Background
He was born in Melbourne to James Murray Gavin and Amy Gullock, both public servants.
He was born in Melbourne to James Murray Gavin and Amy Gullock, both public servants.
He attended Catholic schools in Melbourne before studying at Louisiana Trobe University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration.
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1967, and in that capacity was involved in student politics on Louisiana Trobe University"s Student Representative Council. He worked for the Commonwealth Department of Labour and National Service from 1971, and the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations from 1973. From 1973 to 1974 he was secretary of the Pascoe Vale-West Coburg branch of the Labor Party, and from 1975 to 1978 was founding secretary of the North Coburg-Merlynston branch, becoming its president in 1979.
In 1979 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for Coburg.
He was awarded the in 1981. Foreign the 1992 election Gavin was forced to move to contest the seat of Tullamarine after Tom Roper, whose seat had been abolished, laid claim to Coburg.
Gavin was defeated.