He was born in a hospital cave in Yenan while his parents, supporters of Chinese communist resistance fighters, were fleeing the Japanese.
[3] In 1972 Lindsay entered the Australian Foreign Service and was posted in Chile between 1973 and 1976, in Laos between 1980 and 1981, in Bangladesh between 1982 and 1984 and in Venezuela between 1987 and 1990.
He was also Deputy Permanent Representative for Australia to the United Nations Environment Programme from 1996 to 2000.
[3] Lindsay succeeded his father in the barony in 1994 and took his seat in the House of Lords in July the following year.
[5] Lord Lindsay of Birker married firstly Mary Rose, daughter of W. G. Thomas, in 1969.