So far, Hobsons Bay has produced the top two women in Victorian and Australian politics.

Ms Kirner, who was born in Essendon and lives in Williamstown, was Victoria's first - and only - female premier.

Her laughter is brief, though, before she reminds this reporter that she and Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard worked hard to get to the top.

As reported by the Mail on May 26, Ms Kirner has backed a statewide push for more women in local government.

She said Ms Gillard had been driven by rejection, "in particular, male factional leaders' refusal to preselect her - twice".

Their relationship started when Ms Gillard was a senior official of the student union in the early '80s with Ms Kirner's middle son, David.

Ms Kirner said her first impression was, "My goodness, she'll do well in the political arena."

The pair also worked together on Labor's affirmative action policy to get more women into parliament.

Ms Kirner became premier in 1990 and after leaving Parliament in 1994 helped introduce minimum quotas for the number of female ALP candidates in winnable seats.

"One of the younger generation who worked with us on that was none other than Julia Gillard," she said. "The very important thing about Julia is she has not only opened doors for herself, she has opened doors for other women."

Ms Kirner said last week's coup demonstrated Ms Gillard's "toughness" and "ability to stand and deliver".

"I think she's been seen for a long time as a woman most likely to be a prime minister; the only question was really in the time," Ms Kirner said.

"I was as surprised as everyone else was that it happened the way it happened and that it happened [last] week.

"She was fiercely loyal to Kevin Rudd until she became convinced they weren't going to win."

Like all pioneering women, Ms Gillard has a rough road ahead. But working in her favour, Ms Kirner said, was her talent and ability to take a team of people with her.

"People in the community like to feel they know who they're dealing with," Ms Kirner said. "With Julia, what you see is what you get."

She said people in Melbourne's west now had their own Prime Minister - and should use her. "It's a great compliment to the west and it's a great opportunity for the west.

"What I'd ask people of the west to do is - if I can take the liberty as a community elder - get behind her and work with her. She has a very good electorate office. She's very aware of the local area.

"She knows the locals, she respects the locals."