Leslie Harry Ernest Bury was born in Bournemouth, England to the Reverend Ernest Bury and his wife Doris. He went to school in Kew and then to Queens College at Cambridge University. He came to Australia in 1935 and was employed as an economist with the Bank of New South Wales. 

During World War II, Bury enlisted with the 2nd AIF and served in the Heavy Artillery Fixed Defences and then in the 12th Australian Radar Detachment (1943-45). In 1946, he joined the Commonwealth Public Service as Second Secretary in the Economic Relations Division of the Department of External Affairs. He then moved to the Treasury as Senior Finance Officer (1949-56). In this period, Bury was also President of the Canberra Branch of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (1949-51), Alternative Executive Director and then Executive Director (1953-56) of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Monetary Fund in Washington.

Bury was elected to the House of Representatives in December 1956, as Member for Wentworth (NSW), at a by-election occasioned by the resignation of the Rt Hon Sir Eric Harrison. In the Menzies Government, he became Minister for Air and Minister assisting the Treasurer (1961-62). He resigned from the Ministry in July 1962 but was later Minister of the newly established Department of Housing (1963-66). In successive Holt, Gorton and McMahon Ministries, Bury held the portfolios of Labour and National Service (1966-69), Treasury (1969-71) and Foreign Affairs (1971). He also acted as Minister in other portfolios on different occasions; served on Parliamentary Committees relating to Public Accounts (1959-61), Foreign Affairs (1962-63 and 1971-72) and House of Representatives Accommodation (Chairman, 1963); and was leader or member of various Australian delegations, including to the first meeting of the Legislative Council for Papua and New Guinea, inaugural meeting of the Asian Development Bank, and conferences of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Labour Organization.

In 1973, Bury was defeated in a Liberal pre-selection by R J Ellicott and did not contest the 1974 general elections. He was also a company director with Legal and General Assurance Society Ltd, Duncan's Holdings Ltd and Lend Lease Company. Bury was made a Companion in the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1979 and died in 1986.

Sources:

Parliamentary Handbook 1973, pp 42-3; 1975, p 278
Who's Who in Australia 1985, pp 148-9

 

Summary heading

  Hon Leslie Bury (CP 34)

Unregistered links

  1949-1951: Australian Institute of International Affairs, Canberra Branch - President