The rise of Amelia Hamer as a political leader in Australia was evident and fast-tracked. Entering politics as a candidate of the Liberal Party in the 2025 federal election in the high-visibility seat of Kooyong, Amelia Hamer faced as much public attention because of her personal heritage and family circumstances as well as her role as an active practitioner and policy thinker. Her life is of aspiration, contemporary conservatism, of how to engage in media property.
Background and Entry into Public Life
When the Liberals preselected her as its candidate in the eastern suburbs seat of Kooyong, previously represented by former Federal Prime Minister Robert Menzies, 31-year-old Amelia Hamer entered the national limelight. She is born with both academic and work pedigree, as she intends to marry the two wheels of life: she attended the University of Oxford and studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), and then had a background in banking, financial advising, venture capitalism, an internship with Liberal Senator Jane Hume.
Though Hamer is a first-time candidate, there is more to the roots of her association with public life. She is the grand-niece of Sir Rupert, known to all as Dick Hamer, the Liberal premier of Victoria between 1972 and 1981. Sir Rupert was an innovator in city planning, the environment, and the arts, aspects that some in the party see somewhere Amelia Hamer might complement a new Liberal age.
Media Coverage and Public Interest
The race of Hamer has become national news since the day of her candidacy. ABC News, The Guardian Australia and The Age printed profiles on her upstart status as a young and articulate conservative who wants to win Kooyong back from the independent MP, Dr Monique Ryan, who toppled the former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2022.
However, The Hamer campaign had its share of obstacles that raised acute media attention. Among the most exposed problems was her open introduction as a renter, whose purpose was to resemble the views of younger voters and the housing issues of millennials. Later reports indicated that she owned two houses, one in Canberra and another in London, which attracted criticism and media headlines by The Guardian and SBS News. Being not legally or ethically problematic, the disparity between fiction and economic truth raised eyebrows regarding genuineness and political marketing.
In April 2025, another flashpoint occurred when Hamer publicly accused Monique Ryan’s campaign of operating a so-called “dirt file” against her. That event occurred after heated reporting on 7.30 on ABC, during which Hamer declined to support the assertion with any evidence. Ryan refused the charge, and the event was considered a political blunder that overshadowed policy discussion and possibly contributed to Hamer’s ultimate failure.
Family Ties and Political Symbolism
The media profile of Hamer commonly mentioned her family relations to a former Victorian Premier, Sir Rupert Hamer. Speaking to The Australian Financial Review, Hamer positioned her bid as a generational reset policy to display economic liberalism to people by offering a path towards social modernity within a shifting demographic environment.
The symbolic nature of that ambition contrasts her candidacy with the teal wave of independent candidates that carried Ryan to the parliament in 2022. To the Liberal Party, Hamer was a possible model for regaining the metropolitan seats since younger, socially minded candidates with a professional background could be selected, and the party would inherit the metro seat.
Public Reception and Campaign Outcome
Even though she had undergone media training and possessed a very composed demeanour when appearing in the media, Hamer was ultimately defeated by Monique Ryan in the seat of Kooyong in a very close race until the late counting. Political analysts, nevertheless, pointed out that he had managed to narrow the margin and that there was a massive shift to the Liberals than in the last election.
Her candidacy met with a mixed but mostly respectful reception among the public. Supporters lauded her credentials, professionalism, and policy involvement, especially in economic reform and housing supply. Her accusers, however, were further distressed by her ability to fit with voter realities, especially regarding property ownership and campaign scandals.
Her generous concession and civil tone in defeat were warmly recognised. On both sides of politics, she was praised for gaining electoral integrity and democratic deference, which are of increasing importance in Australia’s highly polarised political atmosphere.
A Future in Australian Politics?
Although Hamer lost her initial trip to the federal scene, many people think she will still be an eye candy. Victorian Liberal establishment: she enjoyed strong support in her campaign and is also an active member of local community organisations, including the Rotary Club of Glenferrie. Her career in finance, policy and international education makes her one of a new generation of Liberals, especially in those electorates where people’s values overlap with economic conservatism.
Conclusion
The case of Amelia Hamer and the beginning of her career in Australian politics can be taken as an example of the future and the flaws of the current political involvement. She had her international education in Polish, a well-known family name and tangible experience in business and policy. But in the constantly self-contradictory world of media, politics, and the gazes cast upon them, her candidacy also showed how it is hard to construct an identifiable narrative and the appearance of diversity without an apparent contradiction.
Although she may have lost in Kooyong, Hamer’s media profile and performance indicate her political legacy will not end soon. In a Liberal Party trying to re-establish connections with the urban electorate and renew its generational theme, individuals such as Amelia Hamer may still have a defining impact on its future orientation regarding heritage, modernity and popular credibility.
