15 Facts About Rick Farley

Richard Andrew Farley was an Australian journalist, politician and Indigenous Australian rights activist.

Rick Farley was a prominent member of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

Rick Farley worked as a journalist for the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.

Rick Farley became an advisor to the federal Minister for Health in the Whitlam government.

Rick Farley became the executive director of the Cattlemen's Union of Australia and was the chief executive of the National Farmers' Federation for eight years.

Subsequently, Rick Farley committed his life and his career to the needs of farmers, conservationists and Indigenous reconciliation.

In 1998, Rick Farley was unsuccessful as an Australian Democrats party candidate for the Australian Senate to represent the Australian Capital Territory.

Rick Farley was described as having had "an extraordinary ability to persuade, negotiate and build bridges to gain bipartisan support for the matters he was passionate about".

Rick Farley was born in Townsville, Queensland, on 9 December 1952.

Rick Farley went on to date Australian Labor Party MP Linda Burney, then member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

On 13 May 2006, at the age of 53, Rick Farley died after his wheelchair overturned outside Balmain Hospital in Sydney.

Rick Farley had been leaving after undergoing rehabilitation treatment for a brain aneurysm which he had suffered five months earlier.

Rick Farley's funeral was held at St Brigid's Church, in Marrickville.

Rick Farley was survived by his partner Linda Burney and two children, to his first wife Cathy Reade, Jeremy and Cailin.

Rick Farley contributed notably towards the creation of Landcare, an environmental organisation with thousands of volunteers across Australia.