Kim Beazley was appointed by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in September to serve as ambassador of Australia to the United States.

Beazley previously served as Australia’s deputy prime minister (1995-96) and leader of the Australian Labor Party (1996-2001) and leader of the opposition (2005-06). He was elected to the Federal Parliament in 1980 and has represented the electorates of Swan (1980-96) and Brand (1996-2007). In addition, he was a minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments (1983-96) holding, at various times, the portfolios of defense, finance, transport and communications, employment education and training, aviation, and special minister of state.

After his retirement from politics in 2007, Beazley was appointed Winthrop professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Western Australia. In July 2008, he was appointed chancellor of the Australian National University, a position he held until December 2009. In 2009, Beazley was also awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia for his contributions to the development of government policies in defense and international relations, and as an advocate for indigenous people.

Born in Perth, Beazley obtained a bachelor’s of arts and master’s of arts degree at the University of Western Australia. He was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia in 1973 and completed a master of philosophy at Oxford University.

He is married with three daughters.

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