Fran Kelly

Fran Kelly grew up in Adelaide, she attended St Dominic's Priory College for some time and then went to the University of Adelaide, completing an arts degree and majoring in literature and classics.[1]

In 1988, Kelly moved to Sydney to work on Triple J. In 1990 she became a reporter for ABC Radio National's current affairs programs AM and PM. Kelly became Canberra bureau chief, chief political correspondent with AM and PM, political editor for ABC's Radio National Breakfast and ABC television's The 7:30 Report and the ABC's Europe correspondent. In 2005 she returned to Australia to host Radio National Breakfast.[2]

Kelly was involved with the documentary series The Howard Years in 2008, for which she interviewed former US president George W. Bush. She appears regularly as a panelist and commentator on ABC TV's Insiders, engaging in debate and discussion with other experienced political journalists.

In 2008 Kelly received a Same Same 25 award, recognising her as one of the country's most influential gay and lesbian Australians.[3] She was named by The Sydney Morning Herald's "the (Sydney) magazine" as one of Sydney's 100 most influential people of 2011. She is described by the Australian electronic magazine Crikey as "one of the most influential media players in the country."[4]

Kelly has described herself as an activist.[5] Kelly is a feminist, and stated in a 2012 interview that she's identified as such since her school years.[2]

In 2007, Kelly launched the Australian Human Rights Commission's "Same-Sex: Same Entitlements" inquiry.[2] She has been involved with One Just World's speaker forums, moderating a "Women of the World" forum for WOMADelaide and speaking on the "Stand Up Against Poverty" forum in 2009.[6]