several committees, including the Joint Select Committee on the New and Permanent Parliament House (see related agencies field or Parliamentary Handbook, 20th edition, 1978 for full details). His interest in Aboriginal issues led him to serve as President of the Aborigines Advancement League in Victoria between 1957 and 1964, and Senior Vice President of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders between 1961-1967. Mr Bryant was appointed Minister of Aboriginal Affairs from 1972 to 1973 and Minister of the Capital Territory from 1973 until the Government's dismissal by the then Governor-General, Sir John Kerr in November 1975.

In his retirement Mr Bryant served as a Fellow at La Trobe University in the School of Economics and as Chairman of the NorthernMetropolitan Regional Board of TAFE. Mr Bryant died on 14 January 1991, aged 76 years.

Sources:

Who's Who in Australia 1985
Australian Parliamentary handbook 20th Edition 1978 and 22nd Edition 1984
The 'Age' 15 January 1991

Agency associated with person unregistered

27 Feb 1964-06 Apr 1973: Council of the National Library of Australia - Parliamentary Representative

1964-1964: Australian Delegation to the 53rd Annual Conference of the Inter-ParliamentaryUnion, Copenhagen - Deputy Leader

1964-1964: Inter-parliamentary Union Council Meetings Lucerne - Member

1964-1966: Inter-Parliamentary Union Council Meeting, Canberra - Member

Jul 1967-Jul 1967: Parliamentary Delegation to South East Asia - Member

05 Oct 1967-08 Apr 1970: Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on the New and Permanent Parliament House - Member


Jun 1968-Jul 1968: Overseas Delegation of the Joint Select Committee on the New and Permanent Parliament House - Member

1978-1978: Delegate 33rd United Nations General Assembly