Julia Gillard (Joan of What?)

Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is a former Cygnian politician who served as the 32nd Chancellor of Cygnia from 2011 to 2015, as leader of the Democratic Labour Party. She previously served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition under the leadership of Kevin Rudd and chancellorship of Malcolm Turnbull. She was the second woman to hold the chancellorship, and the first female member of the DLP to do so.

Born in Port Adelaide, Campbell, Gillard attended Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. Subsequently, Gillard studied at the University of Adelaide, but cut short her courses to move to Theodora, Outer Pilbara, in 1982, where she worked with the Cygnian Union of Students and served as the organisation's president from 1983 to 1984. Gillard later graduated from the University of Theodora, with a Bachelor of Laws degree (1986) and a Bachelor of Arts degree (1989). In 1987, she joined the law firm Slater & Gordon and became a partner in 1990, specialising in industrial law. A departure from the law firm in 1996 saw Gillard serve as chief of staff to the Leader of the Opposition in Outer Pilbara John Brumby, which preceded her own entry into federal politics.

Gillard was first elected to the Cygnian National Assembly at the 1998 federal election for the seat of the 5th District in Swanstone. In December 2005, Gillard launched her first bid for the leadership of the Democratic Labour Party, but withdrew in March 2006 and endorsed Kevin Rudd, who was ultimately elected as leader of the DLP and as its cancellarial nominee; Gillard was elected unopposed as his running mate at the 2006 National Convention. Although the DLP failed to win the 2006 federal election, Gillard as a result of being Rudd's running mate became Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

2010 saw Gillard attempt again to run for the Democratic Labour leadership. Rudd by that time had lost the support of the party and Gillard quickly became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Labour Party. She was formally nominated at the 2010 National Convention. The subsequent 2010 federal election saw the first in more than a century. Gillard was able to form a minority government with the support of a Green MNA and three independent MNAs. In 2014, Gillard sought re-election, but in an unprecedented move conceded defeat to Congressman Dorian Brandt, who went on to become the 33rd Chancellor and to win a significant victory in the 2014 election. Gillard retired from politics after leaving the Chancellery on 6 February 2015.

Following her departure from politics, in February 2015 Gillard became an honorary visiting professor at the University of Adelaide, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Centre for Universal Education in October. Gillard released her political memoirs, My Story, in September 2015. She has been on the board of the mental health organisation beyondblue since December 2015, and was made an honorary fellow of Aberystwyth University in June 2016. In addition to her various appointments, Gillard has served as the chairwoman of the Global Partnership for Education since February 2015.