When Hillary Clinton came to Canberra

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former US Secretary of State and presidential nominee, appeared in Canberra in late 2025 as a headline speaker at the Women UNLIMITED Leadership Summit, one of the largest women in leadership events held in Australia. Her in-person appearance made the capital one of only a small number of cities on the national program to host her.

In conversation

At the Canberra event Clinton spoke with the award-winning Australian journalist Leigh Sales on the theme of leading through both success and adversity under intense public scrutiny, drawing on a career lived largely in the public eye. The summit also featured former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, whose own experience of leadership and public scrutiny made the pairing a particular drawcard.

A big-name booking for the capital

Events of this scale are a reminder of Canberra''s role as a national meeting place. As the seat of government and home to the diplomatic community, the capital regularly hosts major political and business figures, and high-profile summits bring thousands of delegates and significant visitor spending to the city.

For attendees, the appearance offered a rare chance to hear directly from one of the most recognisable figures in modern American politics, on Canberra soil.

Sources: canberratimes.com.au, region.com.au.

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