Julia Gillard
Australia's first female prime minister, who steered the nation through a hung parliament with steely resolve and a landmark education reform.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013·Birthday: September 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Julia Gillard's rise to power was as historic as it was tumultuous. A skilled negotiator and former lawyer, she became Australia's first female prime minister not through an election, but by leading a party-room coup that toppled her own colleague, Kevin Rudd. She immediately faced the challenge of a hung parliament, governing through a fragile alliance with independents and the Greens. Her tenure, though constantly under fierce political and personal attack, was marked by significant legislative achievements, most notably the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and a sweeping education funding package known as the Gonski reforms. Her famous 2012 parliamentary speech, where she directly confronted misogyny in politics, became a global rallying cry. Though her government was ultimately defeated, Gillard's tenure broke a profound barrier and left a substantive policy legacy that continues to shape Australian society.
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.
Julia was born in 1961, 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 Julia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Julia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
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
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, the first and only woman to hold the office.
- Successfully legislated the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), a transformative social welfare program.
- Implemented the Gonski school funding reforms, aimed at needs-based funding for Australian schools.
- Led a minority government through a hung parliament, passing over 500 pieces of legislation during her term.
Did You Know?
She was born in Barry, Wales, and emigrated to Australia with her family as a child in 1966.
She is a passionate supporter of the Australian Rules football team the Western Bulldogs.
She is the author of a memoir, 'My Story,' and a book on women's leadership, 'Women and Leadership.'
She was the first prime minister to be in a de facto relationship while in office, living with partner Tim Mathieson.
“I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not.”
