He was born in Sydney to merchant Thomas Burdekin and Mary Ann Bossley.

He was educated at Darlinghurst and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1859 with a Bachelor of Arts.

[5] He was Mayor of Sydney from 1890 to 1891,[4] when he retired from the Assembly; however, he won the 1892 by-election for Hawkesbury,[6] but was defeated again in 1894.

[7] A Free Trader, he also served as director of Sydney Hospital from 1878 to 1899.

[8][9] His brother, Marshall Burdekin, was also a member of the Legislative Assembly.