Bob Hawke: a public life

The key moments from the life of Australia’s 23rd prime minister, who died aged 89.

Bob Hawke as the new president of the ACTU in 1969.

1929

December 9: Robert James Lee Hawke born in Bordertown, South Australia.

Undated. Bob Hawke as a child. Picture from National Library, Canberra.

-

1953

August: Takes up Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford after graduating in arts/law from the University of Western Australia.

-

1956

March 3: Marries long-time fiancée Hazel Masterton; becomes Resident Scholar at the Australian National University. The next year daughter Susan is born, followed by Stephen in 1959 and Rosslyn in 1960.

-

1958

Women outside Trades Hall in Melbourne 1969

May: Becomes Australian Council of Trade Unions advocate after assisting in wages cases as a volunteer, has success in 1959 and 1966 cases.

-

1963

November 30: Failed bid for the seat of Corio, Victoria; in the same year as his fourth child, Robert, dies in infancy.

-

1969

JANUARY 1970 : Bob Hawke, new president of the ACTU, pictured in his Canberra office on his first day in the job, 01/70. Pic News Ltd.Australia's First CenturyHistorical

September 11: Is elected President of the ACTU, the beginning of his rise to public notice; the following year meets writer Blanche D’Alpuget.

-

1973

Overall view of the Federal Australian Labor Party conference in session in the convention room of the Chevron Hotel, Surfers' Paradise, Jul 1973. The ALP party president Bob Hawke (left) was in the chair. (Pic: The Courier Mail, Brisbane)

June: Becomes Australian Labor Party president after joining its national executive in 1971.

-

1975

**This picture has a scanned reverse - see associated content at the bottom of the details window**Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia (1972-1975), pictures of the Dismissal 11/11/1975.

November 11: Governor-General John Kerr dismisses the government of Gough Whitlam, who leads Labor to defeat in a December election, then urges Hawke to enter parliament and lead the party. Hawke is lukewarm, the plan comes to nothing.

-

1980

SEPTEMBER 23, 1980 : Bob Hawke, former ACTU president & ALP candidate for Victorian seat oif Wills stands on podium to address students at Sydney University, 23/09/80 during federal election campaign. Pic News Limited.NSW / Demonstration / EducationAustralia's First CenturyHistorical

October 18: Enters federal parliament after winning the seat of Wills in Melbourne, becomes shadow minister for Industrial Relations, Employment, Youth Affairs.

-

1982

Author Blanche D'Alpuget in 1995 TV show "Blanche : Wrestling With The Angel".P/

July 16: Loses July leadership ballot against Bill Hayden; Blanche D’Alpuget’s biography of him is published.

-

1983

February 3: Becomes Labor leader after Hayden stands aside and on March 5 leads the party to victory in the federal election; the following week he is sworn in as 23rd Prime Minister.

April 14: The economic summit he initiated leads to a historic prices and incomes accord with unions led by ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty.

July 1: Wins the High Court battle to prevent dam of Tasmania’s Franklin River.

Historical Protest and demonstration Franklin River dam protest rally Bob Brown in front of the first banner in Hobart File Picture 2nd September 1981 Negative number Q7135/12

September 26: Australia becomes first nation to take the America’s Cup from the US in an Alan Bond-funded challenge. Hawke says “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum!”

Prime Minister Bob Hawke wearing celebration coat at Royal Perth Yacht Club all-night party after Australia won America's Cup, 27/09/1983.

December 9: Decision to float the Australian dollar.

-

1984

February 1: Medicare is introduced, followed in August by the Sex Discrimination Act introduced by Susan Ryan. On December 1, Labor wins a second term.

-

1987

Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke giving his ALP policy speech at the Sydney Opera House, 23/06/87 (1987). Pic Barry McKinnon, News Ltd archives.

June 23: Hawke’s election promise that by 1990 no Australian child would be living in poverty; the following month Labor wins a third term.

-

1988

June 12: Hawke promises an Aboriginal treaty at The Barunga Festival in the Northern Territory, but nothing comes of it.

-

1988

1989. Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasuer Paul Keating at the start of the housing summit meeting in the cabinet room at Parliament House, Canberra. Premiers Conference? Picture: ALAN PORRITT.

November 25: The Kirribilli Agreement. Hawke undertakes to stand aside from the leadership after the next election to give Treasurer Paul Keating a turn. Witnessed by ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty and businessman Sir Peter Abeles.

-

1989

June 4: The Tiananmen Square massacre of students in Beijing: Hawke offers asylum to Chinese students in Australia. In November the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group created by Hawke meets for the first time.

-

1990

1990. Bob Hawke shares a laugh with his wife Hazel Hawke on election day. Pic: Colin Bull. Neg: 900325/342

March 24: Labor wins record 4th term despite recession and after Hawke reneges on the agreement.

-

1990

November 29: Keating declares the economic downturn “the recession we had to have” as the Hawke’s power continues to wane and their relationship deteriorates.

-

1991

June 3: Hawke withstands leadership challenge by Keating, who resigns as Treasurer and goes to the backbench.

-

1991

DECEMBER 19, 1991: CANBERRA, ACT. Prime Minister Paul Keating announces his defeat of Bob Hawke in the leadership challenge during a press conference in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. (Photo by Marco Del Grande / Newspix)

December 19: Hawke is deposed by Keating in a second ballot and on February 20 1992 resigns from parliament to work as a consultant and write his memoirs.

-

1995

**This picture has a scanned reverse - see associated content at the bottom of the details window**Bob Hawke, politician and Prime Minister of Australia 1983-1991, pictured with family 1991+

July 23: Marries his biographer and longtime lover, Blanche D’Alpuget, after divorcing Hazel Hawke.

-

2008

February 13: Attends Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations with Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, Paul Keating; in October helps establish International Centre for Muslim and Non-Muslim Understanding in South Australia.

-

2009

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and wife Blanche d'Alpuget (right) leave with Prime Minster Kevin Rudd (centre) at the Sydney Convention Centre during the 45th ALP National Conference in Sydney, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. Hawke was awarded a lifetime membership to the ALP today and is only the third person to be awarded the honour. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy) NO ARCHIVING

August 1: Hawke becomes a lifetime member of the ALP, awarded the honour by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

-

2013

Hazel Hawke in Adelaide, 31 Mar 1995, tospeak at the 1995 Success Congress Against All Odds.

May 23: Hazel Hawke dies after a long battle with Alzheimers disease, Hawke visits her in her final days.

-

2016

Bob hawke for watch FTA

April 14: Hawke announces his support for voluntary euthanasia and criticises the lack of political will to legalise it.

-

2019

May 16: Bob Hawke dies, aged 89.