Early Years and Background
Stanhope was born in Gundagai, New South Wales. One of nine children of schoolteacher parents, much of his junior education was spent at one-teacher schools in country NSW. He attended Mullumbimby Public School and Bega High School before coming to Canberra to undertake studies at the Australian National University, graduating as a Bachelor of Laws.
Between 1979 and 1987, Stanhope held a range of community roles including:
- President ACT Council for Civil Liberties
- Original co-convener of Racial Respect in the ACT
- President ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society
- ACT convener of the National Coalition for Gun Control
Between 1987 and 1991, Stanhope was Secretary of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs; and between 1991 and 1993, Deputy administrator and official secretary of Norfolk Island. From 1993 to 1996, Stanhope worked as Senior Adviser and Chief of Staff for the Federal Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, and between 1996 and 1998, advised the then Federal Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley on native title.
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