She describes herself as a country girl who once found the idea of going to the city daunting.
But Michele Bullock will make history when she takes up one of the biggest jobs in the 'city' as Reserve Bank governor in September.
She will be the first woman to hold the post after previously breaking new ground when appointed deputy governor last year.
In a revealing interview with her alma mater at the time, she spoke of how her near 40-year career at the central bank could have taken a very different path.
Accepted into medicine at the University of NSW, the then-17-year-old didn't know if she was cut out for it.
Her father, an administrator and data processor at the University of New England, suggested she speak with people about the economics course she had enjoyed in school.
"As a country girl, I found the idea of going to the big city quite daunting, so staying at home was a good option," Ms Bullock said.
"I found economics interesting; it was useful in day-to-day life and topical."
The public-service element of her job had led her to spend her entire career at the Reserve Bank, she said.
"It's offered a great breadth of things for me to contribute to and, underlying it all, is that it's in the public interest, which works for me," Ms Bullock said.
She said she was also keenly aware of serving as a role model for other women working at the RBA.
"I want to be inclusive, welcoming and make a level playing field upon which everyone can contribute," Ms Bullock said.
"And I think I bring that from my country upbringing."
That approach will be key as she leads an overhaul of the culture and operations of the RBA following a landmark review.
Keen observers expect to see a continuation of outgoing governor Philip Lowe's approach to setting interest rates, especially since Ms Bullock has been in every meeting since they started going up.
NAB economist Ivan Colhoun believes there are likely to be few implications for the hiking cycle but said she was likely to be seen as "more practical and less theoretical than her predecessor".
"As a very level-headed individual, she seems well suited to implement many of the recommendations for cultural change at the RBA," he said.
The economist also said Ms Bullock's involvement in the branch responsible for financial system stability suggested she may be "more attuned" to the risks facing households from the sharp rise in interest rates.
