Remembering Bob

Bob Hawke's death in May 2019 sparked national mourning across the country as we remembered just how important Bob had been in the shaping of modern Australia. In an age when political personas have become increasingly formulaic and predictable, Bob was a man of glorious contradictions. He was a Rhodes Scholar who also had a deep affinity and understanding for mainstream Australia. He was a passionate ACTU officer and president who also knew how to work with big business. He loved his sport, a drink and a bet, yet was also deeply intellectual in his approach to policy. In an age when our respect for politicians has never been lower, we respected Bob. The huge public outpouring of grief after his death showed that we loved him too. Remembering Bob, instigated and edited by Bob's eldest daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke, is a collection of stories and memories about Bob by his friends, colleagues, old political foes, and ordinary Australians whose paths crossed that of their everyman Prime Minister. They are by turns funny, serious, warm, illuminating and inspiring, and, taken together, they offer a true reflection of the extraordinary person he was, and what he meant to us all. As the Hon Jason Clare MP puts it in his pitch-perfect piece about growing up with Bob Hawke on TV: 'He is the green card in your pocket. He is the superannuation you will retire with. He is the architect of so much of what is Australia today. His invisible fingerprints are all around us. And we are a better country for it.'