AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER JULIA GILLARD


Julia Gillard was sworn in as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia in 2010.  Born in Barry, Wales in 1961, she is the daughter of a nurse and aged care worker. Her family migrated to Australia in 1966. Ms. Gillard grew up in Adelaide and became an Australian citizen in 1974, renouncing her British citizenship before entering Parliament.

She started her Arts and Law degrees at the University of Adelaide. In 1983, she was elected national education vice-president of the Australian Union of Students (AUS) and moved to Melbourne to complete her degree at Melbourne University. Later that year, she was elected President of the AUS.

After graduating, Ms Gillard began work as a solicitor in Melbourne with the law firm Slater and Gordon and became a Partner in 1990. Her work at the firm focused on employment law, and she worked on securing fairer treatment for workers and fought for clothing trades outworkers who had been underpaid.

From 1996 to 1998, Ms Gillard served as chief-of-staff to the then-Opposition Leader of the State of Victoria, John Brumby.

Ms. Gillard first contested the federal seat of Lalor for the Australian Labor Party in 1998 and was elected that year.

From 1998 to 2001, she served on the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. In 2001, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration and subsequently took on responsibilities for Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs in 2003.

From 2003 to 2006, Ms Gillard served as Shadow Minister for Health. In late 2006, she was appointed Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party and served as Shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Social Inclusion.

Following the Australian Labor Party's victory in the 2007 federal election, Ms Gillard was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion.

Julia Gillard lives at The Lodge in Canberra with her partner, Tim Mathieson.
 

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