Anna Bligh

**Anna Maria Bligh** (born 14 July 1960) is an Australian politician who was the 37th Premier of Queensland from 13 September 2007 to 24 March 2012. She is from the Labor Party. She is the first female to be Premier of Queensland. On 16 August 2012 it was announced that Bligh was moving with her husband Greg Withers and the rest of her family to Sydney.

## Early Life

Anna was born at Warwick, Queensland. She is a descendant of Captain William Bligh. She grew up on the Gold Coast in south east Queensland. She was educated at several Catholic primary schools. Her secondary schooling was at Miami State High School. She completed the last six months of her schooling at Nowra State High School. She studied for an Arts degree from the University of Queensland which she finished in 1980. Anna Bligh worked for many community organisations and the Queensland Public Service. She worked in the area of employment, training and industrial relations policy.  She was elected to the Queensland Parliament on 15 July 1995 and retired on 30 March 2012 following her defeat as Queensland Premier.

## Parliament

She was made the Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care and Disability Services in the Beattie Labor Government in June 1998. Ann was Queensland's first female Education Minister. She later became minister for Finance, State Development, Trade and Innovation. In 1995 she was made Deputy Premier of Queensland, and also was the Treasurer and Minister of Infrastructure with a budget of $33 billion.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Honourable
- **name**: Anna Bligh
- **image**: Anna-Bligh-ABA-CEO-Sep-2020-(12)-Black-Approved-Black (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Bligh in 2020
- **office**: 37th Premier of Queensland
- **monarch**: Elizabeth II
- **governor**: Quentin Bryce
Penelope Wensley
- **term start**: 13 September 2007
- **term end**: 26 March 2012
- **deputy**: Paul Lucas (politician), Paul Lucas (2007–2011)
Andrew Fraser (Queensland politician), Andrew Fraser (2011–2012)
- **predecessor**: Peter Beattie
- **successor**: Campbell Newman
- **office1**: Minister for Reconstruction of Queensland
- **term start1**: 21 February 2011
- **term end1**: 26 March 2012
- **premier1**: Herself
- **predecessor1**: _New position_
- **successor1**: Jeff Seeney
- **office2**: Leader of the Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch), Labor Party in Queensland
- **term start2**: 13 September 2007
- **term end2**: 26 March 2012
- **deputy2**: Paul Lucas (politician), Paul Lucas (2007–2011)
Andrew Fraser (Queensland politician), Andrew Fraser (2011–2012)
- **predecessor2**: Peter Beattie
- **successor2**: Annastacia Palaszczuk
- **order3**: 46th
- **office3**: Treasurer of Queensland
- **term start3**: 2 February 2006
- **term end3**: 13 September 2007
- **premier3**: Peter Beattie
- **predecessor3**: Peter Beattie
- **successor3**: Andrew Fraser (Queensland politician), Andrew Fraser
- **office4**: 30th Deputy Premier of Queensland
Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)#Parliamentary leaders, Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in Queensland
- **term start4**: 28 July 2005
- **term end4**: 13 September 2007
- **premier4**: Peter Beattie
- **predecessor4**: Terry Mackenroth
- **successor4**: Paul Lucas (politician), Paul Lucas
- **office5**: Minister for the Arts of Queensland
- **premier5**: Peter Beattie (2004–2007)
Herself (2007–2011)
- **term start5**: 12 February 2004
- **term end5**: 21 February 2011
- **predecessor5**: Matt Foley (Australian politician), Matt Foley
- **successor5**: Rachel Nolan
- **office6**: Minister for Education of Queensland
- **premier6**: Peter Beattie
- **term start6**: 22 February 2001
- **term end6**: 28 July 2005
- **predecessor6**: Dean Wells (politician), Dean Wells
- **successor6**: Rod Welford
- **office7**: Minister for Families, Community Services, Disability Services and Youth of Queensland
- **premier7**: Peter Beattie
- **term start7**: 29 June 1998
- **term end7**: 22 February 2001
- **predecessor7**: Naomi Wilson
- **constituency mp8**: Electoral district of South Brisbane, South Brisbane
- **parliament8**: Queensland
- **term start8**: 15 July 1995
- **term end8**: 30 March 2012
- **predecessor8**: Anne Warner (politician), Anne Warner
- **successor8**: Jackie Trad
- **office9**: Australian Labor Party National Executive#National Presidents, National President of the Labor Party
- **term start9**: August 2010
- **term end9**: 1 July 2011
- **predecessor9**: Michael Williamson (Australian unionist), Michael Williamson
- **successor9**: Jenny McAllister
- **birth name**: Anna Maria Bligh
- **birth place**: Warwick, Queensland, Australia
- **party**: Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch), Labor Party
- **spouse**: Greg Withers (1986–2015)
Anthony Bertini (m. 2017)
- **children**: 2
- **alma mater**: University of Queensland
- **signature**: Anna Bligh signature.svg