Julia Gillard, who is she?
Julia Gillard takes leadership of the Labor Party and the government. But just who is Julia Gillard?
Julia Eileen Gillard was born in in Wales in 1961. Her parents emigrated to Australia in 1966 hoping that the warmer climates would help the Bronchopneumonia she suffered as a child.
The family settled in South Australia and Julia and her sister Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School
Gillard then then attended the University of Adelaide, wherer she joined the Labor club, and on graduation moved to Melbourne, where she earned arts and law degrees at the University of Melbourne and headed up the Australian Union of Students. Gillard was also formerly the secretary of the left-wing organisation, Socialist Forum.
Her legal career began at law firm Slater & Gordon at Werribee, where she worked in the area of industrial law. In 1990 she was admitted as one of their first female partners.
Gillard's professional political career began in 1996 when she served as Chief-of-Staff to Victorian Opposition Leader, John Brumby. Here she was responsible for drafting the affirmative action rules within the Labor Party in Victoria.
She was then elected as Member for Lalor, a safe Melbourne seat, in the House of Representatives at the 1998 election.With the initial portfolio of Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration (2001–03), Gillard was then promoted to the position of Shadow Health Minister in July 2003.
While her leadesrhip potential had been touted for some time, it was not until the lead-up to the 2007 federal election, when Kevin Rudd won a leadership challenge against Kim Beazley, that Gillard was elected deputy leader of the Labor party, unopposed, against the incumbent Jenny Macklin.
The Labor Party went on to win the 2007 federal election and, on 3 December 2007, Gillard was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.
In addition to the deputy prime ministership, Gillard was given the monster portfolio of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. She often acted as Prime Minister during Kevin Rudd's overseas trips, and has been noted as a highly proficient parliamentary performer.
On 24 June, 2010, Gillard was elected unopposed as Leader of the Australian Labor Party at a special caucus, making her the first female leader of the party, and the first Australian female Prime Minister.
Gillard's partner is Tim Mathieson, a hairdresser. She does not have any children.
Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales in 1961.[5] Her father was a coal miner in Wales, and she has a sister, Alison, who is three years older.[6] After suffering from Bronchopneumonia as a child, her parents were advised it would aid her recovery in a warmer climate,[6] and so in 1966 the family migrated to Australia, settling in Adelaide.[7]
Her father trained as a psychiatric nurse, while her mother worked at the local Salvation Army Old People's Home.[6] Gillard and her sister attended Mitcham Demonstration School, and then graduated from Unley High School in 1978.[8] She then attended the University of Adelaide, and on graduation moved to Melbourne to work with the AUS.[6] In 1986 she graduated from the University of Melbourne with arts and law degrees and, the following year, joined the law firm Slater & Gordon at Werribee, working in the area of industrial law.[9] In 1990 she was admitted as one of their first female partners.[citation needed]
