36 Facts About Ted Baillieu

Edward Norman Baillieu was born on 31 July 1953 and is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013.

Ted Baillieu was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, representing the electorate of Hawthorn.

Ted Baillieu was elected leader of the Liberal Party in opposition in 2006, and served as Premier from 2010 until 2013 after winning the 2010 state election.

Ted Baillieu resigned as Premier on 6 March 2013, and was succeeded by Denis Napthine.

Ted Baillieu is the youngest son of Darren and Diana Baillieu.

Ted Baillieu is the younger brother of solicitor Ian Baillieu, former ABC presenter Fiona Baillieu, author David Baillieu, former journalist and Portsea activist Kate Baillieu and Olympic oarsman and America's Cup yachtsman Will Baillieu.

Ted Baillieu is the great-grandson of Victorian politician William Knox.

Ted Baillieu was raised in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak and educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, where he graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

Ted Baillieu worked as an architect and for a time joined the family real estate firm Baillieu Knight Frank.

Ted Baillieu was employed by Tourism Victoria from 1998 to 1999, before entering politics.

Ted Baillieu joined the Carlton branch of the Liberal Party in 1981 because of his frustration at the power of unions on building sites.

At Jeff Kennett's insistence, Baillieu nominated for Liberal Party preselection for the safe seat of Hawthorn at the 1999 election, to replace the retiring member, former Liberal deputy leader Phil Gude.

Ted Baillieu immediately joined the Liberal frontbench, serving as Shadow Minister for Tertiary Education and Training, Gaming and Planning.

Six months after assuming leadership of the Liberals, Ted Baillieu took the party into the 2006 election.

Ted Baillieu's handling of the issue and his refusal to place his investments in a blind trust were both thought to have hurt the Liberal Party during the campaign.

Ted Baillieu focused during the election campaign mainly on the policies of health, law and order, government expenditure and the longevity and the ability of the incumbent Labor government to deliver on its promises.

Ted Baillieu's government was criticised for its "backward" environmental record for dismantling protection of native species, cutting support for renewable energy and introducing cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park, as well as for cutting funding for TAFE vocational education.

In September 2012, Ted Baillieu led what was until then Australia's largest-ever international trade delegation to China.

The tapes revealed Nutt had claimed the Ted Baillieu government had hamstrung the operations of a new anti-corruption commission.

However, after a crisis meeting of Liberal MLAs later that night, Ted Baillieu resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party and hence as Premier of Victoria.

Ted Baillieu remained in the legislature as a backbencher until his retirement at the 2014 election.

In 2014, Ted Baillieu made off-the-record comments "critical of parliamentary colleagues" including Murray Thompson and Michael Gidley to Sunday Age state political editor Farrah Tomazin.

The Baillieu recording was distributed from a fake email address on 24 June 2014.

On 22 August 2014, Ted Baillieu announced that he would not re-contest his seat of Hawthorn and that he would be retiring from politics at the 2014 Victorian state election.

Since April 2013, Ted Baillieu has served as Chair of the Victorian Government's ANZAC Centenary Committee, overseeing Victoria's commemorations and facilitating connections between Victorians and the legacy of the Original ANZACs through family, institutions, geography, occupation, and place of residence.

Ted Baillieu is the recipient of the 2013 Ashoka Medal from the Australia India Business Council Victoria in recognition of his contribution to Australia-India relations; and the Asian Leadership Network of Australia's 2014 Special Public Service Award.

Ted Baillieu acted as an Honorary Ambassador for the Victorian Government's 80 Days of Melbourne initiative during which Victoria hosted an unprecedented number of internationally recognised sporting, arts, cultural and trade events between 9 January and 29 March 2015.

In 2017 Baillieu joined the Committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club, The Australian Institute of Architects Foundation Board, and was appointed adjunct professor at Swinburne University.

In July 2020, Baillieu was appointed a member of the Australia India Council by the Foreign Minister.

In June 2021, Baillieu was appointed by the Australian Government as Chair of the Australian Heritage Council.

Ted Baillieu is Patron of a number of groups including Multicultural Arts Victoria, Public Record Office of Victoria, The Sovereign Hill Museums Association, Queenscliffe Historical Museum, Cancer Council Victoria: Relay for Life, Hawthorn and the Australia India Chamber of Commerce.

Ted Baillieu is married to Robyn and they have three children.

Ted Baillieu is a supporter of the Geelong Football Club, where he is a joint convener of We Are Geelong Supporters.

Ted Baillieu is a regular Sunday morning swimmer with the Brighton Icebergs.

In December 2010, Ted Baillieu underwent surgery at the Epworth Hospital to remove a kidney stone.

Ted Baillieu is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, and a member of the Geelong Football Club, the Melbourne Cricket Club, the Melbourne Rugby Union Football Club, the Melbourne Savage Club, the Melbourne Victory FC, the Rotary Club of Glenferrie, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the Sorrento Golf Club, the Hawthorn Rowing Club and Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria.