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Julia Gillard Facts & Worksheets

Julia Gillard is the first and only woman to have served as the prime minister of Australia, which was a position she held from 2010 to 2013. She was also the first female leader of the Australian Labor Party .

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Julia Gillard is the first and only woman to have served as the prime minister of Australia, which was a position she held from 2010 to 2013. She was also the first female leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Before being elected as prime minister, she served as deputy prime minister from 2007 to 2010 under Kevin Rudd’s administration, where she was given the roles of Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Social Inclusion.

See the fact file below for more information about Julia Gillard, or you can download our 25-page Julia Gillard worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY

  • Julia Eileen Gillard was born on September 29, 1961, in the coastal town of Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. 
  • She was born the second and youngest daughter of John and Moira (nee Mackenzie) Gillard.
  • Her sister, Alison, is three years older than her.
  • They are of English, Scottish, and Irish descent.
  • Julia suffered from bronchopneumonia, and her parents were advised that a warmer climate would be better for her.
  • In 1966, their family migrated to Adelaide in South Australia.
  • They acquired Australian citizenship in 1974, eight years after their migration.
  • Julia was a dual citizen until she renounced her British citizenship before entering the Australian parliament in 1998.

EDUCATION

  • Julia attended Mitcham Demonstration School, the oldest continuously operating school in South Australia, for her primary education.
  • She also attended Unley High School.
  • For college, she first matriculated at the University of Adelaide and pursued an arts degree.
  • From 1981 to 1982, she served as the president of the Adelaide University Union.
  • In 1982, Julia decided to put her university education on pause as she moved to Melbourne to work with the Australian Union of Students.
  • She was promoted to lead the union in 1983, making her the second woman to hold that position.
  • The union dissolved in 1984.
  • Continuing her studies, Julia transferred to the University of Melbourne and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in arts and law in 1986.
  • The following year, she joined the private law firm Slater & Gordon, where she specialized in industrial law.
  • At 29 years old, she became the youngest attorney to be made a partner in the firm.
  • She was also among the first women to hold the position.

POLITICAL CAREER BEGINNINGS

  • Julia entered politics in the 1970s when she joined the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) Socialist Left faction.
  • She rose to become the president of the Carlton branch of the Labor Party, which was a position she held from 1985 to 1989.
  • From 1993 to 1997, she served as a member of the administrative committee of the ALP in Victoria.
  • In 1996, she resigned from the law firm she was working at to serve as chief of staff to Labor Party leader John Brumby.
  • Then, in 1997, she made a leap in her political career after being elected to the Australian House of Representatives, representing Lalor.
  • At Parliament, she served as a member of the standing committee for Employment, Education, and Workplace Relations; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; the Public Accounts and Audit; and the Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund.

SHADOW CABINET

  • After the Labor Party saw its defeat at the 2001 federal election, Julia Gillard was elected to the Shadow Cabinet (the Opposition’s equivalent to the Federal Cabinet) led by Simon Crean at the time.
  • The role given to her was the shadow portfolio of population and immigration.
  • She developed a new immigration policy on refugees and asylum seekers, which addressed the issue credited for the Labor’s loss in the 2001 election.
  • In 2003, she was given the additional responsibility for Reconciliation and Indigenous affairs.
  • Later that year, she moved up the ranks to become Shadow Minister for Health and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business.
  • In 2006, a party caucus resulted in Julia Gillard being elected as deputy to newly elected Labor leader Kevin Rudd.
  • After the Labor Party succeeded in the 2007 federal election, Julia was sworn in as the deputy prime minister.
  • She was the first ever woman to assume that role.
  • She also took on the roles of Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Social Inclusion. 
  • She was also the first woman to serve as an acting prime minister when Kevin Rudd traveled overseas to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference on December 11, 2007.

PRIME MINISTER

  • Kevin Rudd resigned on June 24, 2010, after he lost party room support and suffered a decline in personal ratings.
  • Julia Gillard was then elected as leader of the Labor Party and sworn in as the first-ever female prime minister of Australia.
  • She became the 27th prime minister of Australia.
  • The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament, prompting Julia to form a minority government backed by the Green and independent Member of Parliament.
  • Because of her choice not to have children, she faced criticism from the Opposition, including the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott.
  • A top priority in Julia Gillard’s agenda was social reform.
  • She put forward the Clean Energy Act, created the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Australia’s first national scheme to care for people with disabilities, and did an overhaul of school funding.
  • She announced the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in November 2012.
  • As she had been on the receiving end of sexist criticisms, she delivered the now infamous “Misogyny Speech” as a response to Tony Abbott in parliament in October 2012.
  • Julia garnered worldwide attention for her impassioned speech, in which she stated: “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man; I will not…..If he [Abbott] wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn’t need a motion in the House of Representatives; he needs a mirror. That’s what he needs.”
  • On June 26, 2013, Gillard was ousted as prime minister, and Kevin Rudd took over after she resigned the next day. 

POST-RESIGNATION

  • After her resignation, Julia Gillard was selected to be an honorary visiting professor at the University of Adelaide.
  • She continued to be a changemaker as she assumed the role of chair of Global Partnership for Education in February 2014.
  • Julia was appointed as Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London in April 2018.

Julia Gillard Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Julia Gillard across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard is the first and only woman to have served as the prime minister of Australia, which was a position she held from 2010 to 2013. She was also the first female leader of the Australian Labor Party.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Julia Gillard Facts
  2. Prime Minister’s Past
  3. Political Timeline
  4. Leadership Map
  5. Inspecting Bluffs
  6. Personal Response
  7. World-changing Quotes
  8. Julia’s Take on
  9. About Australia
  10. Pioneering Leaders
  11. Opinion Polls

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Julia Gillard?

Julia Gillard is an Australian politician who served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister in Australia.

What were Julia Gillard’s major accomplishments as Prime Minister?

During her time as Prime Minister, Julia Gillard implemented several significant policies, including the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the establishment of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. She also played a key role in initiating a price on carbon emissions, a controversial policy aimed at addressing climate change.

How did Julia Gillard become Prime Minister?

Julia Gillard became Prime Minister in June 2010 after successfully challenging the then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for leadership of the Australian Labor Party. She won the party’s leadership ballot, which led to her becoming the Prime Minister.

What challenges did Julia Gillard face during her time as Prime Minister?

Julia Gillard faced several challenges during her tenure as Prime Minister, including managing internal party disputes and divisions within the Australian Labor Party. She also had to navigate a complex political landscape, including a hung parliament, which required her to negotiate with independent and minority party members to pass legislation.

When did Julia Gillard leave office as Prime Minister?

Julia Gillard served as Prime Minister from June 2010 to June 2013. She left office after losing the leadership of the Australian Labor Party to Kevin Rudd, who then became Prime Minister for the second time. Gillard subsequently retired from politics in 2013.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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