Robert Edward Tickner is an Australian politician and public figure. He became Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...

 in February 2005.

Tickner was born in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 and educated at the University of Sydney

University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...

. Prior to entering parliament, he worked as a university lecturer at the University of New South Wales

University of New South Wales

The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 and a solicitor for the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service. From 1977 to 1984 he was a Councillor on the Sydney City Council.

After failing to gain election at the 1981 Wentworth by-election

Wentworth by-election, 1981

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Wentworth on 11 April 1981. This was triggered by the resignation of Liberal Party MP Robert Ellicott.The by-election was won by Liberal Party candidate Peter Coleman.-Results:...

, Tickner was successful at the 1984 Hughes by-election

Hughes by-election, 1984

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Hughes on 18 February 1984. This was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party MP Les Johnson to become Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand...

. He was Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 1990 to 1996. His tenure in office was marred by the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy

Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy

The Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy was a 1990s Australian legal and political controversy that involved the clash of Indigenous Australian religious beliefs and property rights...

 and he lost his seat in parliament when Paul Keating

Paul Keating

Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...

's Labor

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

 Government lost power in the 1996 election.

In 2001, his book Taking a Stand: Land Rights to Reconciliation was published.

He is presently the chief executive of the Australian Red Cross.