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| Julia Gillard: from the Welsh mines to the summit of Australian politics | Julia Gillard: from the Welsh mines to the summit of Australian politics |
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| Whatever else people say about Julia Gillard's term as prime minister, no one could doubt her grace under pressure. For three years she endured relentless hostility from the opposition and conservative media, howls of outrage at many policies, speculation about her leadership, and a position as an apparent lightning rod for misogyny, but maintained her composure. | Whatever else people say about Julia Gillard's term as prime minister, no one could doubt her grace under pressure. For three years she endured relentless hostility from the opposition and conservative media, howls of outrage at many policies, speculation about her leadership, and a position as an apparent lightning rod for misogyny, but maintained her composure. |
| It's a self-belief she says she inherited from her parents. Moira and John Gillard came from dirt-poor mining families in south Wales. Life was tough: poverty forced them both to leave school early and they worked in a series of unrewarding jobs. They met and married in Barry, where they had two daughters, Alison, born in 1958, and Julia, on 29 September 1961. | It's a self-belief she says she inherited from her parents. Moira and John Gillard came from dirt-poor mining families in south Wales. Life was tough: poverty forced them both to leave school early and they worked in a series of unrewarding jobs. They met and married in Barry, where they had two daughters, Alison, born in 1958, and Julia, on 29 September 1961. |
| As a young child, Gillard suffered from respiratory problems aggravated by Barry's freezing pall of coal dust. The doctor recommended a warmer climate, and like almost half a million other Britons in the mid 1960s, the family became Ten Pound Poms – boarding the Fairsky at Southampton for the six-week journey to Australia, and disembarking in Adelaide. | |
| Once settled, Moira worked part-time for the Salvation Army and John took a variety of jobs, studying at night and eventually becoming a psychiatric nurse. They formed a strong family unit, with both parents ambitious for their daughters. "In our house there was an expectation that you'd go as far in life as you could," Gillard has said. | Once settled, Moira worked part-time for the Salvation Army and John took a variety of jobs, studying at night and eventually becoming a psychiatric nurse. They formed a strong family unit, with both parents ambitious for their daughters. "In our house there was an expectation that you'd go as far in life as you could," Gillard has said. |
| She went to the local primary school and to Unley high school, Adelaide, a popular, pupil who became a prefect and excelled at academic subjects, save for sport, art and music. On joining the school debating group, Gillard discovered she was good at presenting a case and thinking on her feet. | She went to the local primary school and to Unley high school, Adelaide, a popular, pupil who became a prefect and excelled at academic subjects, save for sport, art and music. On joining the school debating group, Gillard discovered she was good at presenting a case and thinking on her feet. |
| She grew up with progressive Labor politics as her birthright. Her parents had been great admirers of Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh Labour leader whose legacy includes Britain's national health service, and the whole family were enthusiastic supporters of Gough Whitlam and his social democratic agenda. When the Whitlam government was dismissed by the governor general in November 1975, they were left devastated and angry. Gillard, then 14, was too young to join the Labor party, but she signed up as soon as possible. | She grew up with progressive Labor politics as her birthright. Her parents had been great admirers of Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh Labour leader whose legacy includes Britain's national health service, and the whole family were enthusiastic supporters of Gough Whitlam and his social democratic agenda. When the Whitlam government was dismissed by the governor general in November 1975, they were left devastated and angry. Gillard, then 14, was too young to join the Labor party, but she signed up as soon as possible. |
| At 16, she told her mother she did not want to have children; she would go to university and have some kind of career. "My parents encouraged us to dream bigger dreams if we wanted to," she said. Gillard had originally thought of becoming a teacher, but family friends persuaded her to study a combined degree in arts and law. She enrolled at the University of Adelaide in 1979 and speedily became involved in student politics; she was the university's first student president of the council. | At 16, she told her mother she did not want to have children; she would go to university and have some kind of career. "My parents encouraged us to dream bigger dreams if we wanted to," she said. Gillard had originally thought of becoming a teacher, but family friends persuaded her to study a combined degree in arts and law. She enrolled at the University of Adelaide in 1979 and speedily became involved in student politics; she was the university's first student president of the council. |
| Study began to take second place to student activism, and Gillard found herself in a conflict between the expectations of herself and her parents, and and her wish to continue in an area she found satisfying and exciting. Activism won: Gillard became education vice-president for the Australian Union of Students, regarded as the most important lobbying position in the union. It was here, she says, that she began to learn the art of persuasion and negotiation. | Study began to take second place to student activism, and Gillard found herself in a conflict between the expectations of herself and her parents, and and her wish to continue in an area she found satisfying and exciting. Activism won: Gillard became education vice-president for the Australian Union of Students, regarded as the most important lobbying position in the union. It was here, she says, that she began to learn the art of persuasion and negotiation. |
| It was with AUS, where she eventually became president, and later with the leftwing organisation the Socialist Forum, that Gillard developed her political skills: networking, keeping supporters close, not backing away from fights, finding common ground. | It was with AUS, where she eventually became president, and later with the leftwing organisation the Socialist Forum, that Gillard developed her political skills: networking, keeping supporters close, not backing away from fights, finding common ground. |
| She graduated with a combined arts-law degree from the University of Melbourne, where she had moved for AUS, and in October 1987 started as a solicitor with Slater & Gordon in the city. She became involved in industrial law, largely representing poorly-paid garment workers. After only three years with Slater & Gordon, she became the first woman to be offered a salaried partnership. | She graduated with a combined arts-law degree from the University of Melbourne, where she had moved for AUS, and in October 1987 started as a solicitor with Slater & Gordon in the city. She became involved in industrial law, largely representing poorly-paid garment workers. After only three years with Slater & Gordon, she became the first woman to be offered a salaried partnership. |
| In her mid-30s Gillard was single, with a demanding and satisfying job. But she had now decided her future lay in politics. In 1993 she tried unsuccessfully for the federal seat of Melbourne, and then in 1996 she went for the Senate, again without success. In the same year she left Slater & Gordon and worked for Victorian ALP opposition leader John Brumby as his chief of staff. | In her mid-30s Gillard was single, with a demanding and satisfying job. But she had now decided her future lay in politics. In 1993 she tried unsuccessfully for the federal seat of Melbourne, and then in 1996 she went for the Senate, again without success. In the same year she left Slater & Gordon and worked for Victorian ALP opposition leader John Brumby as his chief of staff. |
| It was a dispiriting time for Labor, both in Victoria and federally, but Gillard hung in. Her persistence was rewarded in 1998, when after various bitter factional battles won the safe federal seat of Lalor. | It was a dispiriting time for Labor, both in Victoria and federally, but Gillard hung in. Her persistence was rewarded in 1998, when after various bitter factional battles won the safe federal seat of Lalor. |
| Once Gillard had become an MP, she was speedily marked as a rising star – largely because the immigration policy she crafted for Labor in opposition was acceptable to most of the party. The left however saw it as a craven compromise, and she became known as a divisive figure. In 2006 she joined her factional support to Kevin Rudd's and together they defeated then leader Kim Beazley, with Rudd becoming party leader and Gillard deputy. | Once Gillard had become an MP, she was speedily marked as a rising star – largely because the immigration policy she crafted for Labor in opposition was acceptable to most of the party. The left however saw it as a craven compromise, and she became known as a divisive figure. In 2006 she joined her factional support to Kevin Rudd's and together they defeated then leader Kim Beazley, with Rudd becoming party leader and Gillard deputy. |
| With the 2007 Labor election victory, Gillard became Australia's first female deputy prime minister. On 24 June 2010, the caucus chose her as the country's first female prime minister. | With the 2007 Labor election victory, Gillard became Australia's first female deputy prime minister. On 24 June 2010, the caucus chose her as the country's first female prime minister. |
| Outside work, Gillard takes great pride in the fact that she has friends from her primary school days, but her history with relationships has been less harmonious. Until 2004, when she met Tim Mathieson, the hairdresser with whom she lives, she tended to choose men she knew through her work in law or politics, including her now cabinet colleague Craig Emerson and controversial union figure Bruce Wilson. She famously enjoys Game of Thrones and, of course, knitting. | Outside work, Gillard takes great pride in the fact that she has friends from her primary school days, but her history with relationships has been less harmonious. Until 2004, when she met Tim Mathieson, the hairdresser with whom she lives, she tended to choose men she knew through her work in law or politics, including her now cabinet colleague Craig Emerson and controversial union figure Bruce Wilson. She famously enjoys Game of Thrones and, of course, knitting. |
| Despite a hung parliament, her government passed more than 500 pieces of legislation in areas as diverse as education, climate change, communication technology, water policy and disability reform. She always maintained that what voters want from politicians is a sense of conviction and determination and that opinion polls are irrelevant to the main game. "You can't chase popularity," she said. "Chasing popularity is the death of purpose." | Despite a hung parliament, her government passed more than 500 pieces of legislation in areas as diverse as education, climate change, communication technology, water policy and disability reform. She always maintained that what voters want from politicians is a sense of conviction and determination and that opinion polls are irrelevant to the main game. "You can't chase popularity," she said. "Chasing popularity is the death of purpose." |
| • Jacqueline Kent is the author of The Making of Julia Gillard: Prime Minister | • Jacqueline Kent is the author of The Making of Julia Gillard: Prime Minister |
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