Politics and public service
Julia Gillard
Former Prime Minister of Australia
Early life and education
Gillard was born in Wales and moved to Australia with her family as a child. She grew up in Adelaide, studied at the University of Adelaide and the University of Melbourne, and worked as a lawyer before entering federal politics.
Parliamentary career
She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998. Before becoming Prime Minister, she served as Deputy Prime Minister and held ministerial responsibilities including education, employment and workplace relations.
Prime ministership
Gillard served as Australia’s 27th Prime Minister from June 2010 to June 2013, the first woman to hold that office. The Australian National University’s account records her parliamentary positions and later engagement with women’s leadership.