# Anna Maria Bligh

Anna Maria Bligh (14 JUL 1960); born in Warwick, Queensland, Australia.

**Lifespan:** 14 JUL 1960 – ?

## Also known as
- Anna Maria Withers

## Partners
- _unknown partner_

## Timeline
- 14 JUL 1960 — **Born** at Warwick, Queensland, Australia
- FROM 1978 TO 1981 — **Education (Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland)** — Studied at the University of Queensland from 1978 and graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1981. No place row exists in the tree for the University of Queensland, so no place is attached.
- FROM 15 JUL 1995 TO 2 APR 2012 — **Member for South Brisbane, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Australian Labor Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the electorate of South Brisbane from 15 July 1995 until her resignation, effective 2 April 2012.
- FROM 29 JUN 1998 TO 22 FEB 2001 — **Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care and Minister for Disability Services** at Queensland, Australia — First ministerial appointment, in the Beattie government.
- FROM 22 FEB 2001 TO 12 FEB 2004 — **Minister for Education** at Queensland, Australia — Held the Queensland education portfolio from February 2001 to February 2004.
- FROM 12 FEB 2004 TO 28 JUL 2005 — **Minister for Education and the Arts** at Queensland, Australia — Continued in education with the arts portfolio added from February 2004.
- FROM 28 JUL 2005 TO 13 SEP 2007 — **Deputy Premier of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Deputy Premier through three successive portfolio combinations: Deputy Premier and Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation (28 Jul 2005 - 2 Feb 2006); Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation (2 Feb 2006 - 13 Sep 2006); Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure (13 Sep 2006 - 13 Sep 2007).
- FROM 2 FEB 2006 TO 13 SEP 2007 — **Treasurer of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Held the Queensland treasury portfolio alongside the deputy premiership from February 2006 until becoming Premier.
- FROM 13 SEP 2007 TO 26 MAR 2012 — **Premier of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Thirty-seventh Premier of Queensland and the first woman to hold the office, succeeding Peter Beattie on 13 September 2007. Led Labor to victory at the 2009 state election and left office on 26 March 2012. Her premiership included the response to the 2010-11 Queensland floods and a subsequent category 5 cyclone.
- FROM 26 MAR 2009 TO 21 FEB 2011 — **Minister for the Arts** at Queensland, Australia — Held the arts portfolio in her own ministry while Premier.
- FROM 2010 TO 2011 — **National President, Australian Labor Party** — Served a term as National President of the Australian Labor Party while Premier of Queensland.
- FROM 21 FEB 2011 TO 26 MAR 2012 — **Minister for Reconstruction** at Queensland, Australia — Portfolio created after the 2010-11 Queensland floods and held by Bligh as Premier. She led a reconstruction program that included a legislated Reconstruction Authority administering a rebuilding budget of about $6 billion.
- FROM 2013 — **Occupation (Chief Executive Officer, YWCA NSW)** — Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary of YWCA New South Wales after leaving politics. The Queensland Parliament register records the appointment as running since 2013; Wikipedia gives 2014.
- FROM 2017 TO 2025 — **Occupation (Chief Executive Officer, Australian Banking Association)** — Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Banking Association from 2017 until her retirement from the role in August 2025.
- 26 JAN 2017 — **Title (AC)** — Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day honours of 2017, for eminent service to the Parliament of Queensland, particularly as Premier, to infrastructure development and education reform, as an advocate for the role of women in public life, and to the not-for-profit sector.
- **Occupation (Senior Policy Officer, Queensland Public Service)** — Before entering parliament worked as a Senior Policy Officer in the Queensland Department of Employment, Vocational Education, Training and Industrial Relations, and in community organisations including women's refuges and neighbourhood centres, childcare services and trade unions. No dates are given by the source.

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