Julia Gillard First Female Australian Prime Minister

Newly appointed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (R) stands with her partner Tim Mathieson at Government House on June 24, 2010 in Canberra, Australia. (Alan Porritt - Pool/Getty Images)

Julia Gillard, assumed the post of Australia’s prime minister on Thursday a day after ousting former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in what Australian media have described as a “bloodless coup.”

Gillard, who was the deputy prime minister, challenged Rudd in a leadership ballot after he had lost support from key members of his Labor Party.

Since his win in the 2007 election, Rudd had enjoyed record poll ratings being the country’s first Labor Party prime minister after 11 years of conservative rule.

“I asked my colleagues to make a leadership change ... because I believed that a good government was losing its way,” the new prime minister said at a press conference on Thursday.

In his farewell speech Rudd, choking back tears, said “I have given my absolute best. ... I have given it my absolute all.”

U.S. President Barack Obama offered his congratulations to Gillard on Thursday saying in a statement that he looks forward to working with the new prime minister “across the broad range of issues on which the United States and Australia currently enjoy strong and deep cooperation.”

Gillard becomes Australia’s first female prime minster.