Local papers tweet that Julia Gillard spends $1.8 million in hometown Adelaide

The Indaily independent news group and the Adelaide Advertiser today speculated that ousted prime minister Julia Gillard has dropped $1.8 million on a home in the Brighton beachside suburb of her native Adelaide. 

It comes with four bedrooms and a 12-person spa.

Local estate agent Phil Harris was coy on whether he sold the house to Gillard, telling the Advertiser he was unable to speak.

The Indaily contacted Gillard's office yesterday but they declined to comment.

The Advertiser have tweeted their intriguing conversation with Harris.

"I've heard rumours but I can't talk about it," he told the Adelaide Advertiser's property editor Tom Bowden.

"I know she's looking around at some properties down there, absolutely.

"I do know she's seriously looking along the coastline, but specifically that property I can't say.

"Has she approached us? I won't make a comment on that."

The paper was told by the home's agent that a contract had been signed on the property but Gillard's name doesn't appear.

"I don't know where that information has come from but it's definitely not Julia Gillard who has purchased the property."

Maybe it's in her mum's name, they speculate.

Last month Property Observer noted the rumours that the former PM was heading back to Adelaide from her Melbourne base of Altona.