Bob Hawke
16 May 2019
Statement from ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and President Michele O’Neil on the passing of Bob HawkeIt is with immense sorrow and gratitude that the Australian union movement acknowledges the passing of Bob Hawke.
As a leader of our nation and of our movement, Bob was a hero to working people – an architect of the accords, the father of Medicare, and a founder of universal superannuation.
The Australian union movement has enormous pride that a great and respected representative of working people and ACTU President went on to become a loved and legendary Australian Prime Minister.
Millions of working people owe their health, their prosperity and their dignity in retirement to Bob’s work.
All our thoughts and sympathy are with Bob’s family and loved ones during this time.
The entire union family is grieving as are all Australians.
We will never forget him.
Solidarity and Vale Bob Hawke
More on Hawke
Born in December 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia, Robert James Lee Hawke was the son of a Congregational minister and a schoolteacher. The family moved to Western Australia in 1939, and Hawke was educated at the Perth modern school and the University of Western Australia, before attending Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.
He returned to Australia and married Hazel Masterton in 1956, his long time girlfriend.
In 1958, he took up an advocate’s position at the ACTU. Hawke prospered there, taking the presidency in 1970 and serving in that role for a decade.
As head of the trade union movement, Hawke was instrumental in opposing apartheid in South Africa and led several protests against all-white sporting teams that visited Australia.
Hawke became a household name as president of the ACTU but his relentless drinking and womanising was well known and was seen as a major handicap to his political ambitions.
Hazel Hawke said in one interview she realised Hawke was serious about becoming prime minister when he gave up drinking. He had made a couple of earlier attempts to enter parliament but in 1980 was preselected as the member for Wills, and elected that year.
16 May 2019
Statement from ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and President Michele O’Neil on the passing of Bob HawkeIt is with immense sorrow and gratitude that the Australian union movement acknowledges the passing of Bob Hawke.
As a leader of our nation and of our movement, Bob was a hero to working people – an architect of the accords, the father of Medicare, and a founder of universal superannuation.
The Australian union movement has enormous pride that a great and respected representative of working people and ACTU President went on to become a loved and legendary Australian Prime Minister.
Millions of working people owe their health, their prosperity and their dignity in retirement to Bob’s work.
All our thoughts and sympathy are with Bob’s family and loved ones during this time.
The entire union family is grieving as are all Australians.
We will never forget him.
Solidarity and Vale Bob Hawke
More on Hawke
Born in December 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia, Robert James Lee Hawke was the son of a Congregational minister and a schoolteacher. The family moved to Western Australia in 1939, and Hawke was educated at the Perth modern school and the University of Western Australia, before attending Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.
He returned to Australia and married Hazel Masterton in 1956, his long time girlfriend.
In 1958, he took up an advocate’s position at the ACTU. Hawke prospered there, taking the presidency in 1970 and serving in that role for a decade.
As head of the trade union movement, Hawke was instrumental in opposing apartheid in South Africa and led several protests against all-white sporting teams that visited Australia.
Hawke became a household name as president of the ACTU but his relentless drinking and womanising was well known and was seen as a major handicap to his political ambitions.
Hazel Hawke said in one interview she realised Hawke was serious about becoming prime minister when he gave up drinking. He had made a couple of earlier attempts to enter parliament but in 1980 was preselected as the member for Wills, and elected that year.
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