Anthony John Abbott, commonly known as Tony Abbott, is an Australian politician who served as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia from 18 September 2013 to 15 September 2015.
Born on 4 November 1957 in Lambeth, London, England, to Australian mother Fay (née Peters) and British-born father Richard Henry “Dick” Abbott, an orthodontist, he moved with his family to Australia in 1960 under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme.
The family settled in Sydney, where Abbott was educated at Jesuit schools, including St Aloysius’ College and St Ignatius’ College, Riverview.
He later earned degrees in economics and law from the University of Sydney and studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
After leaving parliament in 2019, he has remained active as a writer, speaker and, more recently, as federal president of the Liberal Party.
Siblings
Tony is the oldest of four children and has three younger sisters.
One sister, Jane, emigrated with the family from the United Kingdom to Australia in 1960 when Abbott was a young child.
The best-known of his siblings is Christine Forster, the youngest sister, who has pursued a public career of her own.
Forster worked as a journalist specialising in the energy sector before entering local politics as a Liberal councillor on the City of Sydney Council from 2012 to 2021.
She is openly lesbian, married her partner Virginia Flitcroft in 2018 after same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia, and became a prominent advocate for marriage equality.
Career
Abbott’s professional path began after his studies and brief seminary training.
He worked as a journalist for publications including The Bulletin and The Australian, then served as press secretary and political adviser to Liberal Opposition Leader John Hewson from 1990 to 1993.
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He next became executive director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.
In 1994 he entered federal parliament by winning the safe Liberal seat of Warringah in a by-election, holding it until his defeat in 2019.
Under the Howard government he held a series of ministerial posts, including Minister for Employment Services, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Health and Ageing.
He also served as Leader of the House.
In December 2009 he became Leader of the Opposition after defeating Malcolm Turnbull in a leadership ballot.
He led the Coalition to a hung parliament in 2010 and then to a decisive victory in 2013, becoming Prime Minister.
His government repealed the carbon tax and mining tax, introduced Operation Sovereign Borders to stop people-smuggling, signed free-trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea, and advanced infrastructure and national-security measures.
Internal party tensions led to his replacement by Malcolm Turnbull in September 2015.
After leaving parliament he continued public commentary, authored books including Battlelines and Australia: A History, and in 2026 was elected federal president of the Liberal Party.
Accolades
Abbott has received several formal honours recognising his public service. In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
He received the Rural Fire Service Long Service Medal in 2015 for a decade of volunteer firefighting and the National Medal in 2018 for fifteen years of service as a volunteer firefighter.
On 7 June 2020 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to the people and Parliament of Australia, particularly as prime minister, and for significant contributions to trade, border control and the Indigenous community.
In 2022 Japan conferred on him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
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