Neville Bonner

Neville Bonner AO
Bonner in 1979
Senator for Queensland
In office 20 August 1971 – 4 February 1983
Preceded by	Dame Annabelle Rankin
Succeeded by	Ron Boswell
Personal details
Born	Neville Thomas Bonner (1922-03-28)28 March 1922 Ukerebagh Island, New South Wales, Australia
Died	5 February 1999(1999-02-05) (aged 76) Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Liberal (1967–1983) Independent (1983–1999)
Spouses	Mona Bonner ​ ​ (m. 1943; died 1969)​ Heather Ryan ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	5 boys
Occupation	Federal Senator

Neville Thomas Bonner AO (28 March 1922 – 5 February 1999) was an Australian politician, and the first Aboriginal Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia. He was appointed by the Queensland Parliament to fill a casual vacancy in the representation of Queensland in the Senate, and later became the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the parliament by popular vote. Neville Bonner was an elder of the Jagera people.