Prior to entering politics, Dr. Gallop worked as a tutor and lecturer at both Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia (UWA), and was a City Councillor at Fremantle from 1983 to 1986.
Dr. Gallop first joined the Australian Labor Party in 1971. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1972, and as an undergraduate at Oxford University met and became close friends with Tony Blair.
From 1990 to 1993, during the Lawrence Labor Government, he held a range of Ministerial responsibilities including Education, Parliamentary and Electoral Reform, Fuel and Energy, Micro-Economic Reform, and as Minister assisting the Treasurer.
In Opposition, his Shadow Ministerial responsibilities included Treasury, Resources and Energy, Parliamentary and Electoral Reform, Public Sector Management, Accountability, Sport and Recreation, Aboriginal Affairs, Health, Federal Affairs, Treasury and the South West.
In 1994, he was elected Deputy Leader of the State Parliamentary Labor Party. In October 1996, he was elected Leader and soon after in December of that same year, contested the State election as Labor Leader.
At the State election in February 2001, Dr. Gallop led the Labor Party to a historic victory, winning a record 14 seats.
As Premier, he is the Mnister for Public Sector Management; Federal Affairs; Science; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests.
Dr. Gallop is a keen historian and sportsman, and is an avid supporter of the Republic, taking a leading role in the push for a directly-elected President during the 1998 Constitutional Convention in Canberra.