Since her ascension to the prime ministership last week, two Australian Federal Police cars have been stationed outside her Medford Street home around the clock.

Ms Gillard has said she will continue to live in her Altona house.

Neighbours Joy and Eric Vincent said the quiet cul-de-sac near Harrington Square shopping centre was even suitable for a visit by US President Barrack Obama.

"If Mr Obama came down the street he could come in for lunch," Ms Vincent said. "I would cook him a very nice meal."

The Vincents were the first residents in the street, moving into the first brick home built by the well-known Noordenne family about 47 years ago.

A covenant stipulates all homes in the street must be brick and have three bedrooms.

Mr Vincent said he initially had no idea who his sharply dressed neighbour was.

"We saw a very personable person coming here, very elegantly dressed, and we assumed she was a private secretary for a law firm.

"Later on, we found she was a parliamentarian, but we didn't know which party until we saw a car come and go with [a sticker] 'No GST' written on it.

"She was on her own at the time and she was very sociable. She'd greet us when she saw us out in the front; always a cheery, 'Hello, how are you?'

"We usually saw her once a week. Saturday and Sunday she'd go for a bit of a walk down to the pier and have a cup of coffee there."

Mr Vincent sometimes brings the bins in for Ms Gillard and her partner of four years, hairdresser-turned-real estate salesman Tim Mathieson.

In appreciation, Mr Mathieson leaves a bottle or two of shampoo.

About two years ago the fence between the two homes collapsed in a storm.

Mr Vincent said there was talk of installing electronic security gates on Ms Gillard's side, but nothing came of it.

"At the time, she was deputy PM and she was concerned about security and they were talking about putting electronic fences in, a higher fence, and I don't know what happened."