She gave no commitment but said she wanted to sound out friends, including colleagues Warren Snowdon and Brendan O’Connor, and importantly, Kim Carr, the Victorian Left powerbroker who had installed the Rudd-Gillard team in 2006.
Enthused, Senator Feeney sought out Don Farrell, the South Australian senator and powerbroker. The Victorian Right was split and Senator Farrell would help unite it behind Ms Gillard.
They started counting numbers.
Bill Shorten, the Victorian Right MP, had approached Ms Gillard the week before and asked her to stand. He saw her again on Wednesday. By late afternoon, after question time, momentum was building but had not reached critical mass. The Left was oblivious to what was going on and the traditional heavyweights such as Senator Faulkner were out of the loop, but Senator Arbib was working the NSW Right. By early evening, most of the faction had swung behind Ms Gillard.
Earlier in the day in Sydney, the right-wing Australian Workers Union had a leadership meeting that, included its two heavyweights, Paul Howes and Bill Ludwig.
They were unaware of any looming spill and resolved to support Rudd.
However, around 6pm, as news of a push was growing, Mr Howes was shown internal ALP polling which showed the government was facing wipeout in NSW. Mr Howes and Mr Ludwig jumped into action and threw their support behind Ms Gillard. This galvanised the Right nationally.
Howes called Wayne Swan, of the Right, who was shifting towards Gillard. After talking to Mr Howes, Mr Swan agreed to stand for deputy.
The Left realised the challenge was serious. Supporters of Laurie Ferguson, for whom Gillard had found a safe seat in western Sydney after his was abolished, joined the stampede.
By the time Ms Gillard went to see Mr Rudd at 7.20pm, he was doomed.
Shorten retired to the Hoang Hau Vietnamese restaurant in Kingston.
From there, he was working two phones and writing down names.
With him were four South Australians from the Right: the Sports Minister, Kate Ellis, Senator Dana Wortley and two former federal MPs, David Cox and Martyn Evans.
Rudd was inside his office with Ms Gillard and Senator Faulkner for three hours. It is believed they tried to talk him into standing down.
At 10.30pm, a defiant Mr Rudd emerged and said he would fight at a leadership spill scheduled for 9am.
By daybreak, it was estimated Ms Gillard had about 83 of the 112 votes. Anthony Albanese told Mr Rudd he was doomed and should not contest to spare humiliation