Donald James Grimes was born on the 4th October 1937 at Albury, New South Wales, the son of a railwayman. He attended the Fort Street High School and studied medicine at the Sydney University.
 
In 1974 he left a medical practice in the Launceston suburb of Riverside to contest for a Tasmanian Senate seat. Initially
pre-selected at number three on a half-Senate election ticket, he became number five when a double dissolution was called. He was successful in the 1974 election (his term deemed to have begun on 1 July 1973) and was re-elected in 1975, 1977 and 1983.
 
After eighteen months in Federal Parliament, Senator Grimes was elected to the Labor Party's front bench. He was Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 7 November 1980 to 21 April 1983.
 
Following the 1983 election, Senator Grimes became Minister for Social Security a position he held until he became Minister for the newly created Department of Community Services on 13 December 1984. He was Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 21 April 1983.
 
In October 1986 Senator Grimes announced that he planned to resign from Parliament and would not seek pre-selection for the next Senate election. The Senator, who had suffered Cardiac problems, indicated that his health was a major reason behind the decision to resign. He left Parliament at the beginning of April 1987.
 
On 28 May 1987 the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Hayden, announced that Dr Grimes had been appointed as Australia's ambassador to the Netherlands and was expected to take up his appointment in the Hague in July 1987.
 
Sources
 
Who's Who in Australia, 1980, 1985
Parliamentary Handbook, 1984
Examiner, 31 August 1985
Examiner 29 August 1986
Examiner, 20 October 1986
Examiner, 29 May, 1987