Background
Burdekin was born in Dorset but came from an Australian family after whom the Burdekin River was named.
Burdekin was born in Dorset but came from an Australian family after whom the Burdekin River was named.
He was educated at Cheltenham College and at New College, Oxford.
Burdekin married the feminist novelist Katharine Penelope Cade in 1915. They had two daughters, but the marriage ended in 1922.
In 1914 he was a member of the Oxford Boat in the Boat Race. Burdekin became a member of Inner Temple and served in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I In 1920 he went with his family to Sydney, Australia where he was a barrister.