Former Immigration Minister Nick Bolkus remembered as champion of multicultural Australia
Former federal minister and long-serving South Australian Labor senator Nick Bolkus has died aged 75, with colleagues and community leaders paying tribute to a “giant” of the Labor movement and a tireless advocate for migrants, refugees and multicultural Australia. Bolkus, Australia’s first Greek Australian federal cabinet minister, passed away on Christmas Day.
Life and political career
Born in Adelaide in 1950 to a Greek Australian family, Nicholas Bolkus trained as a lawyer before entering federal politics. He was elected to the Senate for South Australia in 1980 and served until 2005, becoming one of the state’s longest-serving senators.
During the Hawke and Keating governments he held several key portfolios, including Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Administrative Services, and later Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs. In these roles he worked on privacy protections for consumers, political donation transparency, and reforms designed to modernise government administration and accountability.
Champion of migrants and multiculturalism
As immigration minister in the early 1990s, Bolkus helped reshape migration and citizenship policy to better reflect Australia’s social, economic and humanitarian priorities. He oversaw initiatives including a major review of citizenship law, changes to migration legislation, and programs aimed at strengthening multicultural inclusion and participation.
One of his most noted decisions was granting permanent residence to thousands of Chinese nationals who were in Australia before the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, allowing them and their families to build new lives in safety. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described that move as an act of moral leadership grounded in humanity, with consequences that still resonate today.
Tributes from leaders
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Labor movement was mourning “one of our great sons”, praising Bolkus as a lifelong reformer driven by idealism, democracy and a belief in the rights of ordinary Australians. He said Bolkus never lost his sense of purpose, whether in cabinet or in his work behind the scenes after leaving parliament.
Premier Malinauskas called Bolkus a respected figure across party lines, noting his “formidable intellect” and his generosity as a mentor to younger politicians and activists. Community leaders have also highlighted his significance as the first Greek Australian cabinet minister, a role model for generations of culturally diverse Australians seeking a voice in national decision-making.
Legacy in public and community life
After leaving the Senate in 2005, Bolkus remained active in public life through corporate advisory work, lobbying and community roles. He served on boards, advised industry and multicultural organisations, and continued to support Labor campaigns and fundraising in South Australia.
Across multicultural communities, Nick Bolkus is being remembered not only for the policies he shaped in Canberra, but for his long engagement with migrant communities, ethnic media and grassroots organisations. His legacy endures in Australia’s multicultural framework, in the lives of refugees and migrants who found safety and opportunity here, and in the many public figures he mentored over more than four decades.
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