Sean Edwards has served as a Liberal Party Senator for South Australia since July 2011.
Born on the 2 January, 1962 he was raised and educated in Clare, in the Mid North of South Australia.
Sean is part of the fifth generation of the Edwards family to be born in Clare. The Edwards are typical of so many early South Australian rural families – farmers, small business people, entrepreneurs and people just trying to give their family the best life in a new land.
Being one of six boys, he describes his upbringing as “boisterous”. Sean sights that their “healthy spirit of competition” was just as necessary as team work, cooperation and a willingness to help each other out.
Before entering Parliament Sean was a winemaker in the Clare Valley.
Since entering the Senate Sean has focussed on rural and agricultural issues. Sean serves on the Rural Affairs and Transport, Scrutiny of Bills and Finance and Public Administration committees.
Married to Ashleigh, Sean has four children Abbey, George, Harrison and Natasha who share the couple’s love of the River Murray, water skiing, motor sport and great friends.
Sean was active in community affairs from a young age and, for many years, has presided over and driven many public organisations, clubs and industry advocacy bodies.
Sean moved to Adelaide for a while following his secondary schooling, joining the Young Liberals in 1985 and the senior party a short time later. During the past 25 years of his Liberal Party membership he has held a variety of party positions including: Blackwood and Districts Young Liberals President 1985-88, Wakefield FEC President 2006-08 and, most recently Liberal Party (SA Division) President 2007-10.