Anna Bligh
The first woman to lead Queensland, she steered the state through devastating natural disasters before reshaping Australia's banking lobby.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Australian politician·Birthday: July 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Anna Bligh's political career was defined by breaking barriers and managing crises. Elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1995, she rose through Labor ranks, becoming deputy premier and then, in 2007, the state's first female premier. Her tenure was immediately tested by the global financial crisis, but it was the fury of nature that cemented her public image. In 2011, she became the steady, empathetic voice of authority during catastrophic floods and Cyclone Yasi, her daily briefings a lifeline for a battered population. After a landslide election loss in 2012, she pivoted dramatically, moving from politics to the heart of the financial sector. In 2017, she was appointed CEO of the Australian Banking Association, tasked with rebuilding the industry's reputation after a royal commission exposed widespread misconduct, a role that placed the former socialist at the helm of capitalist reform.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Anna was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 37th Premier of Queensland from 2007 to 2012, the first woman to hold the position.
- Led Queensland's response and recovery from the devastating 2010-2011 floods and Cyclone Yasi.
- Appointed as the first female CEO of the Australian Banking Association in 2017, following a career in politics.
- As Queensland's Minister for Education, she oversaw the introduction of the state's first prep year for children.
Did You Know?
She is a descendant of William Bligh, the captain of HMS Bounty famous for the 1789 mutiny.
After leaving politics, she authored a memoir, 'Through the Wall', reflecting on her life and career.
She initially studied acting at the University of Queensland before switching to a arts/law degree.
During the 2011 floods, she famously and emotionally warned residents, 'We are facing a disaster of unprecedented proportions.'
“We are Queenslanders. We're the people that they breed tough, north of the border. We're the ones that they knock down, and we get up again.”
