Ms Gillard met briefly with fans in Wollongong on Monday when she signed more than 200 copies of her book My Story – which gives her account of her brief, but tumultuous, time as Australia’s first female Prime Minister.

The queue to get a copy formed outside Dymocks about 10.30am, the line wrapped itself around a nearby cafe as people waited patiently – most with copies of the book tucked under their arms.

Other shoppers stopped to catch a glimpse of Ms Gillard through the window, while some turned their backs on her – not in an act of defiance, rather an attempt to get a ‘‘selfie’’.

But a few not-so flattering words were also heard about the woman who divided not only her party, but the country. 

The smiles on the faces of others, including Suzi Wakefield and her daughter Katie May Allan, 15, told a different story.

Suzi, from Bulli, said Ms Gillard had paved the way for girls to ‘‘have confidence in what they believe in’’.

‘‘It’s just something for my daughter to aspire to,’’ she said.

The pair joined the queue about 11.30am and little more than half an hour later they were face to face with Ms Gillard.

Suzi described the experience as ‘‘emotional’’ because of Ms Gillard’s dramatic fall from the top job.

‘‘We got a real buzz, I’ll be smiling for days now,’’ she said.

Woman far outweighed men at the signing, but that didn’t faze 68-year-old Don Kelly.

‘‘She’s a gem,’’ Mr Kelly said.

‘‘I think she’s the best Prime Minister we’ve ever had.’’

Mr Kelly has followed Ms Gillard post-politics and said he was amazed at what she had done on the world stage.

‘‘People should not forget her,’’ he said.  

The Mercury was denied an interview with Ms Gillard.