Julie Bishop has announced her resignation from parliament and her retirement from federal politics.
The former foreign minister has been sitting on the backbench following Malcolm Turnbull’s ousting during the leadership spill last year.
Ms Bishop will not recontest her seat of Curtin in Perth, where she has held the electorate since 1998, at the upcoming federal election.
She was Australia’s first female foreign minister and set a precedent for women in leadership in Australia.
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Julie Bishop was the most senior female politician in Australia. (Image: Getty)
Ms Bishop came to politics relatively late in life, only becoming a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Liberal Party when she was in her 40s.
Before she made the career change, the South Australian native was a successful lawyer, obtaining her degree at the University of South Australia.
She worked her way up through the Liberal Party ranks, serving multiple Prime Ministers, but famously developed a close relationship with former PM Malcolm Turnbull.
After Turnbull was ousted during the leadership spill late last year, Ms Bishop annnounced she would step down as Foreign Minister and sit on the backbench.
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Ms Bishop and her boyfriend David Panton. (Image: Getty)
Ms Bishop is currently in a relationship with property developer and winemaker David Panton. The couple started dating in 2014.
The pair are often photographed together at media events and attended former Today Show host Karl Stefanovic’s lavish Mexico wedding in December.
Ms Bishop and Mr Panton do not live together – she lives her Perth electorate of Curtin, while Panton resides in Sydney.
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While she rejects the label “feminist”, Ms Bishop has long been a champion of women’s rights.
During a rousing speech at the 2018 Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, Bishop issued a challenge to the women in the room.
“Don’t let go of your dreams too easily, believe in yourself, back your judgement and do not ever ever let anyone define who you are or what you can achieve,” she said.
