Hawke was born on December, 1929, in Bordertown, South Australia. He was the second child of Arthur Hawke (known as Clem), a Congregationalist minister, and his wife Edith (known as Ellie), a schoolteacher. His uncle, Albert, was the Labor Premier of Western Australia between 1953–59, and was also a close friend of Prime Minister John Curtin, who was in many ways Bob Hawke's role model.
Hawke was educated at Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia, graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. He was also president of the university's guild during the same year. The following year, Hawke won a Rhodes Scholarship to attend University College, Oxford, where he undertook a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). He soon found he was covering much the same ground as he did in his education at the University of Western Australia, and transferred to a Bachelor of Letters, writing his thesis on wage-fixing in Australia which was successfully presented in January 1956.
In 1956, Hawke accepted a scholarship to undertake doctoral studies in the area of arbitration law in the law department at the Australian National University in Canberra. Soon after his arrival at ANU, Hawke became the students' representative on the University Council. A year later, Hawke was recommended to the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) to become a research officer, replacing Harold Souter who had become ACTU Secretary. The recommendation was made by Hawke's mentor at ANU, H. P. Brown, who for a number of years had assisted the ACTU in national wage cases. Hawke decided to abandon his doctoral studies and accept the offer, moving to Melbourne with his wife Hazel.
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.
In 1982, he challenged the leadership of Bill Hayden and a ballot followed. Even though Bill Hayden won, the difference in the number of votes was minimal and this event gave Bob Hawke considerable recognition as a leader within the party.
In 1983, Bill Hayden announced his resignation as leader of party and Bob Hawke was named the acting leader of the Australian Labor Party. In the elections held the following month, he led the party to a landslide victory, thereby ending seven years of rule by the Liberal Party.
On 11 March 1983, he was sworn in as the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. During his time as Prime Minister, he worked towards industrial accord by bringing about a uniform wage across labour unions of Australia. He was successful in effectively tackling inflation rate and maintained cordial relations with foreign nations like the USA. He was re-elected as Prime Minister in 1984.
Some of the most noteworthy decisions concerning the Australian economy that he took during his reign were the deregulation of the banking system and floating of the Australian Dollar. These decisions helped revamp the Australian economy.
Other steps that were taken include the introduction of tax reforms, privatization of state owned enterprises and the trading of financial institutions owned by state like CSL Limited, Qantas and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
In 1989, in a move to improve economic cooperation among the nations of Asia Pacific, he formed the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that promoted free trade among nations of the region.
He took several initiatives in the environmental sector, such as, stopping of a dam construction in Tasmania and supporting Landcare groups of farmers in the country. His health care initiatives included a widespread public health campaign regarding AIDS. A universal health care system in Australia was established under the name Medicare.
The Labor party won the 1987 and 1990 elections. As a result of the late 1980s recession, Hawke won the 1990 elections by a very tight margin.
He appointed Paul Keating as Deputy Prime Minister and in December 1991 Hawke resigned as prime minister and Keating assumed the prime ministership of Australia.
After resignation, he became more prominent in the business world and showed minimal involvement with the Labor Party during Paul Keating’s time as Prime Minister. After 1996, when John Howard assumed the position of Prime Minister, he became more involved with the works and campaigns of the Labor Party. He is known to supported candidates like Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Kristina Keneally in their campaigns.
In 2009, he assisted in the setting up of a Centre for Muslim and Non-Muslim Understanding at the University of South Australia. According to him interfaith dialogue is essential and lack of understanding of religion was one of the greatest potential threats of the world.
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.
In his honour, the University of South Australia has established the ‘Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library’ in 1997.
Quotations:
“I think it is just stupid economics for a government to approach economic management from a strand of thinking regarding unions as enemies. ”
“The things which are most important don't always scream the loudest. ”
“The things which are most important don't always scream the loudest. ”
In 2009, he was received a Life Time membership of the Australian Labor Party. He was the third person to get the honour.
He was frequently described as having two unintegrated sides: passionate and puritanical, Christian and atheist, scholar and sportsman, vulnerable and insensitive, sentimental and calculating.
In defiance of the traditions of Australian mateship, Hawke was highly emotional in public, breaking down and crying on a number of occasions on television, once when discussing the drug addiction of one of his children and on another occasion when admitting to his marital infidelities.
Hawke was the second child of Arthur Hawke and his wife Edith. His uncle, Albert, was the Labor Premier of Western Australia between 1953–59, and was also a close friend of Prime Minister John Curtin, who was in many ways Bob Hawke's role model.
He married Hazel Masterson in 1956. The couple had four children; daughter Susan, son Stephen, daughter Roslyn and son Robert Jr. The couple separated ways in 1995.
In 1995, he married Blanche d'Alpuget and the couple currently live in Northbridge, Sydney.
He was the General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party in South Australia 1919-20, and a Congregationalist minister.
She was a schoolteacher.
She is an Australian writer.
She was born in 1957.
She was born in 1960.
He was born in 1959.
Died in his early infancy in 1963.
She worked in social policy areas, and was an amateur pianist and a patron of the arts.
He was the 18th Premier of Western Australia.
