Gillard was born on 29 September 1961, in Barry, Wales.[1] After she suffered from bronchopneumonia as a child, her parents were advised it would aid her recovery if they were to live in a warmer climate.[8] This led the family to migrate to Australia in 1966, settling in Adelaide.[9] In 1974, eight years after they arrived, Gillard and her family became Australian citizens. As a result Gillard held dual Australian/British citizenship until she renounced her British citizenship prior to entering Parliament in 1998.[10][11] Gillard's mother, Moira Gillard (née Mackenzie), currently lives in Pasadena, South Australia. Moira's ancestry is Scottish and Irish.[2][12] Gillard also has a sister, Alison, who is three years older.[8] Her father, John, died in 2012.[13]
Her father worked as a psychiatric nurse, while her mother worked at the local Salvation Army nursing home.[8] She and her sister attended Mitcham Demonstration School, and Julia went on to attend Unley High School.[14] She then studied at the University of Adelaide but cut short her courses in 1982 and moved to Melbourne to work with the Australian Union of Students.[15] She graduated from the University of Melbourne with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees in 1986.[16]
In 1987, Gillard joined the law firm Slater & Gordon at Werribee, Melbourne, working in industrial law.[2] In 1990, at the age of 29, she was admitted as a partner.[17] Gillard took leave of absence in September 1995 to campaign for a Senate seat and resigned in May 1996, to work as chief of staff to Victorian opposition leader John Brumby.[18] According to The Australian newspaper, Gillard's departure occurred "amid fractured relationships between partners at Slater & Gordon" partly attributable to the AWU affair.[19]