Julia Gillard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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27th Prime Minister of Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 24 June 2010 – 27 June 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Governor General | Quentin Bryce | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19th Leader of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 24 June 2010 – 26 June 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 3 December 2007 – 24 June 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Mark Vaile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 4 December 2006 – 24 June 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jenny Macklin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 4 December 2006 – 3 December 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jenny Macklin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Julie Bishop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Manager of Opposition Business | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 8 December 2003 – 10 December 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Mark Latham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the Australian Parliament for Lalor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 3 October 1998 – 5 August 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Barry Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Joanne Ryan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Julia Eileen Gillard 29 September 1961 Barry, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Citizenship |
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Political party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic partner | Tim Mathieson (2006–2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation |
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Website | Personal website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who was the 27th prime minister of Australia and the leader of the Labor Party (ALP) from 2010 to 2013. Born in Barry, Wales and raised in Adelaide, she was the member of parliament (MP) for the Victorian division of Lalor from 1998 to 2013. She was also the 13th deputy prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010, under Kevin Rudd. She is the first and only woman to hold either office in Australian history.
Born in Barry, Wales, Gillard migrated with her family to Adelaide in South Australia in 1966. She attended Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. Gillard went on to study at the University of Adelaide, but switched to the University of Melbourne in 1982, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1986 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1989. During this time, she was president of the Australian Union of Students from 1983 to 1984. In 1987, Gillard joined the law firm Slater & Gordon, eventually becoming a partner in 1990, specialising in industrial law. In 1996, she became chief of staff to John Brumby, the Leader of the Opposition in Victoria. Gillard was first elected to the House of Representatives at the 1998 election for the seat of Lalor. Following the 2001 election, she was appointed to the shadow cabinet. In December 2006, Gillard became the running mate of Kevin Rudd in a successful leadership challenge to Kim Beazley, becoming deputy leader of the opposition. After Labor's victory at the 2007 election, she was appointed as deputy prime minister, and was also given the roles of Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Social Inclusion.
On 24 June 2010, after Rudd lost internal support within the Labor Party and resigned as leader, Gillard was elected unopposed as his replacement in a leadership spill, and was sworn-in as prime minister. She led Labor through the 2010 election weeks later, which saw the first hung parliament since 1940. Gillard was able to form a minority government with the support of the Greens and three independents. During its term of office, the Gillard government introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Gonski funding, oversaw the early rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), and controversially implemented a carbon pricing scheme, which was widely perceived as a breach of a pre-election commitment. Her premiership was often undermined by party instability and numerous scandals, including the AWU affair and the Health Services Union expenses affair. Gillard and Rudd became embroiled in a lengthy political rivalry, resulting in Gillard losing the leadership of the party back to him in a June 2013 leadership spill. Her resignation as prime minister took effect the next day, and she announced her retirement from politics.
In the years following her retirement, Gillard has been a visiting professor at the University of Adelaide, the Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education, the chair of the Global Partnership for Education since 2014 and the chair of Beyond Blue since 2017. She released her memoir, My Story, in September 2014. In April 2021, she became chair of the Wellcome Trust, succeeding Eliza Manningham-Buller.[1] Although Gillard often ranked poorly in opinion polls as prime minister,[2][3] her premiership has been more favourably received in retrospect.[4] Political experts often place her in the middle-to-upper tier of Australian prime ministers.[5]