Bob Hawke

He married Hazel Masterson in 1956. The couple had four children; daughter Susan (born in 1957), son Stephen (born in 1959), daughter Roslyn (born in 1960) and son Robert Jr. (born in 1963). Robert Jr. died in his infancy. The couple separated ways in 1995.

In 1995, he married Australian writer Blanche d'Alpuget and the couple currently live in Northbridge, Sydney.

In his honour, the University of South Australia has established the ‘Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library’ in 1997.

Robert James Lee ‘Bob’ Hawke was born on 9 December 1929 at Bordertown in Southern Australia, to congregational minister, Arthur Hawke, and his wife, Edith, who was a schoolteacher. He had an older brother, Neil, who died at the age of 17 due to meningitis.

Bob was known to be extremely self-confident as a child. He completed his school education at the Perth Modern School and subsequently enrolled into the University of Western Australia. Upon turning 18, he joined the Australian Labor Party, in 1947.

In 1952, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. He then applied for the Rhodes scholarship that allowed him to pursue studies at the University College at Oxford. He began his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, but later shifted studies to Bachelor of Letters.

In 1956, upon accepting a scholarship that allowed doctoral studies in arbitration law, he joined the Australian National University in Canberra. Soon, he was elected the student representative of the university council.

The following year, his mentor, H.P Brown, endorsed him to become President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. Bob Hawke accepted the offer and gave up his doctoral studies to move to Melbourne.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the apex body that represents the workers in Australia and is an association of country’s highly structured labour movement. Soon after Bob Hawke joined the ACTU in 1958, he was in charge of presenting a case for higher wages at the national tribunal. His first appointment as an advocate for the ACTU was in 1959. The case resulted in a pay rise, which was a great achievement for him.

In 1969, he was elected the president of ACTU. While holding the position, he focused on the betterment of living conditions of workers. He was against with the Vietnam War; but encouraged alliances between USA and Australia.

He was a supporter of Jews, and for the same reason his assassination was planned by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and its Australian counterpart.

Until 1980, while serving as the President of the ACTU, he successfully represented the association in front of arbitration councils for earning suitable settlements. Between 1973 and 1978, he also served as the Federal President of the Australian Labor Party.

In 1980, he contested the election to the House of Representatives and won the Melbourne seat of Wills. Soon after his election, he was appointed as the Shadow Minister of Industrial Relations, Employment and Youth, by Labor Leader Bill Hayden.

Bob Hawke is regarded as the greatest Labor leader in Australian history. He has been instrumental in strengthening Australian economy with several initiatives like tax reforms, privatization of state owned industries, and floating of the Australian Dollar and de-regularization of banks. He also took initiatives in the environment and health sector by providing aid to Landcare and launched health care initiatives like public campaign regarding AIDS and establishment of Medicare policies.