Julia Gillard holds on as prime minister – in pictures

Simon Crean, a former Labor leader and a senior minister in Julia Gillard's Australian government, kicked off an extraordinary day when he called for the prime minister to either call a leadership ballot or be forced into it by the Labor caucus. Photograph: Mark Graham/AFP/Getty

'Take your best shot.' In a moment to rival her misogyny speech about Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard tackled Crean's ultimatum head-on when question time arrived in the House of Representatives – stalking to the dispatch box, announcing (though not in so many words) that she had sacked Crean from his ministry and daring the opposition leader to do his worst. Photograph: Stefan Postles/Getty

Tony Abbott took up Gillard's challenge, beginning in a muted way but working up to an attack in which he cast the prime minister as having visited chaos on the Australian electorate. Gillard responded by hammering out a list of the government's achievements. Abbott eventually called for House standing orders to be suspended to allow a no-confidence motion to be moved against Gillard. He lost the vote and Gillard successfully moved for question time to be wrapped up. Photograph: Stefan Postles/Getty

Julia Gillard and her supporters including the deputy prime minister, Wayne Swan, arrive for the meeting of the Labor caucus to decide who will lead the Labor party and thereby the nation as prime minister. Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

Rudd, however, left his caucus supporters – and the media – floundering when he announced before the leadership spill that he would stick by his previous pledge never again to mount a direct challenge to Julia Gillard. He would not take up the leadership unless the position was vacant and he was 'drafted' in by an overwhelming vote of support. Photograph: Stefan Postles/Getty

And just like that it was over: Julia Gillard and her supporters leave the brief caucus meeting where she threw open the leadership but no one came forward to challenge her. Rival Kevin Rudd stuck to his vow never again to mount a direct challenge to the prime minister after a failed tilt in February 2012. Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

Chief government whip and Kevin Rudd supporter Joel Fitzgibbon leaves the caucus meeting. Fitzgibbon said that as one of the MPs who had urged Rudd to 'have a crack' at the leadership he had no option but to be considering his position. 'I can make one pledge to you and the prime minister that you will be hearing very little from Joel Fitzgibbon between now and the election.' Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

The media throng around Kevin Rudd backer Joel Fitzgibbon as he gives a humbled speech, saying he would now be 'doing everything I can to ensure [Gillard] wins the next election'. Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

Leader of the House Anthony Albanese speaks to the media after the meeting of the Labor caucus, where Julia Gillard was re-elected unopposed as prime minister. Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

Julia Gillard arrives at the lectern to tell the waiting media that she is still prime minister. 'The whole business is completely at an end. It has ended now.' Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

Julia Gillard's facial expression says it all as her staunch ally, deputy and treasurer Wayne Swan speaks. Photograph: Penny Bradfield/Guardian

But it's not over, declared Tony Abbott, the opposition leader, who said Labor's 'civil war' would continue as long as Gillard and Rudd were in parliament. Abbott called on the prime minister to call an immediate election, rather than waiting until the announced date of 14 September. Photograph: Rob Griffith/AP

We close with the obligatory 'in happier times' photo: 4 December 2006 when Kevin Rudd defeated Kim Beazley and became leader of the then opposition Labor party, with Gillard joining him as deputy. They would win office together but later Gillard would roll Rudd and take his job as prime minister, triggering a political enmity that shows no sign of reconciliation. Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty