Anna Maria Bligh was sworn in as Premier of Queensland on 13 September 2007, following the resignation of Peter Beattie. She is the State’s first female Premier.
Ms Bligh was born in Warwick, Queensland, on 14 July 1960. She grew up on the Gold Coast, attending Catholic primary schools and Miami State High School, before completing the last six months of her schooling at Nowra State High School.
She was appointed Deputy Premier of Queensland in July 2005 – the same month she celebrated 10 years as Member for South Brisbane.
As Deputy Premier she was also Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure, running the $33 billion Queensland State Budget and leading construction of the $9 billion South-East Queensland Water Grid.
She was formerly Minister for Finance, State Development, Trade and Innovation. Prior to that she was Queensland’s first female Education Minister spending almost 5 years overseeing the most significant reforms to the State’s education system in decades including the introduction of a preparatory year of schooling and requirements for all young people to be “learning or earning”. During that time she also had responsibilities for the Arts portfolio, overseeing construction of the Millennium Arts Precinct.
Following the election of the Beattie Labor Government in June 1998, her first ministerial responsibility was as Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care and Disability Services.
Prior to her election, on 15 July 1995, Ms Bligh worked in many community organisations and in the Queensland Public Service, in employment, training and industrial relations policy.
Ms Bligh graduated with an Arts Degree from University of Queensland in 1980.
Ms Bligh and her family have lived in South Brisbane for more than 20 years. She is married to Greg Withers, a senior public servant, with whom she has two sons (Joe b. 1987 and Oliver b. 1993).
Apart from spending time with her family, Ms Bligh’s hobbies include running, reading, and cooking.
- Biography taken from: Premier’s Web Site
