Looking ahead to the Queen's arrival in Australia

Julia Gillard will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth's reign as an inspiration 'to complete the journey' of women's leadership.

She told The Sunday Age:

'When Her Majesty became Queen in 1952, women in parliamentary and ministerial office were rarities. Only one woman had ever served in federal cabinet and no woman was to hold office as a first minister until Rosemary Follett in 1989.'