| Tim Mathieson | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Timothy Raymond Mathieson c. 1957 Shepparton, Victoria |
| Spouse(s) | Diane Stark (divorced) |
| Domestic partner | Julia Gillard |
| Children | Three |
| Occupation | Real estate agent |
Timothy Raymond Mathieson (born c. 1957) is an Australian real estate agent and partner of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.[1] He entered the public spotlight in 2006 when they became partners.[2][3] Gillard was Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party at the time.
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Tim Mathieson was born and raised in Shepparton, Victoria. After leaving school he undertook a hairdressing apprenticeship in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Returning to Shepparton, he operated a salon for fifteen years. Mathieson next moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland, where he operated a hair salon for a further fifteen years.[4]
For much of the 1990s Mathieson and a friend worked in California, exporting vintage Levi's jeans and supplying marble interiors.[5]
Returning to Melbourne in 2004, Mathieson worked for one year at a salon called Heading Out. There he met Gillard, a long-standing client of the salon. They began dating in March 2006 and became partners in 2007.[1]
After leaving Heading Out, Mathieson returned to Shepparton and established Tim Mathieson Hair with financial support from his father and brother. However, in 2006 he returned to Melbourne,[6] where he worked as a sales representative for PPS Hairwear, a hair products company.[5] Since January 2010, Mathieson has been a property agent with Ubertas Group, responsible for selling apartments in a St Kilda Road 50-storey complex, with a focus on international buyers.[3]
On 24 November 2008, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, appointed Mathieson as one of the government's Men's Health Ambassadors, an unpaid role. Mathieson says he is passionate about his volunteer role.[2]
Mathieson is also an ambassador for Kidney Health Australia[7] and a patron of the Australian Men's Sheds Association.[8] He is also involved with the Indigenous Diabetes Association in Alice Springs[3] and with mental health group beyondblue.[4]
In December 2010, Tim Mathieson was appointed Patron of the National Portrait Gallery.[9] The previous patrons were Thérèse Rein (wife of then prime minister Kevin Rudd) and Janette Howard (wife of then prime minister John Howard).
Mathieson is a divorcee with three adult children.[10] He was previously married to Diane Stark, with whom he had two children.[11] Mathieson also fathered a daughter in his late teens.[12]
Mathieson started dating Gillard in March 2006 and has remained her partner since.[1] When asked about marriage to Gillard, Mathieson said "We haven't talked about anything more than being spouses at this stage. Wait and see, I guess."[13]