Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke has died, aged 89, his wife Blanche d’Alpuget has confirmed.
“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian – many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,” she said in a statement.
“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.
Ms d’Alpuget said “Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues. We will miss him.
“The golden bowl is broken.”
Labor Leader Bill Shorten has paid tribute to Mr Hawke.
“The Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them, this was true to the very end,” he said.
“With his passing, the labour movement salutes our greatest son, the Labor Party gives thanks for the life of our longest-serving Prime Minister and Australians everywhere remember and honour a man who gave so much to the country and people he cared for so deeply.”
Mr Shorten said his thoughts were with Mr Hawke’s family.
“At our Labor launch I told Bob we loved him, I promised we would win for him. I said the same to him the next day at his home, when I visited.
“It was Monday 6 May, the Sydney sun was out, that famous silver mane, now snow-white. Cigar in hand, strawberry milkshake on the table, the hefty bulk of his dictionary holding down the day’s cryptic crossword.
“I gave the man who inspired me to go into politics a gentle hug, I tried to tell him what he meant to me, what he meant to all of us. I couldn’t quite find the right words, few of us can, when we’re face-to-face with our heroes.
“But Bob knew. He knew what he meant to Australia, he knew what he had achieved for the country. He knew he was loved, right to the end.
“We honour him. We will remember him. In solidarity, forever. May he rest in peace.”
Ms d’Alpuget listed some of Mr Hawke’s greatest achievements during his period leading Australia.
“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 positioned 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. “
9News Australia
