Bob Hawke’s Farewell: Australia’s Legendary Prime Minister Dies
What the Aussie Politicos Were Saying
Blanche d’Alpuget, Bob’s second wife, skyed the news: “We’ve lost a true Australian legend—” she smiled, “—many say he’s the greatest Aussie of the post‑war era.”
He passed peacefully at home at 89.
Aman’s Run in the 1980s
Raised as the son of a preacher, Hawke captivated the nation with his everyman charm while loosening the strangle‑hold on the economy—floating the dollar and trimming tariffs. He juggled a career that ranged from pushing back ticket vandals in Sydney to sharing tear‑filled moments for the massacre in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
Never Unseated by the Vote
Hawke lost out not in Parliament but the party room in 1991, after four clean election wins beginning in 1983. He was known as the quintessential Aussie larrikin—a lovable rogue who made all the tea‑vein ladies and sports‑fan guys swoon.
Hawke’s Rally‑Crowd Appeal
- Susan Ryan recalled: “When you’d go out campaigning with Bob, all the people swarmed—fans clowned around trying to get a kiss or a sig n‑ature.”
- Women loved his easy‑going vibe – it was the sizzle of a premiership properly tailored for the masses.
- Men admired his all‑around sports enthusiasm and his roots in trade unionism.
National Triumph: The 1983 America’s Cup Splash
Picture hawk-eyed Bob wearing a bright white blazer emblazoned with “Australia.” He boomed: “If a boss fires a worker for just not showing up today, that’s a bum.” Yet he nudged the so‑called “Labour” party further left with a broad, consensus‑based push that married unions and business, and spawned a wave of deregulation that stunned critics.
From a Razor‑Sharp Youth to the Political Apex
Early Life and Mishap
- Born on 9 Dec 1929, in Bordertown, South Australia, he was the younger of two boys. After his elder brother Neil fell to meningitis in his teens, the family relocated to Perth.
- At 17, a motorcycle accident ruptured his spleen—he joked “almost gave me a life‑lesson.” He’s said that chance to survive simply made him steel‑strong.
Academic Glory & First ‘Trade Union’ Moment
He earned a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, then returned to marry Hazel Masterson. Hawke’s early political attempts flopped in 1963, but 17 years later – in 1980 – he was elected to Parliament’s seat of Wills in Melbourne, toggling into the top rung of the ALP.
Absolute Bodacious Boil‑over
He once set a record by gulping an entire yard‑glass of beer—three pints in record time. From that it followed his booze‑tolerance habits into his late career, where he’d erupt with cheers in “Beer‑happening” moments on the big screen during sports events.
Confrontations & Relatable Humanity
In the 1990s recession, a door closed on him: a party‑room coup sent him to a successor. He retired from Parliament, moved into business consulting (especially in China), and returned to his indulgence with an annual beer over the field.
What a Scandal
In 1995, his divorce from Hazel—who bore four kids—featured a fierce infamy. He remarried Blanche d’Alpuget, who brought an entertainment flair. The most delicious scandal in Aussie politics, that alone was a headline worthy of a tabloid.
Life After the Office
After the coup, he channeled his energy into consulting in China, launching a sturdy partnership between Beijing and Canberra. How do you scare a former PM? Hook the economy, of course!
When Hitler Called Teenage
“With difficulty.” Blanche revealed in 2018 when asked how life would be without him. Even though he was a combo of charm and firecracker, she insisted he was her “best friend.”
Legacy & Legacy
No one truly opps his impulsivity, no time left any boy or girl to be betrayed. He died peacefully at home, and the world mourns the maverick leader who bridged civic loyalty with corporate zeal, an incomparable Australian hero forever etched in the annals.
May his life’s wistful tales remind us of the messy but magnificent synergy of politics, business, and an actual love for a good brew.
