Bill Tully was an employee of the National Library of Australia from 1968 to 2002. He was involved as an editor and writer in the Australian Independence Movement from 1975-1985. In this period he was active in running the ACT Branch of the Australian East Timor Association and the Campaign for an Independent East Timor. Tully covered these areas of political and social interests as a volunteer on the Canberra public radio 2XX, presenting Asia Pacific News program from 1982-1984, and Writers Workshop (later Sound Print) from 1983. He was a former editor of Blast magazine and editor of Voice magazine.