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Photo:
Annastacia Palaszczuk in grade 10 meeting Bob Hawke at Inala. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
There is one photograph that haunts Annastacia Palaszczuk — despite only ever seeing it once.
It was a picture of her grandfather in a labour camp in Poland during World War II."He was a bare skeleton, he nearly lost his life during those years," she said.
Photo:
Annastacia Palaszczuk's grandfather Leo (right) in a happier moment. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
"He often told the story about how the other people in the labour camp would run out of food and the Polish people would share their food."
He emigrated to Australia after the war where he worked as a boilermaker.
"He just said to me, 'You've got to have a job, you've got to be able to provide for your family, put a roof over your head and make sure you put food on your table'," the Queensland Premier said.
She credits him for instilling in her the values she carries today.
"I think my grandfather had the most incredible strength of character to be able to survive the war and I hope that that is one of the great strengths that he has passed through to my father and through to me," she said.
Photo:
Lorelle Palaszczuk holding baby Annastacia at home in Oxley. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
"My father always pushed education on us — that education was important because my grandfather said to him, 'You have to study, you have to work hard'."
She is the oldest of four daughters and said her family had a humble beginning.
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Annastacia Palaszczuk in her primary school uniform at Jamboree Heights. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
"I remember we had our first housing commission home in Inala and after that we moved I think to my grandmother's house down to Oxley for a while and then we moved up to Jamboree Heights," she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said her family got by with just the essentials.
"They didn't have a lot, it was very basic furniture — I can't remember the furniture changing," she said.
"I was the sort of person who wouldn't just bring one friend home after school, I'd bring half a dozen.
"I can always remember everyone laughing."
There was also singing, and dancing.
You can probably guess which ABBA star Annastacia Palaszczuk used to impersonate, when she teamed up with her friend Nicole in primary school.
"Nicole Andrews — who still lives a couple of suburbs away from me — we used to love playing ABBA and we used to dress up, we used to sing all the songs," she said.
"We were going to conquer the world and we were going to be ABBA."Ms Palaszczuk studied arts and law at the University of Queensland before heading overseas where her interest in politics grew stronger.
Photo:
Annastacia Palaszczuk with her parents, graduating from university with a law degree. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
In 1992 she travelled the United States with her friend Anne, where they followed the Clinton campaign.
She went on to volunteer at the Labour headquarters in the United Kingdom as part of a Master's thesis looking at campaign strategies.
Photo:
Annastacia Palaszczuk travelling in the US with friend Anne in 1992. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
Away from 1 William Street, Ms Palaszczuk turns to TV for some escapism.
She admits to binge watching series with her partner Shaun like Top of the Lake, The Crown, Victoria and on the odd occasion, The Bachelor.
"I'm really bad, I watch reality TV sometimes — I just think it's the best form of escape," she said.
"I have to confess I have watched a bit of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — it's a bit embarrassing isn't it?"
Ms Palaszczuk is not a fan of snakes, or scary movies.
"I don't watch horror movies, I just don't like them," she said.
She described her playlist as being full of "chilled" music.
"A bit of Rufus, London Grammar — I went and saw them recently when they came out here and they were excellent live," she said.
Photo:
Annastacia Palaszczuk (middle, in brown dress) at her birthday party. (Supplied: Annastacia Palaszczuk)
"I'm a big fan of Powderfinger.
"When I spoke to Bernard Fanning, we actually realised that we were at university at the same time and I think he might have done a couple of political subjects either just before me or just after me."
She also listens to a lot of Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart and of course ABBA.
But she laughed when she admitted she will not be going to see Mariah Carey when she comes to Brisbane next year.
There is not a lot of spare time left when you are Premier of the state, but Ms Palaszczuk says it is the little things she enjoys.
"I like walking and I love walking the dogs when I can."
"I also like spending time with my nieces and a few weeks before the campaign started I took them down to the local cafe and we had brunch because they love having their babycinos.
"It's about spending time with family and seeing my grandmother — it's just really hard because there's so much pressure on your time that you don't actually get to spend time with family and friends.
"I have so many text messages of people wanting to catch up, my friends, and it's like, 'We'll have to catch up over Christmas', " she said.
"My school friends from high school, we try and catch up regularly each year."
If she could take a holiday to anywhere in the world it would be to Lady Elliot Island off the coast of southern Queensland.
"Terri Irwin was telling me about the incredible breeding season of the manta rays — I'd love to do that," she said.
"The other thing I'd love to do is spend some time out at Winton where you can actually go out and spend time going through the dinosaur history.
"I went to a shed once and watched them there and they were putting it all together and I just thought that would be fascinating one day."
Ms Palaszczuk said while she does not hang on to regrets, she has gone through trials.
"When I had a miscarriage, that's definitely my biggest disappointment," she said.
"I always wanted to have a child — I tried for many, many years.
"It still upsets me to this day."When it comes to work, she does not let the pitfalls of politics get her down.
"In this job, you have to be yourself," she said.
"It's a completely humbling experience. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it.
"I'm not going to lose a single day of worrying, 'Oh if only I could have done this, if only I could have done that'."
She said it took time for the reality to sink in when she came back from the smallest opposition in Queensland's history, to win at the 2015 election.
"We were heading up to Government House and all of a sudden there was a chopper overhead … and they said 'They're following you from your building'," she said.
"I think it wasn't until I walked up the stairs and I met with the Governor that it was — 'This is it, This has finally happened'.
"And honestly, it's the job I've been given to do."
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