Trying to think of a leader who has ended up surviving such constant leadership speculation, destablisation and loss of internal support. I can't think of any.
She's gone.
There hasn't been one, Boffles probably come closest but he was leading in the polls all the way. It's always been the case that once someone throws down the gauntlet, the leadership quagmire stops the government getting any other messages out there and politically paralyses them until finally that leader is cut down. That's why I'm kind of doubtful Abbott makes the next election, even though I think he currently commands a comfortable majority of the joint partyroom I think Turnbull really has nothing left in public life to achieve except being Prime Minister and if the polls converge at all I imagine he'd have a go anyway. He'd lose, Turnbull has a weak following but Abbott would then have this media siege demanding the leadership issue be resolved.
I reckons a sort of Thatcher/Hestletine/Major thing might yet happen. Gillard calls a spill, Rudd contests and loses, returns to the backbench and waits. Gillard leadership further declines to the point where her closest supporters lose confidence in her, she resigns and Smith or Crean nominate for the leadership, have all her votes transferred to them plus a handful of Kevin's. If it were Smith that would of course mean foregoing running for the deputy leadership when Rudd challenged which seems to be becoming increasingly likely.