Gladys Berejiklian
A pragmatic premier who steered Australia's largest state through devastating bushfires and a global pandemic with a steady, data-driven hand.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Premier of New South Wales from 2017 to 2021·Birthday: September 22·Generation X
Biography
Gladys Berejiklian's rise in New South Wales politics was marked by a reputation for meticulous preparation and a focus on delivery. The daughter of Armenian immigrants, she brought a banker's discipline—honed from her early career at Commonwealth Bank—to the public sector. Elected to parliament in 2003, she climbed the ranks through treasury and transport portfolios, known for mastering complex briefs. As Premier from 2017, her tenure became defined by crisis management. She faced the catastrophic 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires and, immediately after, the COVID-19 pandemic. Her daily press conferences, characterized by a calm recitation of case numbers and restrictions, became a fixture, earning both praise and controversy for her government's strict lockdown approach. Her sudden resignation in 2021 marked a dramatic end to a career built on controlled stability.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gladys was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gladys Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Gladys's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 45th Premier of New South Wales from 2017 to 2021.
- Led the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing some of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns in Sydney.
- Oversaw the delivery of major infrastructure projects like the Sydney Metro and the WestConnex motorway.
Did You Know?
She is a lifelong supporter of the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League.
She worked in the foreign exchange department of the Commonwealth Bank before entering politics.
She is fluent in Armenian.
“The rules are there for a reason. Please follow them.”
