Luke Gosling

Biography

Luke John Anthony Gosling, OAM, is an Australian politician and retired Army officer known for his dedicated service to his country and his community. Born on September 17, 1971, Gosling is the eldest of eight children. He attended the University of New South Wales, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and politics.

Gosling served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for 13 years, working in the Parachute Infantry, Commandos, and Defence Cooperation Programs. He was stationed in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste, where he demonstrated bravery and leadership during his deployments.

After leaving the ADF, Gosling continued to work abroad in countries such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Albania, and Timor-Leste. He co-founded Life, Love and Health, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that helped the people of Timor-Leste. For his work with the NGO, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006 regarding relief work in the 2006 humanitarian crisis. He also received the Medal of Merit from the President of Timor-Leste in 2009.

Gosling established the Remote Area Health Corps in 2008, an organization that helps provide healthcare to remote areas of Australia. He has also worked as a volunteer at Saint Vincent de Paul after serving as the Darwin CEO of the organization.

In 2013, Gosling ran for the Darwin-based seat of Solomon as a Labor candidate at the federal election. Although he was narrowly defeated by one-term Country Liberal incumbent Natasha Griggs, he received a 48.6 percent two-party vote, gaining a 0.4-point two-party swing. He ran again for Solomon at the 2016 federal election and won, defeating Griggs with a 56 percent two-party vote and a 7.4-point two-party swing.

Gosling made headlines during the 2016 election campaign by using photographs from his past Army service in his campaign materials. Although the Australian Defence Force issued a directive to retract any advertising showing him in military uniform, Gosling defended his use of the photographs, stating that the claimed restrictions on their use did not apply as he was “no longer a member of Defence.”

In the 2022 federal election, Gosling was re-elected for a third term after defeating CLP candidate Tina MacFarlane. He is married and has two children. Gosling remains dedicated to serving his community and his country and is highly respected for his leadership, courage, and commitment.