I tīmata ia i tētahi tohu toi i te Whare Wānanga o Adelaide, i te wā i noho ai ia hei tumuaki o te Uniana o Adelaide University Union mai i te 1981 ki te 1982. I tōna tau tuarua i te whare wānanga, i whakamōhio a Gillard ki te tōrangapū e te tamahine a te minita o te mahi a te kawanatanga. Na reira, i uru ia ki te Karapu Mahi, a ka uru ki roto i te pakanga ki te whawhai ki te kohinga tahua mātauranga a te kawanatanga. I tapahia e Gillard ana akoranga i Adelaide i te 1982, ka neke ki Melbourne ki te mahi me te Union of Australian Students. I te 1983, ko ia te wahine tuarua ki te arahi i te Union of Australian Students, tae noa ki te whakakorenga o te whakahaere i te 1984. Ko ia hoki te kaitiaki o te whakahaere o te taha maui o te Socialist Forum. I te whakawhiti i ana akoranga ki te Whare Wānanga o Melbourne, i puta ia ki te tohu Paetahi o nga Ture i te 1986 me te tohu Paetahi o nga Toi i te 1989. I te tau 1987, i uru ia ki te ture ture a te
Huihuinga Hapori