He held ministerial office in Coalition governments for nearly a decade, serving as Minister for Air (1961–1962), Housing (1963–1966), Labour and National Service (1966–1969), Treasurer (1969–1971) and Foreign Affairs (1971).

[4] Bury was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1956 Wentworth by-election, following the resignation of Eric Harrison to become High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

[5] According to Peter King, he "... would attend football matches with Labor leader Arthur Calwell in Melbourne and ... [shadow Treasurer] Frank Crean stayed at the Bury home in Sydney".

This strongly conflicted with Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen's concerns over its impact on Australian exports to the United Kingdom.

[4] In January 1966, Bury became Minister for Labour and National Service in Harold Holt's first ministry, during the Vietnam War, when he was responsible for implementing conscription.

After Holt's disappearance in December 1966, Bury was one of four candidates to contest the Liberal leadership ballot, along with John Gorton, Paul Hasluck, and Billy Snedden.

His promotion was probably due to his support for Gorton in the 1969 leadership spill, which saw then-treasurer William McMahon challenge for the prime ministership.

[10] He was an advocate of alternative measures of economic progress, stating "we must not fall too readily to exclusive worship at the altar of GNP [...] our prime concern should always be the social welfare of the community as a whole".

[11] There were concerns about Bury's health during his period as treasurer, with one source describing him as "a worn-out and a tired man, suffering from ill-health and lacking concentration".

[9] He opposed the creation of the Australian Industry Development Corporation, preferring the use of foreign capital, but was overridden by McEwen and Gorton.

[12] In his first statement as foreign minister, Bury "stressed the paramount importance of Asia to Australia", reiterated Australian support for the Nixon Doctrine, warning against complacency over the Soviet naval presence in the Indian Ocean, and called on Japan to play a greater role in regional affairs.

[19] Bury was publicly critical of the McMahon government in the immediate aftermath of his dismissal, stating that cabinet ministers had been "leaking like a sieve".

[12] In December 1973, Bury was defeated for Liberal preselection by Bob Ellicott, in a vote which included 17 candidates and required six ballots.