Bill Shorten pays his respects to Bob Hawke’s wife in the wake of the former PM’s death
Opposition leader Bill Shorten spent thirty minutes with Bob Hawke’s widow Blanche d’Alpuget, arriving at the couple’s Northbridge home with a bunch of flowers in hand. The former Prime Minister died peacefully yesterday, aged 89.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has visited Bob Hawke’s widow Blanche d’Alpuget to pay his condolences in the wake of the former Prime Minister’s death.
Flanked by security, Mr Shorten arrived at the couple’s Northbridge home just after 10.30am carrying a bunch of flowers in his hand.
He was greeted at the door and taken inside as the Australian Federal Police waited outside.
After nearly thirty minutes inside, Ms d’Alpuget opened the door along with Mr Shorten, leading him to her front gate before greeting the media and thanking everyone for their tributes.
The former author said she was “overwhelmed” by it all.
“Everyone has been wonderful, there is a great outpouring of love and it has been very sustaining and energetic,” she said.
“It is wonderful for Australia and that love is what you leave.”
Mr Shorten said he will remember Hawke as a “good friend” and leader who ultimately changed the nation and brought Australians together.
“I have had such a lovely catch up with Blanche, she is a very strong person and I see why her and Bob had such great love. Bob Hawke was a great man, he was a legend,” Mr Shorten said.
“I feel for his family, his children, his extended family. Bob had a great life and I think he knew a lot of people loved him. When I saw him Monday, a week ago he was in sparkling form so I feel sad he is gone, I feel lucky I knew him.”
The opposition leader also said Hawke was “looking forward” to celebrating tomorrow’s election night and had already made plans to celebrate before his death.
“Bob is a very generous fellow, not to just me but the nation. When we caught up he was not torn up with his health but wanted to know how the election was going he was looking forward to election night and organised beautiful friends to be with him that night. Bob for me was always interested in the people.
“She (Blanche) is a very strong lady, she said one thing that stuck with me. She said sometimes in death it’s a moment for us to think about our love and I thought that was very wise of her.”
Ms d’Alpuget broke down in tears this morning while collecting newspapers outside her home, hugging Daily Telegraph reporter Adella Beaini before saying “thank you” when offered condolences.
Dressed in a charcoal robe which belonged to her husband, Ms d’Alpuget said she was wearing it because it made her “feel better”.
Ms d’Alpuget announced her husband’s death last night, he died peacefully at home, aged 89.
“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian — many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era … Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues,” Ms d’Alpuget’s statement read.
“We will miss him.”
A husband and wife who lived down the street from Mr Hawke laid the first flowers outside his home.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, they said Mr Hawke and Ms d’Alpuget were well loved and it was “the least they can do” as they placed down white roses with a ribbon tied on the ends.
MORE: Bob Hawke’s affairs of the heart
“These flowers are from our garden and Bob’s just a good guy, he cut across political boundaries and sure he may of been disliked in some things but he was good,” the neighbour said.
“We walk past here everyday and one of our two dogs was his favourite. Bob just loved patting them every time.”
Mr Hawke was first married in 1956 to Hazel Masterson, whom he met while he was at university in Perth. The couple had four children together — Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and Robert Jr, who died in childhood.
Mrs Hawke was the steadfast wife who stood by her husband as he led the Australian Council of Trade Unions in the 1970s, entered parliament and served as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991. But the much-admired Labor leader had a long-held secret.
Six years on, with her marriage “going down the drain”, Ms d’Alpuget interviewed Mr Hawke for a biography on arbitrator Sir Richard Kirby. “The click was different,” she said — and at the time, “affairs were par for the course”.
Full statement from Blanche d’Alpuget
“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian — many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era.
“He died peacefully at home at the age of 89 years.
“I and Bob’s children, Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and stepson, Louis, and his grandchildren, will hold a private funeral.
“A memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks.
“Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation.
“Bob’s consensus-style approach of bringing together the trade union movement and the business community boosted job opportunities while increasing the social wage through Medicare and extra financial support for low-income families.
“Together with his highly talented Cabinets, he foresaw the Asian Century and position Australia to take full advantage of it through a program of sweeping economic reforms.
“Among his proudest achievements were large increases in the proportion of children finishing high school, his role in ending apartheid in South Africa, and his successful international campaign to protect Antarctica from mining.
“He abhorred racism and bigotry. His father, the Reverend Clem Hawke, told Bob that if you believed in the Fatherhood of God then you must also believe in the Brotherhood of Man. “Bob would add today the Sisterhood of Women.
“Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues.
“We will miss him.”
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