Graham Maguire was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 21 April 1945. After careers as a public servant in the South Australian Premier's Department (1972-1977) and as Ministerial Adviser on Economics to successive South Australian Premiers from 1977 to 1983, he was elected to the Senate in 1982.
 
Senator Maguire received his education at the University of Adelaide and later at the Australian National University in Canberra.  Senator Maguire was a member of the Australian Labor Party and held numerous party positions between 1973 and 1982.  He was a member of various Senate and Joint Standing Committees e.g. the Library Committee, Trade and Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and the Senate Estimates Committees.  

Senator Maguire retired from the Senate on 30 June 1993.