Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, leading the country through nearly a decade as its head of government.
Born on 9 December 1929 in Bordertown, Australia, Hawke attended West Leederville Primary School and Perth Modern School before going on to study at the University of Western Australia and its law school. He later studied at the Australian National University and received a Rhodes Scholarship that took him to University College, Oxford. Before entering politics, he worked as a trade unionist and union organizer, a role that shaped the earlier part of his career.
Hawke was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia and received an honorary doctorate from Nanjing University. He died on 16 May 2019 in Sydney.
Quotes by Bob Hawke
When I was Prime Minister, it's right - we had a close relationship - but that did not prevent me, when I believed the United States position was wrong, arguing against them.
If the Australian Government were to associate itself with the United States attack on Iraq, which was not sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, then we'd put this country at risk.
I believe the Australian people have an affection for the Queen, and so they should have.
None of us can be sure of how long we will live. Because this is so, I think you should try not to think too much about dying but think about all the nice things that make life so precious to us all.
Australia can no longer afford to go down the path of confrontation and fragmentation which has embittered and disfigured so many aspects of the national life.
One fundamental issue which Trump did take advantage of was the increasing disparities of income in the United States. So many people saw the rich getting richer and it not being spread around. It's affecting European politics, too, now.
I felt completely ready to become prime minister. I came to office better equipped, in terms of knowledge of economics and of the Australian economy, than anyone before me, or since, I would say.
I could never afford to be in a position where I could do something stupid, so I gave up drinking.
