Senator Nick Bolkus was born in Adelaide on 17 July 1950. He has a law degree, LL.B. (Adel.), and after graduating practised as a solicitor in Adelaide.

Before entering Federal politics, Senator Bolkus spent eight years in Canberra working for two Whitlam Government ministers, Senator the Hon Reginald Bishop, Postmaster-General and Clyde Cameron, Minister for Science and Consumer Affairs.

He was elected as a Senator for South Australia in 1980 and re-elected in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990. In February 1988 he was appointed Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Prices. After the 1990 Federal election he was appointed the Minister for Administrative Services [III] (CA 5983) and remained as such until after the 1993 Federal election when he became the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (CA 7757). He held this position until the defeat of the Keating Government on 2 March 1996.  On 11 March 1996 he was appointed as Shadow Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.

Since entering Parliament, he has also served on several Parliamentary Committees, including Privileges, Scrutiny of Bills, Allegations Concerning a Judge, and the National Crime Authority.

The Senator has represented the Commonwealth Parliament at the Constitutional Conventions of 1983 and 1985. He was the Australian Government Representative at the installation of the Nicaraguan President in January 1985. Senator Bolkus represented the Senate at the National Crime Summit in July 1983 and in 1986 was Parliamentary Representative to the 41st General Assembly of the United Nations. In October 1987 Senator Bolkus was the Australian representative at the South Pacific Commission Conference.
 
The Hon Nick Bolkus retired from Parliament on the expiration of his Senate term on 30 June 2005.

Sources:

Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (1991) 
Who's Who in Australia
Parliamentary Handbook On-line, Current Members of the Senate, http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/web/sb-RF4.htm, accessed Jan 2006.

Agency associated with person unregistered

25 Aug 1981 - 15 Jun 1984: Senate Standing Committee on Privileges _ MEMBER
 20 May 1985 - 05 Jun 1987: Senate Standing Committee on Priveleges - MEMBER 
 20 Apr 1983 - 21 Feb 1987: Senate Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Bills - MEMBER
 30 Mar 1984 - 24 Aug 1988: Senate Select Committee on Conduct of a Judge - MEMBER
 10 Sep 1984 - 31 Oct 1984: Senate Select Committee on Allegations Concerning a Judge - MEMBER
 28 Feb 1985 - : Joint Statutory Committee on the National Crime Authority - MEMBER