Julie Bishop - Biography

Biography

Julie Bishop was born in Lobethal, South Australia, and was educated at the St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School and the University of Adelaide. She graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Laws in 1978, and subsequently practised as a barrister and solicitor at the Adelaide law firm Mangan, Ey & Bishop, where she was a partner. In 1983 Bishop married property developer Neil Gillion, however they divorced five years later. She later had a relationship with Liberal state MP and Senator Ross Lightfoot. She is now in a relationship with Peter Nattrass, former Lord Mayor of Perth.

Bishop relocated to Perth after getting married where she practised as a commercial litigation solicitor at Robinson Cox (now Clayton Utz). She became a partner of Clayton Utz in 1985, and managing partner of the Perth office in 1994. In 1996 she attended Harvard Business School in Boston and completed the eight week Advanced Management Program for Senior Managers.

Bishop was Chair of the Town Planning Appeal Tribunal of Western Australia, a Senate Member of Murdoch University, a director of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and a director and fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She has also served on the Council of Governors of the Lions Ear and Hearing Institute.