Her mother Phyllis Eu Cheng Li was a school principal who became the first woman elected to the Singapore City Council.
[2] Her maternal grandfather Chia Yee Soh was a wealthy businessman who founded United Motor Works.
[5] Eu was appointed to the South Australian Legislative Council on 23 October 1990, filling a casual vacancy.
[5] At the 1998 federal election, Eu stood for the Senate as an independent, heading a three-person ticket under the slogan "Say No To Intolerance".
The group aimed to "counterbalance those parties it perceives as intolerant and racist, including Pauline Hanson's One Nation and Australia First".