“Thank you for coming to honour the life of a wonderful man,” Widow Blanche d’Alpuget

16/6/2019

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke was farewelled in Sydney as friends, family, political colleagues and rivals gathered to pay their respects at this memorial service. The former PM who died on May 16 aged 89. Thousands of dignitaries, politicians and ordinary Australians have gathered inside and outside the iconic Sydney Opera House, with the flags on the top of the Harbour Bridge at half-mast, to honour his life. Among those present were Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese. The eulogy was delivered by Kim Beazley, a member of the Hawke government, a former Labor leader and US Ambassador, and now the Governor of Western Australia.

Bob Hawke’s wife of 24 years, Blanche d’Alpuget, delivered a stirring farewell to the love of her life — the final of nine speakers to pay tribute.

“Thank you for coming to honour the life of a wonderful man,” Ms d’Alpuget said. “Four weeks ago there was a national outpouring of grief when Australia learned Bob Hawke had died. That grief has continued until today.

“Today, this memorial service marks the transition from the grief of loss to the celebration of a life triumphantly well lived.

“With today’s transformative service, we smile again, we glow with pride for the presence among us for almost 90 years of a great human being.”

KEATING’S PRAISE

Mr Hawke’s long-time political partner and then replacement, former PM Paul Keating, spoke fondly of their shared legacy and friendship, as well as their difficulties.

The pair had an up-and-down relationship over the years but mended their rift in the final years of Mr Hawke’s life.

 “Bob and I would have private skirmishes over this policy or that, even criticise one another to immediate staff, often heavy criticisms,” Mr Keating said to laughter.

“But by instinct and a very large dollop of friendship, we always remained wielded to the same objective, a point even the closest of our staff sometimes fail to comprehend. I’m not sure they knew how stuck together we were.”

The memorial included speeches from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.

PM MORRISON

Mr Morrison gave the first speech, beginning by saying: “Australians all let us rejoice for the life of Robert James Lee Hawke.”

“Unlike those who will follow me today, and although we did meet on a few occasions, I only knew Bob from a distance,” he said.

“But in that way I can reflect and share with you the common remembrance and speak of the affection he inspired from millions of Australians who only knew him in this way. Today, I come to speak on behalf of a nation Bob Hawke loved and that deeply loved him in return.

“It was a great romance played out in the shopping centres, with journalists tripping over cables, sporting ovals, grandstands, schools, town halls, beaches, parks, outback stations and, of course, indigenous communities all around the country.”

ALBANESE

Mr Albanese followed the PM, sharing his memories of the man “beneath that cloud of hair”, including funny anecdotes about his larger than life character.

“Bob, as we know, is no shrinking violet,” he recalled. “After a conversation with Margaret Thatcher in 1983, he reported to the media that she thought they would both be around for a while in their respective positions.

“‘She certainly is right in one respect,’ he modestly observed.”

Earlier this morning, Mr Albanese described his involvement in the memorial as “a tremendous honour”.

“Bob Hawke is in my view Australia’s greatest prime minister ever,” Mr Albanese said on the Today show.

“He taught Labor that you need to bring people with us on change. He transformed the economy, he transformed social policy through the creation of Medicare — there is no question that he is Australia’s greatest ever environmental protector because the Daintree, Kakadu, the Tasmanian wilderness and indeed Antarctica all exist thanks to Bob Hawke’s Government.”

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, accompanied by wife Chloe, was also in attendance, making one of his first public appearances since last month’s election loss.

Former PM Julia Gillard paid tribute via a video message as she’s in Stockholm, chairing a board meeting of the Global Partnership for Education.

“For me, the essence of the Bob I knew is caught by one word — inspiration. He inspired the Labor Party to govern and govern well,” Ms Gillard said.

“He inspired the nation to embrace a new and better future. He inspired me as Prime Minister, as I sought to live up to his example, and he will go on inspiring those who believe in Labor values for generations to come.”

In an often emotional appearance, Ms d’Alpuget revealed the final tragedy of Mr Hawke’s life was that he didn’t get the chance to vote in the election.

But she said she took comfort in the fact the Labor great didn’t live to see the party’s shock loss.

“He decided he wasn’t going to postal vote,” Ms d’Alpuget revealed. “He was going to go up in his wheelchair and vote, but he didn’t get there.

“He said to me, ‘I can’t make any further contribution. I’ve got no contribution to make now.’ Which was one of the reasons he wanted to die, because he thought of his life as contributing to society.”