Robert James Lee Hawke AC GCL
Victor P Taffa
Labor’s longest serving Prime Minister Bob Hawke has died aged 89 years.
Bob Hawke was born on 9 December 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia.
Bob Hawke moved to Western Australia as a child. He attended the University of Western Australia and then went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
ACTU Leadership
Bob Hawke joined the ACTU in 1956 as a research officer. After Bob Hawke began work at the ACTU, he became responsible for the presentation of its annual case for higher wages to the national wages’ tribunal, the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. He was first appointed as an ACTU advocate in 1959.
Having risen to become responsible for wage arbitration, he was elected ACTU President in 1969 on a modernising platform by the narrow margin of 399 to 350, where he achieved a high public profile.
Federal Parliament
Bob Hawke’s first attempt to enter Parliament came during the 1963 Federal Election in the seat of Corio in Geelong. He managed to achieve a 3.1% swing, although he fell short of ousting Liberal incumbent and Cycling Champion Hubert Opperman.
Bob Hawke was elected to the House of Representatives as the Labor MP for Wills at the 1980 Federal Election.
Bob Hawke’s decade long role as ACTU President had him marked for higher office.
Labor Leader Bill Hayden called a leadership ballot for 16 July 1982. Bill Hayden announced his resignation as Leader of the Labor Party to the caucus on 3 February 1983.
Bob Hawke was subsequently named as leader and became Leader of the Opposition from a party room ballot at which he was elected unopposed.
On the same day Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser called an Election for 5 March 1983.
Drovers Dog
Bill Hayden commented on the 1983 Federal Election by saying that “A Drover’s Dog could have won the election.”
Bob Hawke led Labor to a landslide victory in 1983 and followed that up with election victories in 1984, 1987 and 1990.
Paul Keating became Bob Hawke’s Treasurer. Initially Bob Hawke and Paul Keating were a formidable political duo.
However, after a while Paul Keating got sick of playing second fiddle to Bob Hawke.
In June 1991, Paul Keating contested the leadership. Paul Keating resigned from Cabinet and mounted a second leadership challenge at the end of 1991
Bob Hawke remains as Labor’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
- Member of Federal Parliament for Wills 1980-92
- Leader of the Labor Party 1983-91
- Leader of the Opposition 1983
- Prime Minister of Australia 1983-91
Bob Hawke died on 16 May 2019, aged 89 years.
VIC Premier Daniel Andrews
QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk
Statement On Bob Hawke By Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews
More than any other, Bob Hawke was the people’s Prime Minister. Australians saw themselves in him, and he saw himself in us.
The son of a school teacher and a minister, he grew up in the most ordinary of circumstance. Yet that boy from Bordertown would leave us with the most extraordinary legacy.
In the coming days, that legacy will be remembered in a multitude of different ways.
Rhode Scholar. Yard Drinker.
Staunch Unionist. Member for Wills. Labor’s longest serving Prime Minister.
For so many in our movement, he was and will always be the father of Medicare. The man who made sure that most fundamental right healthcare was afforded to every Australian.
The man who created the foundation of fairness on which our modern nation was built.
In his last act of public life, Bob wrote an open letter to the people of Australia.
In it, he urged us to not only protect his legacy, but to continue pushing for that fairer future.
In Bob’s name, we will. Solidarity forever.
Statement On Bob Hawke By Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk
Bob Hawke was a genuine man of the people.
It didn’t matter who you were, where you lived or what you did, Bob treated everyone the same.
I first met him when I was in school and he treated me exactly the same as he did many years later when I became Premier.
I’ll treasure the memory of being with Bob on Labour Day in the birthplace of the Labor Party in Barcaldine.
Bob was too unwell to march and was pushed in his wheelchair. When the march came to its end at the showgrounds, I’ll never forget the way Bob got out of that chair, walked onstage and addressed the crowd. He was such a magnificent and inspirational speaker.
In that same, strong, clear voice so familiar to us, he sang Solidarity Forever.
Bob fought fiercely for things, not against them.
He called it consensus. I describe it as working best when we work together.
Bob loved the Woodford Folk Festival and its celebration of ideas. He told me to look after it and I will. Then we said goodbye.
I didn’t realise it would be for the last time.
“I don’t think I’ll be back.” Bob said.
Then this man who I had respected and admired for almost my entire life looked at me and smiled.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
Loss we feel is a measure of how much he meant to all of us.
Hazel Hawke
Hazel Hawke AO
Hazel Susan Hawke, AO (née Masterson, 20 July 1929– 23 May 2013) was the first wife of Bob Hawke, the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia.
Hazel married Bob on 3 March 1956, and supported him throughout his prime ministership (1983–1991); they divorced in 1995.
Hazel worked in social policy areas, and was an amateur pianist and a patron of the arts. After Hazel was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, Hazel made public appearances in order to raise awareness of the disease.
During their marriage, Bob Hawke had an affair with Blanche d’Alpuget in the 1970’s.
In June 2001 Hazel was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies
Australia’s second longest serving Prime Minister John Howard
Prime Ministers Since 1 January 1901
6 Colonial Governments agreed to form a Federation of States as the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.
People who have held the office of Prime Minister of Australia since the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901 is as follows:
Prime Minister Party Term Of Office
Scott Morrison Liberal 24 August 2018-Present
Malcolm Turnbull Liberal 14 Sept. 2015-24 August 2018
Tony Abbott Liberal 7 Sept. 2013-14 Sept. 2015
Kevin Rudd Labor 27 June 2013-18 Sept. 2013
Julia Gillard Labor 24 June 2010-27 June 2013
Kevin Rudd Labor 3 Dec. 2007-24 June 2010
John Howard Liberal 2 March 1996-24 Nov. 2007
Paul Keating Labor 19 Dec. 1991-2 March 1996
Bob Hawke Labor 5 March 1983-19 Dec. 1991
Malcolm Fraser Liberal 11 Nov. 1975-5 March 1983
Gough Whitlam Labor 5 Dec. 1972-11 Nov. 1975
William McMahon Liberal 10 March 1971-5 Dec. 1972
John Gorton Liberal 10 Jan. 1968-10 March 1971
John McEwen Country 19 Dec. 1967-10 Jan. 1968
Harold Holt Liberal 26 Jan. 1966-19 Dec. 1967*
Robert Menzies Liberal 19 Dec. 1949-26 Jan. 1966**
Ben Chifley Labor 13 July 1945-19 Dec. 1949
Francis Forde Labor 5 July 1945-13 July 1945
John Curtin Labor 7 Oct. 1941-5 July 1945*
Arthur Fadden Country 29 Aug. 1941-7 Oct. 1941
Robert Menzies United Australia 26 April 1939-29 Aug. 1941
Sir Earle Page Country 7 April 1939-26 April 1939
Joseph Lyons United Australia 6 Jan. 1932-7 April 1939
James Scullin Labor 22 Oct. 1929- 6 Jan. 1932
Stanley Melbourne Bruce Nationalist 9 Feb. 1923-22 Oct. 1929
William Morris Hughes Nationalist 17 Feb. 1917-9 Feb. 1923
William Morris Hughes National Labor 14 Nov. 1916-17 Feb. 1917
William Morris Hughes Labor 27 Oct. 1915-14 Nov. 1916
Andrew Fisher Labor 7 Sept. 1914-27 Oct. 1915
Joseph Cook Liberal 24 June 1913-7 Sept. 1914
Andrew Fisher Labor 29 April 1910-24 June 1913
Alfred Deakin Fushion 2 June 1909-29 April 1910
Andrew Fisher Labor 13 Nov. 1908-2 June 1909
Alfred Deakin Liberal 5 July 1905-13 Nov. 1908
George Reid Free Trade 18 Aug.- 5 July 1905
Chris Watson Labor 27 April 1904-18 Aug. 1904
Alfred Deakin Protectionist 24 Sept. 1903-27 April 1904
Edmund Barton Protectionist 1 Jan. 1901-24 Sept. 1903
Prime Ministers Who Have Held More Than 1 Term Of Office:
Prime Minister Party Term Of Office
Kevin Rudd Labor 26 June 2013-7 Sept. 2013
Kevin Rudd Labor 24 Nov. 2007-24 June 2010
Robert Menzies Liberal 19 Dec. 1949-26 Jan. 1966**
Robert Menzies United Australia 26 April 1939-29 Aug. 1941
William Morris Hughes Nationalist 17 Feb. 1917-9 Feb. 1923
William Morris Hughes National Labor 14 Nov. 1916-17 Feb. 1917
William Morris Hughes Labor 27 Oct. 1915-14 Nov. 1916
Andrew Fisher Labor 7 Sept. 1914-27 Oct. 1915
Andrew Fisher Labor 29 April 1910-24 June 1913
Andrew Fisher Labor 13 Nov. 1908-2 June 1909
Alfred Deakin Fushion 2 June 1909-29 April 1910
Alfred Deakin Liberal 5 July 1905-13 Nov. 1908
Alfred Deakin Protectionist 24 Sept. 1903-27 April 1904
*Died in Office
** Formed current Liberal Party in 1944 and longest serving Prime Minister
Abbreviations:
AC Order of Australia
AO Officer of the Order of Australia
GCL Order of Logohu
ACTU Australian Council of Trade Unions