THE former Prime Minister of Australia, Barry born Julia Gillard, has spoken about her Welsh roots and political inspiration in her new biography.

Ms Gillard was born in Barry in 1961 to John and Moira Gillard, three years after her older sister Alison.

The family moved to Adelaide in 1966 after Julia contracted bronchial pneumonia and were advised that a warmer climate would be less problematic.

Although Julia has little memory of Barry, she mentions in her book My Story that her sister had a harder time fitting in at school in Australia with her "thick Welsh accent", Julia notes that her political ideals have almost all been forged as a result of her parents' working class Welsh upbringing.

Speaking about her father John, a former coal miner turned psychiatric nurse, she explains that he always instilled the idea of "work being its own reward" in the family.

"I learnt these values in my family home, from my father and mother, who migrated to this country and worked unbelievably hard to give my sister and me the best of life’s chances," she writes. "Life is given direction and purpose by work."

My Story is Julia Gillard’s account of her three years as Australia’s first female Prime Minister as well as chronicling her life growing up in Wales and moving to Adelaide.

My Story is available in bookshops and online now.