Julia Gillard returns home to grieve

9 Sep 2012, 5:51 pm   -   Source: AAP

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has returned to Australia to mourn the loss of her father with her family in Adelaide.

After receiving the phone call no daughter wants, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made a long, sad journey from Russia to Adelaide to be in the arms of loved ones and mourn the loss of her dad.

Ms Gillard was in Vladivostok for the APEC summit when she was told her 83-year-old father John had died unexpectedly on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the news public, telling the conference Ms Gillard could not be present because of her father's sudden death.

More than 24 hours later she had returned home to Adelaide.

Her partner Tim Mathieson was not in Russia and is believed to have made his way to Adelaide to be with Ms Gillard and her family.

Ms Gillard has asked for privacy and has not spoken publicly about her loss, but in a statement she said she was in shock even though her father had been battling illness.

"Julia's really upset," Trade Minister Craig Emerson, who is filling in for her in Vladivostok, and was with the prime minister shortly after she was informed of her father's passing, said.

"Her dad was 83 but he was so proud of Julia and such a loving father to her, so of course she was upset."

Dr Emerson came close to tears as he described talking to Ms Gillard shortly after she received the news.

Ms Gillard described her father as an "inspiration" and credited him with instilling in her the value of hard work and to be passionate about fairness.

"Above all, he taught me to love learning and to understand its power to change lives," she said in a statement.

Mr Gillard regretted that her father's humble background in a coalmining village in Wales meant he left school at 14. He always wanted his children to have the educational opportunities he didn't.

When his daughter became the first female prime minister of Australia, Mr Gillard said the feat had been beyond his "wildest dreams".

He would have been very proud of his daughter's latest achievement.

Ms Gillard was hailed as a global leader in education policy at the APEC conference over her plan to have Australian students go to Asian universities and visa versa.

Condolences have come from around the world for Ms Gillard, her mother Moira and sister Alison.

"We all know it's really gut-wrenching to lose a parent, but when it's unexpected and you're half way around the world it's more so," Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan told reporters on Sunday.

"Julia had a really close relationship with her dad. She was really proud of him and he was really proud of her.

"He taught her the values that she has lived by her whole life - her commitment to a fair go, looking after those left behind."

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said there was no doubt that the loss was hard for the prime minister.

"Our families are our protective shields, they're high with us when we succeed, they feel the blows when the blows come in," Mr O'Farrell said.

Mr Swan will remain acting prime minister until Ms Gillard is ready to return to work, possibly in a few days' time.

"How long that will go on, I am unsure at this stage," he said.

"I think everybody really understands that when you're in public life there are some events that occur which are intensely private."

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