Vignette 94: Educating future politicans

Former University students can be spotted across all areas of Australian politics, occupying seats in parliament and in various political parties. Leveraging their education, our alumni have progressed into local, state and federal politics.

Among the University’s alumni are many South Australian premiers including the Hon Sir Henry Barwell KCMG, the Hon Don Dunstan AC QC, the Hon Dr John Bannon AO, the Hon Jay Weatherill AO and the Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, Premier of South Australia (current). 

Federal politicians including Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Natasha Stott Despoja AO, the Hon Amanda Vanstone AO, the Hon Julie Bishop, the Hon Robert Hill AC, and the Hon Christopher Pyne all held ministerial positions. Australia’s first female Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard AC, attended our University and took the role of President of the Adelaide University Union during her time with us.

To increase the representation of women in Australian politics, the University co-hosted, the inaugural South Australian Pathways to Politics for Women program in 2023. A non-partisan initiative of the Trawalla Foundation, Women’s Leadership Institute Australia and the University of Melbourne, this program seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in Australian politics.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.128