Clothilde Edwina Louise Shorten[1][2] (née Bryce; born 1971) is an Australian corporate affairs specialist and the spouse of former Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten.[3]

Chloe Shorten
Chloe Shorten
Shorten in 2015
Born
Clothilde Edwina Louise Bryce

1971 (age 52–53)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
EducationIndooroopilly State High School
Somerville House School
Alma materDeakin University
University of Queensland
Spouses
Roger Parkin
(m. 1997; div. 2009)
(m. 2009)
Children3
Parent(s)Michael Bryce
Dame Quentin Bryce

Early life and education

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Shorten was born in Brisbane in 1971 as the fourth of five children.[4] Her mother is Dame Quentin Bryce who was the Governor General of Australia and her father is Michael Bryce. She grew up in the suburb of St Lucia, containing the University of Queensland where her mother was a law lecturer and tutor. She attended Ironside State School, Somerville House and Indooroopilly State High School.[5] At primary school, she was a friend of future senator Kimberley Kitching.[6]

After high school, she joined the Sunday Mail in Brisbane as a copygirl, and started studying an online degree in communications, through Deakin University in Victoria. She also started, but then never completed an MBA at the University of Queensland.[5]

Career

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Between 1993 and 1994, Shorten worked at Lexmark as a marketing assistant. Then in 2000, Shorten began working in communications at Mincom until 2002. From 2005 she then worked for Cement Australia.[7] Recommencing her career in 2014, after a four year break due to rearing their first child together with Bill Shorten, she worked at engineering services company Calibre.[8] She then resigned in 2016 to spend more time with her husband on the election campaign trail.[9]

Shorten's first book Take Heart – A Story for Modern Stepfamilies, was published by Melbourne University Press[10] in 2017.

Her second book, The Secret Ingredient; The Power of the Family Table, about the importance of regular family meals at the kitchen table was published in April 2018.[11]

Shorten describes herself as passionate about equal opportunity and ending family violence.[12] She has been an Ambassador for the Victorian Government's Victoria Against Violence campaign and is a Patron of Our Watch.[when?][5][4] She is a strategic advisor for the Burnet Institute in Papua New Guinea.[5][4]

In August 2017, Shorten was appointed to the Board of Industry Funds Services.[13] In 2018, Shorten was appointed as an Ambassador for the Gidget Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness of perinatal anxiety and depression.[14]

Personal life

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Shorten's first marriage was to Brisbane architect Roger Parkin. She sometimes used the surname "Bryce-Parkin" during that time.[15] They were divorced in 2009. She and Parkin have two children who now primarily live with her and Bill Shorten in Melbourne.[16][7]

She met Bill Shorten in 2007, when she was working in corporate relations in the resource industry and he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services in the Rudd Government.[17] She moved to Melbourne and married Bill Shorten in November 2009, giving birth to their child in January 2010.[18][7]

References

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  1. ^ Fyfe, Melissa (13 May 2019). "Shortening the odds: the woman humanising Bill's bid for The Lodge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Concise Financial Report 2009–2010". Endeavour Foundation. 30 June 2010. p. 2. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  3. ^ Shorten, Chloe (8 March 2016). "International Women's Day — a grand tradition, but much unfinished business". Labor Herald. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Clark, Blanche (24 June 2016). "Chloe Shorten touted as Bill's secret weapon in election campaign". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Davies, Anne (17 June 2016). "Federal election 2016: 12 things you might not know about Chloe Shorten". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  6. ^ Knott, Matthew (2 March 2018). "Why ALP backbencher Kimberley Kitching may become a household name". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "MP Bill Shorten expecting child with Chloe Bryce". The Australian. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Chloe Shorten". LinkedIn.
  9. ^ Spagnolo, Joe (19 June 2016). "Chloe Shorten, wife of Labor leader Bill Shorten, tells of love affair with WA". The Advertister. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Take Heart, Chloe Shorten". Melbourne University Publishing. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  11. ^ "The Secret Ingredient, Chloe Shorten". Melbourne University Publishing. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  12. ^ Shorten, Chloe (27 November 2015). "Can we stop family violence in my lifetime?". Labor Herald. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Board of Directors". ifs.net.au. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Chloe Shorten". Gidget Foundation Australia. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  15. ^ Markson, Sharri (20 September 2008). "Bill Shorten in love with Quentin Bryce's daughter". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  16. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-australian-womens-weekly/20170401/281638190018549. Retrieved 13 May 2019 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ Riley, Robyn (12 May 2012). "The Labor power couple Bill and Chloe Shorten slams haters over hurtful slur". The Advertiser. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Bill Shorten to wed Chloe Bryce, Governor-General's daughter". news.com.au. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
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