Robert James Lee (Bob) Hawke was born on 9 December 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia. His father was a minister of religion and an uncle was a former premier of Western Australia. Hawke was educated at West Leederville and Perth Modern Schools, and later studied arts and law at the University of Western Australia. In 1953 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship (WA) and went to Oxford University, where he undertook research into the Australian arbitration system. Doctoral research at the Australian National University (1956-1958) was not completed. Instead, in 1958, Hawke joined the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) as a Research Officer.

Hawke soon gained a reputation as an industrial advocate and became the best-known figure in the industrial labour movement. As President of the ACTU (1970-1980), he successfully reformed its organisational structure, increased its income and the number of affiliated members, and improved its media profile. In 1971, he became a member of the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was also President (1973-1978).

In this period Hawke served as a member of several government advisory or planning bodies:- National Labour Advisory Council and Immigration Advisory Council (1970-74), Immigration Planning Council (1970-1975), Australian Council for Union Training (and its predecessor, 1974-1980), Australian Population and Immigration Council (1976-1980), Australian Manufacturing Council (and its predecessor, 1976-1980) and the Australian Refugee Advisory Council (1979-1980). He was also a member of Monash University Council (1970-1973), a member of the International Labour Organisation Governing Body (1972-1980) and a Board member of the Reserve Bank (1973-1980). Even before entering federal Parliament, Hawke was acknowledged as a Prime Minister in waiting.

In October 1980, Hawke was elected to the House of Representatives as the Member for Wills (Vic). He immediately became a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry and spokesman on industrial relations, employment and youth affairs (1980-1983). On 3 February 1983, Hawke replaced W G (Bill) Hayden as Leader of the Opposition. Following the defeat of the Fraser Government at the 11 March 1983 general election, he became Prime Minister (1983-1991). Hawke had been in Parliament less than three years, Leader of the Opposition for barely a month and had no prior Ministerial experience. Nevertheless, he came into office with the largest ALP majority in the House of Representatives since 1943, won four consecutive elections (5 March 1983, 1 December 1984, 11 July 1987 and 24 March 1990) and, for most of his term, was one of Australia's most popular Prime Ministers.

The Hawke Government encouraged a supportive bureaucracy and ministerial independence, developed a direct and strong relationship with the business community and, apart from the 1989 airlines dispute, enjoyed minimal union confrontation. Although beginning and ending with periods of recession, it was an able administration and promoted economic initiative and growth. This reflected in particular, but not entirely, the strong working partnership between Hawke and his Treasurer, Paul Keating.

Hawke's foreign policy was based on the perception of Australia as an important middle power in a global trading world, in dialogue with the United States as much as in Asia. Building on his previous international experience and contacts as a prominent union leader, his many official visits overseas as Prime Minister led to the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) and included attending Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meetings in India (1983), Port Moresby (1984) and Zimbabwe (1991). He was also Leader of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegations to the Australian Constitutional Conventions in Adelaide (1983) and Brisbane (1985).

Hawke lost the ALP leadership on 19 December 1991, after a second and successful leadership challenge by Paul Keating. He resigned as Prime Minister the next day and from Parliament in February 1992.

After leaving federal politics, Hawke was a visiting academic, company director and business consultant. He was made a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) in January 1979, given the Freedom of the City of London in 1999 and was a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2001.

On 1 August 2009 at the ALP National Conference Bob Hawke was honoured for his contribution to politics with lifetime membership of the ALP.

Hawke married his first wife, Hazel Masterson (CP 586) in 1956. The couple divorced in 1995 and Hawke married writer Blanche D'Alpuget in the same year.

The Hon Bob Hawke died at home in Sydney on 16 May 2019.

Publications

The Resolution of Conflict: ABC Boyer lectures (Sydney, ABC, 1979)

National Reconciliation (Sydney, Fontana, 1984) (with others)

Building a Competitive Australia (Canberra, AGPS, 1991)

The Hawke Memoirs (Melbourne, Heinemann, 1994)

Many of Hawke's speeches and addresses have also been separately published

Sources

Blewett, Neil, 'Robert James Lee Hawke' in M Grattan (ed), Australian Prime Ministers, Sydney, New Holland, 2000, pp 380-406

Commonwealth Directory 1970, pp 115, 135; 1974, pp 146, 148, 160, 372

Parliamentary Handbook, 25th ed (1991), p 120; 26th ed (1993), p 258

Who's Who in Australia 2004, p 941

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-16/bob-hawke-dies-former-australian-prime-minister-and-labor-leader/6562902 accessed 17 May 2019

Unregistered agencies associated with person

1958 – 1969: Australian Council of Trade Unions – Research Officer and Advocate

1970 – 1973: Monash University – Council Member

1970 – 1980: Australian Council of Trade Unions – President

1972 – 1980: International Labour Organisation – Member, Governing Body

1976 – 1980: Australian Population and Immigration Council – Member

1976 – 1980: National Labour Consultative Council – Member

Apr 1983: Australian Constitutional Convention, Adelaide – Leader of Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegation

Jul 1985: Australian Constitutional Convention, Brisbane – Leader of Commonwealth Parliamentary Delegation