Kevin Michael Rudd AC, born on 21 September 1957 in Nambour, Queensland, is an Australian diplomat, former politician, and leading international authority on China.
He served as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again briefly from June to September 2013.
Raised on a dairy farm in nearby Eumundi as the youngest of four children of share farmer Albert Rudd and nurse Margaret Rudd, he experienced significant hardship after his father’s death in 1969 from complications following a car accident, when Kevin was just 11.
He attended Eumundi State School, boarded unhappily at Marist College Ashgrove, and later became dux of Nambour State High School in 1974.
Rudd joined the Australian Labor Party at 15, studied Asian studies with first-class honours at the Australian National University (graduating in 1981 and becoming fluent in Mandarin), and married Thérèse Rein in 1981.
Siblings
Kevin is the youngest of four children. His eldest brother, Malcolm Rudd, joined the Australian Army and served in Vietnam.
After leaving the military, he retrained and worked in cardiac care while also learning Vietnamese; he has generally preferred a private life away from the public spotlight associated with his brother’s career.
His sister, Loree Rudd, spent time as a novice with the Mercy sisters and later taught for many years in Russia.
She has remained an active Christian and, in 2011, publicly left the Australian Labor Party over its support for same-sex marriage, describing the policy as incompatible with her beliefs.
The middle brother, Greg Rudd, worked as a staffer in the Hawke-Keating governments, later establishing a lobbying firm in Brisbane.
He has written a science-fiction political thriller novel and has occasionally spoken publicly about differences of style and politics with his younger brother, including periods of limited contact.
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Career
Rudd began his professional life as a diplomat with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1981 to 1988, with postings in Stockholm and Beijing.
He then served as Chief of Staff to Queensland Labor leader and later Premier Wayne Goss (1988–1992) and as Director-General of the Cabinet Office (1991–1995).
After a period as a China consultant with KPMG, he entered federal politics, winning the seat of Griffith in 1998.
He rose to Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2001 and became Leader of the Opposition in December 2006.
Leading Labor to a landslide victory in 2007, he became Prime Minister.
His government ratified the Kyoto Protocol, delivered the National Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008, and guided Australia through the Global Financial Crisis with stimulus measures that the International Monetary Fund later recognised as among the most effective, helping Australia avoid recession.
He also co-founded the G20 leaders’ process.
After being replaced by Julia Gillard in 2010, he served as Foreign Minister until 2012, then briefly returned as Prime Minister in 2013 before Labor’s election defeat.
He retired from parliament that year.
Subsequently, Rudd became a prominent China analyst, served as President and CEO of the Asia Society and its Policy Institute, completed a DPhil at Oxford University in 2022 on Xi Jinping’s ideological worldview, and served as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States from 2023 to 2026 before returning to leadership roles with the Asia Society.
Accolades
Rudd was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2019, Australia’s highest civilian honour, for eminent service to Indigenous reconciliation, innovative economic initiatives during the Global Financial Crisis, and major domestic policy reforms, as well as senior advisory roles with international organisations.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford (2022) and has authored books on China and US-China relations, including The Avoidable War (2022) and On Xi Jinping (2024).
His fluency in Mandarin and expertise on Chinese politics have earned him recognition as a leading international authority in the field.
During his prime ministership, key achievements such as the National Apology and the GFC response received widespread domestic and international acknowledgment.
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