Quentin Bryce: The Authorised Biography - Hardcover

Rieden, Juliet

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1761341901 ISBN 13: 9781761341908

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia, 2026

Synopsis

When Quentin Bryce was sworn in as Australia’s first female governor-general in 2008, she made history. It was one of many firsts in a trailblazing career dedicated to reform and public service—and the only authorized biography reveals the remarkable woman behind the high offices she held.

Raised in a small western Queensland bush town, Bryce developed a strong sense of self, purpose, and destiny from an early age. Determined to change the world, she became the first student from her school to attend university and later one of the first women admitted to the Queensland Bar. Over the next six decades, she forged an extraordinary career shaped by her fierce advocacy for human rights — especially for women, children, and First Nations Australians.

Her professional life spanned many influential roles, including teaching in a male-dominated university law faculty, serving as Australia’s federal sex discrimination commissioner, leading the National Childcare Accreditation Council, guiding Sydney’s Women’s College as principal, and becoming governor of Queensland before her historic appointment as governor-general.

About this title

About the Author

Juliet Rieden is an author, journalist, magazine editor, book reviewer, and royal correspondent. Her books include The Writing on the Wall, a personal investigation into her family’s fate in the Holocaust; Rising Heart, the memoir of Sierra Leonean kidnap survivor Aminata Conteh-Biger; and The Royals in Australia. She has worked as a journalist for more than 35 years in both Australia and the UK, including 14 years at The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Throughout her career, Juliet has interviewed an extensive range of high-profile figures, including former prime ministers Jacinda Ardern and Malcolm Turnbull; actors Dame Helen Mirren, Glenn Close, Sally Field, Dame Joanna Lumley, and Cate Blanchett; acclaimed writers Clive James, Hilary Mantel, and Mary Beard; and members of the British Royal Family, including King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, and Queen Mary of Denmark.

Juliet serves as the royal commentator for ABC and contributes regularly to television and radio networks in Australia and internationally. As a literary curator for The Queen’s Reading Room—Queen Camilla’s charity and global literary hub—she helps bring the work of Australian authors to readers around the world.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1761341901
• ISBN 13: 9781761341908
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496