Professor Beazley is currently the Australian Ambassador to the United States.
He was previously a member of the Commonwealth Parliament from 1980-2007 and a Minister from 1983-1996, holding at various times portfolios including Defence, Finance, Transport and Communications, Employment Education and Training, Aviation and Special Minister of State.
He was Deputy Prime Minister 1995-1996 and Leader of the Opposition 1996-2001 and 2005-2006. After his retirement from politics in 2007, Mr Beazley was appointed Winthrop Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at The University of Western Australia.
In 2008 he was appointed Chancellor of the Australian National University, a position he held until December 2009.
Mr Beazley completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at The University of Western Australia, before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and completing a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University.