Mr Gordon Bilney was born on 21 June 1939, in Renmark, South Australia. He was educated at Marraytville Primary School, Prince Alfred College and Norwood High School. In 1961 Mr Bilney graduated in Dentistry from the University of Adelaide. In 1965 he graduated again with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Politics at the University of Adelaide.  

In 1966 Mr Bilney joined the Diplomatic Service of the Department of Foreign Affairs.  He has been posted to Jakarta, Manila, Geneva and Paris, and served as High Commissioner to the West Indies from 1980 to 1982. Immediately before being elected to Parliament he served in the Department of Foreign Affairs Economic Division, as Head of the OECD, EEC and Energy Branch.  Mr Bilney has represented Australia at a number of international conferences, and was a senior member of the Australian Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and again in 1974.
 
From 1973 to 1975 Mr Bilney was a member of the personal staff of successive Ministers for Foreign Affairs, viz. Gough Whitlam and Don Willesee, as a Foreign Affairs advisor. 

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1983 for the electorate of Kingston, South Australia. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1987, and in 1990 withstood a challenge by the Leader of the Australian Democrats, Ms Janine Haines to retain the seat of Kingston. He was re-elected in 1993, but defeated at the general elections in 1996.

Mr Bilney was a career diplomat before entering Parliament, serving as the Australian High Commissioner to the West Indies from 1980 to 1982. In 1990, he was appointed to the Fourth Hawke Ministry as Minister for Defence Science and Personnel.  

Agency associated with person unregistered

00/00/1983 - (to date):ALP Parliamentary Committee - Employment, Education & Training - MEMBER
00/00/1983 -(to date):ALP Parliamentary Committee - Community Affairs - MEMBER
12/04/1989 - 30/11/1989: Joint Select Committee: Tenure of Appointees to Commonwealth Tribunals - MEMBER