Perth:
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard dodged an egg thrown at her by a man while on a visit to the city of Perth on Friday and apologised to the security officer who was hit.
Gillard was entering the studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a radio interview when the egg was thrown.
It hit a female security officer in the back.
Security camera footage from the lobby shows a man emerging from a side door and lobbing the egg at Gillard as she turns her back to him. The egg sails over her right shoulder.
Talking about the incident later in the studio, Gillard made light of the incident and said she had apologised to the security officer.
"I did see something fly past and I have met the lady who was coming in who ended up with the egg on the back of a raincoat, fortunately, so she'll be able to wipe it off," she said.
"I did apologise to her because I don't think someone was throwing the egg at her, but she ended up copping the egg."
Ms Gillard said she did not know why the alleged egg-thrower was angry.
"If people have got something to say to me, what I would obviously prefer is, I'm always up for a frank conversation."
Police said the man they arrested had been in the cafe adjoining the entrance to the ABC studios and that the egg had hit a Western Australian police dignitary protection officer.
Local news reports said police charged the 55-year-old man with assault.