Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia. Born in Wales, Gillard migrated toAdelaide, South Australia with her family as a child. She became involved in Labor student politics in Adelaide and then Melbourne, and worked as an industrial lawyer with a law firm. After serving as Chief of Staff to Victorian opposition leader John Brumby, she was elected Member for Lalor in the House of Representatives at the 1998 election. Read More

After Labor was defeated in the 2001 election, Gillard was elected to the shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration, with the portfolios of Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs added to her responsibilities in 2003. In July 2003 she was promoted to Shadow Health Minister, and in December 2006, after forming a cross-factional partnership with Kevin Rudd that saw him elected toLeader of the Opposition, Gillard was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Gillard became the Deputy Prime Minister following Labor's victory in the 2007 federal election, also serving as Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. On 24 June 2010, after Kevin Rudd stood aside, Gillard became federal leader of the Australian Labor Party and thus the Prime Minister. She is the first female Prime Minister of Australia and the first never to have married.

Gillard announced on 17 July 2010 that the next federal election would be held on 21 August 2010. (Credit: Wikipedia)

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